While mowing the field Sunday, I watched this turtle dig a hole and lay her eggs.

This April we had assorted Daffodils followed by Breaded Iris in May. Our wildflower field is slowly blooming with daisies. Our beds have Zinnia & Cosmo seedlings starting to grow. The Dahlias are beginning to peek out of the grow. We have had two interns this Spring who have been helping us get ready for Summer Sunday's. Check our hours weekly for opening dates.

We are ending our season on a high note, we just supplied flowers for a local rehearsal dinner. Our flowers are starting to die down, yet we still had enough. Buckets of assorted flowers were picked, then arranged into vases. Each vase was arranged with a collection of flowers from the cultivated flowers bed and our wildflower field. The final product was beautiful.
 
Unlike last year when we learned about the different variations of cut flowers and how to grow them, this year we learned about the impact of weather on farming. Flowers need both rain and sun, one might even say a natural balance between the two. Each region or growing zone has plants that grow well for that zone based on soil type and weather patterns. 
 
What do we do when the weather patterns change? 
 
Our soil in Virginia is mostly a clay soil, enriched by organic matter. This soil prefers a slow soaking rain. Rain that seeps into the grow gradually, seeping deeper to feed longer tap roots. What we are now experiencing however are torrential downpours. The type of rain from tropical zones. These tropical zones have sandy soil which allow for the rain to be absorbed very quickly. Torrential tropical rains in our zone cannot be absorbed quickly by our clay soil which then results in flooding. 
 
We are lucky our flowers beds were accidently planted on a slight hill, which allows for run off. Last weekend we were forced to remain closed due to extremely soggy ground. This weekend rain is in the forecast again and with the reduction of flowers for the season we say goodbye for the summer. 
 
We have planted an assortment of spring flowers and will open on select weekends when those flowers are blooming. Our Summer season will open around the beginning of June. Check our website for days and hours. 
 

In my world, I live by the rule of simplicity. When in doubt simplify. 
 
I got a call yesterday from a man who was cooking a meal for 300 people and wanted to know if I had Tarragon. Yes, I have Tarragon, however not enough for 300 people. If you are a home cook, cooking for your family or friends, I have herbs & flowers for you. If you are a restaurant or caterer we do not grow enough for your needs. After the call, I realized I needed to explain our farm a little better to the world. 
 
We are an “Agritourism” farm, not a commercial farm.
 
Agritourism or agrotourism, as it is defined most broadly, involves any agriculturally based operation or activity that brings visitors to a farm or ranch. Agritourism has different definitions in different parts of the world, and sometimes refers specifically to farm stays, as in Italy. Elsewhere, agritourism includes a wide variety of activities, including buying produce direct from a farm stand, navigating a corn maze, slopping hogs, picking fruit, feeding animals, or staying at a bed and breakfast (B&B) on a farm. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
 
Our farm is a great place to bring your energetic children, pick some flowers and run around. Warrenton, VA. is also great small town to explore. Before or after your visit stop for lunch in old town Warrenton, or Airlie’s new restaurant Harry’s, or stop for a visit toWort Hog Brewery or Pearmund Vineyards. Looking for more flowers visit Seven Oaks Lavender Farmin Catlett. Make a day out of visiting Warrenton and before heading home stop for some ice cream at Carousels Frozen Treats.

This past week I had the opportunity to work a guy named Lucas as part of our Internship Experience Programs offered to high functioning young adults with Aspergers. Lucus came out to the farm for a day to experience something new. He got a glimpse of what farming is like and the hard work and responsibility that comes with it. When he first arrived he was a bit hesitant and soft spoken. We got to work together the whole morning and after a while he began to get more comfortable. I prompted him with questions to get conversation flowing as we worked. Sometimes after he answered he would continue the conversation by asking me questions back. We covered all sorts of topics-- such as our ideal place to live, our high school (we actually attended the same high school, just one year apart!), hobbies, etc. I found out that he loves art, would like to live in Texas, interned with an independent media company in our hometown, and is a student at community college. I was neat to find out all of these things and get to know some of his personality. We often worked in silence but I was impressed with his openness and the conversations we had. 

I was very impressed with Lucas's attitude as we worked. It was foggy and humid, and the work we were doing was not necessary loads of fun, and yet, he never complained and when he was given a task he was open to doing it. I sometimes had to make sure he was properly doing the task at hand, but with a little instruction he was back to work and tried his best to correct what he was doing. Working with Lucas was really enjoyable and I am glad he came to the farm for the day to to have a new experience. 

Below is Lucas's impressions of his experience!
"Working here is a great experience! Incredibly rewarding and satisfying! Great work environment/culture! Does require hard physical work though. I would absolutely recommend this job to anyone capable to doing it. Great all around."

If you know someone who may be interested in our Internship Program for Young Adults, give us a call! It is a great way to take a break from the fast paced city environment, have a new experience, and get your hands dirty.  

As an almost graduated high school senior I was given the opportunity to intern with an organization of my choice, doing anything I could think of for the last three weeks of my high school experience. I wrestled with what I should do. I explored dietetic internships, and other organizations in an office setting, but nothing fell into place. With very little time left, Florence, the owner of Flo's Blossoms and Herbs, came to my rescue. She suggested I help her with her blossoming business. After some thought, I jumped on the idea, excited about doing something hands on and interactive. There were aspects of the internship that seemed familiar since I have been working at a local flower shop since my sophomore year of high school, and yet, as the first week of the internship has come to a close, I am realizing that starting a small buisness from the ground up is nothing like anything I have ever experienced before. Here is a short list of my impressions and surprises of horticulture and starting a business so far:

1. The Ability to be Flexible is Essential
After just one week of helping at the farm and brainstorming ideas for how Flo's Blossoms and Herbs should operate, I have already realized the importance of flexibility. For example, if a plant isn't doing well in its current location, then heck, why not move it and see if it does better in another place! There is nothing wrong with trial and error and without it we'd be stuck in our tracks not knowing the best way to proceed successfully. For instance, with it being the first year of Flo's Blossoms and Herbs operating as a Pick-Your-Own flower farm, we don't know the best way to operate when it comes to actually picking your own flowers. How will people know where to go? Will the instructions be clear? How should people pay? All of these questions are things we are thinking through and trying to plan for but in reality, our process may have to change after opening day. We don't know how everything will work, and that's okay. A flexible mindset will aid in the process. 

2. Set Boundaries or Prepare for Longggg Days...
There is always something that can be done on the farm. Whether is be pulling up those pesky weeds that seem to grow by the second, planting new plants and replanting old ones, mowing the lawn (whew! shoutout to Florence), thinking up new business strategies, or anything in between--there is always one more thing that can be accomplished before you call it quits for the day! The never-ending list can become a trap if you're not careful. A trap that could lead to dehydration, sunburn, and a growling tummy. I've embraced Florence's philosophy of calling it quits when the sun gets too hot (around 1pm), or else my first impressions of horticulture may look a little different...

3. Prepare for Failure
Going back to the importance of flexibility and trail and error, failure is a given. In both agriculture and starting a buisness, you will fail and it is important to know that going in. I have been impressed by the way Florence takes everything with a grain of salt and realizes that it takes time to get the hang of things. Not everything will bloom and grow the way you hoped, but that is expected and can be seen as a learning experience to help you for next year's planting. 

4. Quiet is a Blessing
I have found that driving 45 minutes to Warrenton is actually really enjoyable. There is something about driving alone with the windows rolled down and country music playing that is calming and peaceful. The Warrenton property itself is beautiful and such a treat in contrast to the noisy, crowded neighborhoods of Northern Virginia. The highlights of my first week were when I took a few minutes to stop working and break from from what I was doing, stop, and take in the sights, smells, and sounds around me. The farm is so still and life somehow seems slower there than life in the city. Upon reflecting, the small moments I took to realize these things have been a blessing.

Overall, my first week of my internship has been a positive experience. I haven't loved every task I have performed but I can say that I am very happy that I chose to help Florence with Flo's Flowers and Herbs my "Senior Experience" internship. I am looking forward to what the next two weeks has to bring!  

My dream has always been to live in the country, so here I am. So what does one do with 22 acres of land? Not knowing or having a plan - 2 years ago, I reached out to the local extension office. They had a great idea, build a Cut Your Own Flower Farm. 
 
Agritourism or agrotourism, as it is defined most broadly, involves any agriculturally based operation or activity that brings visitors to a farm or ranch. 

During our first year we planned and did research. The second year we started planting; our Zinnias, Cosmos and Dahlias grow great. Every week I cut buckets of flowers to give away to friends and neighbors.  Some of the other plants did not grow as well and we learned which plants the deer loved to eat.
 
Our goal is to "let nature do its thing". Try to recycle leaves and pine needles for mulch, chip fallen trees for ground covering. Spread seeds directly onto the ground. Rely on our natural weather patterns. Just like farmers before us sometimes things grow, sometimes they don’t. I imagine it will take us many years to evolve and to learn from our mistakes and successes. We will need to rearrange our beds and plantings till we get it right.

So here we are, this is our third year on this farming adventure, will it be a success or failure only time will tell.
 
Our interns have been working hard to help us prepare to open soon. I am asking all of our interns to contribute there thoughts, photos and observations to this blog. I expect some will enjoy their time in the country others may not. 

Check our website weekly for updates on when we our open and our availability.