As someone who grew up with a family farm and is around many families that farm I see how many benefits there are in building a business that includes the land and family and so many strong ties to hard work. I also know first hand the many ways family farms teeter from enriching family life into becoming an entity that there is no break or down time from. I am hoping that taking a little time and conscious effort now will keep the True Blue Flower Fields as a place of refuge for not those who stop to visit, but also myself and my family!

Some might think August is the busiest month on the flower farm. But to me August is the summit of a nonstop climb I started in February. It’s a chance for me to sit down and gaze out at a view I have been working towards for a long, drawn out time.

These thoughts and visions and feelings were so abstract - so far from a “business plan” when I started True Blue Flower Co. I wanted to have a flower farm - yet there was something that kept pulling me away from all the sensible decisions for best way to grow flowers. I felt this pull telling me that is was so much more that just growing flowers.

Three and a half years ago I towed my husband and my one year old baby out to a bare hill in the flower field with 150 peony roots and a shovel. This year we hosted the most incredible peony U-Picks.

Sometimes the pressure to take action can create its own kind of turmoil. Allowing yourself to sit without the immediate need to fix or change or be busy might offer a different kind of relief. It’s like giving yourself permission to pause and breath rather than constantly pushing forward.

I am continually amazed by our minds and bodies and all the things that go in our “self” without our awareness. Under the urging of my doctor I have been seeing a therapist who specializes in trauma and PTSD. Little by little she is teaching me things about myself, my body, and “coping” that I never known.

If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it does it still make a sound? If this flower farming mom of three isnt updating social media is she still accomplishing things?

It doesn’t matter if some of your important details don’t make sense to a lot of people, but they do matter if you know they’ll make a world of difference to you. There are plenty of detail to let go by the wayside its just listening to the ones we know will make your world a better place.

There is something enchanting about a walk in the woods during a spring time rain. It’s a different kind of stillness - the wet leaves serving to dampen the sound.

From time to time I am asked starting tips and I promise it’s simple BUT you can’t cheat. In this week’s blog there are 4 things each seedling must have and a trouble shooting reference for when things go wrong!

Though we give ourselves a little space for the seasons of life, we aren’t as well versed in living life with the seasons in terms of nature. We expect life to fall into this continued efficiency pattern that streams year round, year after year. In seeking to control the things in our life we have slowly edged out the natural swing.

An Ode to Motherhood.

My surroundings hold a heavy influence . I love meaningful, delicate pieces and simple settings. Unfortunately most of my pretty things are my breakable things and baby play mats and toy tractors don’t have the same aesthetic. But this photo represents the the space I am creating in motherhood to have things I love, but still let my babies be messy crazy babies.

Spring may seem slow to come or far away but have no doubt the Northern Hemisphere is tilting towards the sun. Take a nature walk or a slow Sunday drive. Tune into nature and check off the Minnesota Signs of Spring as they come your way.

The early 20’s are hard. There is a lot of pressure from everywhere. You are told it is the best time of your life so why are you struggling?

Taking time for quiet reflection.

One glance at a seed starting aisle and its no wonder starting a cut flower garden can be overwhelming. There are so many choices and many of them are stetting you up for failure. This quick This Not That guide will help you reach for the right plants to grow your own cut flower patch.

Did you plant a bunch of seeds and few if any even sprouted? This can mean one of three things. Let’s narrow it down to see what’s the issue.

Few things can be more overwhelming than trying to decipher the code on the back of a seed packet. After reading this I want you to be able to glance at the back of a seed packet and know the four things I look to get each seed to start growing.

As I age I am reminded if you don’t define yourself the world will do it for you. I don’t necessarily mean in the form of name calling or being placed in a “box.” What I mean is if you aren’t intentional with your actions and your time and your priorities you will find the world fills those spaces in for you.

I am continually reminded it takes a village to raise a child. I am lucky that our small town and the communities around are the villages helping to raise mine.