Full Circle

Before the holiday chaos, I completed one of the my last end-of-season chores—winterizing the greenhouse. I had procrastinated for weeks and weeks knowing just what it entails, and when I saw that low of 1 degree, my window of opportunity was getting ready to slam shut.

So one December Sunday I started working East to West, pulling every last thing out. Overwintering pots of mums, geranium and dahlia cuttings, containers of every tool you can think of, stakes, clamps, tags, ties, clips, pots, trays and all the ingredients to grow all the things. Bottom line: a lot of stuff moved out of the greenhouse and onto the patio and muddy, soggy grass.

I raked a season’s worth of debris from the gravel floor…stems, unacceptable mushy dahlia tubers and dead flower heads that didn’t quite make the toss to the compost bucket. (It’s a mad scientist’s workshop, what can I can say.) The cobwebs and abandoned spider nests were dusted out from top to bottom and the dirt and grime wiped from the windows. The winter sun needs to spill in freely for the next few months. There won’t be much of it and I’ll need all I can get.

So as I physically prepared the greenhouse for winer and slowly began to create a refreshed and tidy workspace, I prepared myself mentally for the long months ahead. Week by week and day by day, I will count down until I can sow the next flower seeds. Not too early, not too late. The timing is a delicate balancing act with an impatient and very excited ringmaster.

Thank you to you, my bouquet subscribers, customers and flower people, who continue to give me inspiration and motivation to keep growing and to keep getting better each year.

The grow space is refreshed, and I cannot wait to tackle another flower season!