Winter Dreaming
As our country is slammed with a snow storm, I dream of warmer weather and blooming flowers. In my growing climate I’ve always had to start some seeds in February, and therefore started my garden plans in the winter, but today felt a bit different. To begin with, it’s only January! I’m thoroughly planning out all of my successions of flowers, and even starting some seed before the end of the month. This is way ahead of the game in terms of the planning that I’m used to. To emphasize this drastic leap, Mother Nature conjured a winter wonderland for me to gaze at as I plan. The universe is keeping me on my toes, always giving me the same old experiences in new and beautiful ways.
After playing with all of our children in the snow and putting our twins down to nap, I headed out to do my barn chores. All of the sheep and horses were happy to see me, as well as the certainty of food that comes along with my presence. I spent some time the day before the snow came mucking out areas of the barn and run in where the animals are sure to congregate, in the hope of ensuring they have a clean dry area to stand around while it snows for two days. This kind of proactive thinking did not come to me our first few years of farming, and I used to be so frustrated that I could never keep an area dry for them. Their poor hooves turn to mush in such wet conditions, so now I’ve learned to clean and dry as much as I can in preparation for this kind of weather. I can rake out old trampled hay and use it to cover other areas that are usually just muck and mud. Little lessons! This had me beginning to wonder, what little (or big) lessons are in store for me in this new adventure of flower farming?
This thought comes at ample timing, as I’m going to start seeds indoors in about two weeks. I have started my seeds indoors many times before, but never to this scale. This is a lot of seeds, with a lot more on the line! Although I’m not new to starting seeds indoors, I will be starting soil blocking for the first time. It’s a method of using blocks of soil on trays, as opposed to the traditional seed trays that are flimsy and take up space. I’ll get much more into the details of this method in future Chronicles! I’m very excited about it, yet so nervous that it isn’t going to work for me. It seems that there is a small learning curve to soil blocking, yet I’m determined. I’m certainly going to have some mess ups, and kill some seedlings, yet I’ll learn and grow. Each little lesson will add value to my wisdom. Hopefully, I’ll look back several years from now as I plan and soil block like a pro, at the lessons I was learning as I started out. That woman will be much more enlightened, and I’m excited to get to know her. How different will I be? It’s such a strange viewpoint looking back at all that you didn’t know and how it’s changed you.
When we started farming this property I hated the winter. Fall and spring are generally my favorite seasons because it feels like the work all slows down and the animals can fend for themselves a bit more. I used to think of winter as cold wet hands trying to be nimble in the dark. Not fun. Yet as the years have gone by, that opinion has shifted. Surely, the addition of barn structures and lights (and finding better gloves) have helped that shift. I doubt I will ever jump for joy and say winter is my favorite, yet it is safe to say it is no longer my least favorite (summer may be the new winner there, we’ll see how flowers affects that!). The winters have shaped me, and bonded me to this place in amazing ways. The extra time I take in the winter evenings to care for and put up all the mama ewes and newborn lamb has become a cherished time for me to connect with the farm. The cold doesn’t bother me anymore either- cue Elsa! Again, I’m not jumping for joy as I layer on the winter gear, yet I know that within fifteen minutes of being out there I’m going to be stripped down to a sweatshirt. I now look forward to the workout in the cold. I’ve learned all these little lessons that have streamlined my work over time and made the winter more bearable, to the point that I actually look forward to it. What else do I have to look forward to, that I perhaps used to dread?
This winter snowstorm has turned into several lazy snow days, and my winter dreaming and scheming has left me thrilled and excited for the coming months. The fear of the unknown is always present, but soaking in all of these moments on the farm, and seeing all of the things that I’ve already accomplished, dampens that fear a bit. At least enough to keep going and find those new lessons and experiences. Looking out at the snow covered land as I decide which sunflowers to have in bloom at which weeks, is a new experience that I could absolutely get used to. Thank you, Mother Nature, for the endless metaphors and lessons!
