Welcome to Fleur Joy! Fleur, being French for flower, and also sounding a hint like the word pure (in my pronunciation anyways), seemed fitting for my journey with flowers. I have always loved flowers, whether it be picking wild flowers to wear in a braid, running through rows of them, hanging at the wholesalers, delivering arrangements, planting them, tenderly and carefully selecting them at the green house, or any other way you can think of to enjoy flowers, you can bet I'll be all about it! In years past my family has grown a vegatable garden with beautiful mammoth sunflowers gracing the entrance. A few years ago I threw some zinnias in the mix. Since then we haven't even tilled our dear garden and it's left neglected for atleast 2-3 years.
I recently picked up a book that has bee adoring the house for ages, called The Flower Farmer and things took off. Ok not literally, but plans and first steps have been made!! Being a flower farmer is a dream of mine, and while I don't see myself relying on it for 100% of my income, I do see it playing a good role in contributing to it. This year my goal is to gain some more experience both in growing and arranging flowers.
So, today, I finally took my completeled list and drove on over to a local green house. This particular green house happens to be one of the most heavenly places in the entire world! Oh it's just blissful! I have great memories visiting with my grandmother to select her flowers and herbs for her small garden at her former downtown loft. Any ways I zipped on in and snagged seeds for what I plan to direct sow and what I plan to start in the house. With the help of a kindedred flower spirit, I located some started dahlias and selected my first three plants that mark my maiden voyage into the world of annuals! Yay! I drove ever so carefully home and brought the dahlias to soak in some rays on the front porch. With a tape measure, apron, seeds, notebooks, and heavy duty tree clippers, I ventured into the garden for the afternoon!
Oh if only I had a before picture! I wasn't kidding around today, I meant business! I attacked each offensive plant and unwanted shrub that would deny my flowers sunlight and after about 2 hours, the garden was a glorious wreck! I couldn't walk my little 12 x 66 plot as easily because nearly every square inch was occupied by some enormous limb or shrubbery! My feet are were brown and hobbit like and I was exhausted. I took a brief break for lunch and relaxation, and jumped back at it. In a little less than an hour I finally had the whole garden clear of limbs and branches and now heaps and heaps by the garage that are ready to go. I'm just exhausted and blissful! There's nothing like the wonderful exhaustion of a hard day's work outside! I went and fed my horse and worked on some flower planting notes and research while there and am continuing to finish all that up after dinner. I'm hoping to draw up my garden plans this evening and till by Wednesday. I'm just thrilled by all this progress and excitement! More later and pictures to follow!
