Flower Power
A few months ago I experimented with soil blocking to see if it would be an effective method for starting our flower seeds. It was extremely successful, and over 1,000 zinnia and celosia seeds germinated quickly.
With the farm under construction, it was challenging to find a spot for a few flower beds. However, once the seedlings were ready to be planted, I managed to squeeze in a temporary location so that I'd have summer and fall blooms this year. I'm really looking forward to having the farm's infrastructure in place, and finally having the proper space for our flower fields and farm equipment! I've been happily pouring over seed catalogues and placing orders; a few thousand tulip bulbs will soon be heading our way to place in the permanent beds this fall.
Transplant shock in the current beds was minimal (one of the many benefits of soil blocking). We just prepped the beds, laid down the landscape fabric for weed control, and carefully planted the seedlings. They grew quickly, and we've just harvested our first blooms.
Here are the plants about a month after transplanting:
And now the flowers are a butterfly paradise!
We couldn't resist gathering some of the flowers and creating a few beautiful arrangements.
And here are the final results! Such pretty, summery mixes, using only flowers and greenery from our farm:
