“To love flowers is to revere nature and to revere nature is to honor seasons.” -Amy Merrick ‘On Flowers’
It’s my first year growing larkspur, foxglove, and snapdragons from seed. I’ve come across several different methods to grow each… When to start them, whether they should be on a heat mat or off heat, when to put them outdoors, or whether to start them in the fall or spring. It's confusing and enough to leave a person stuck with indecision. But my mantra for this year is “fail fast.”
Why pick one? Why not try Larkspur this way and that way? I'm starting some indoors now, putting some in a seed tray covered in snow outdoors, and I direct seeded some in early April too.
I'm doing the same with foxglove -- starting some from seed and direct seeding some others. I hope I'll learn more this way, and learn fast. You know the saying about all your eggs in one basket… well I’d rather not have all my seeds in one tray.
It also reminds me of the value in the first draft — not getting it perfect from the start, but knowing there's more iterations in the creative process.
Sometimes there's layers to uncover, followed by a lapse of time needed. There's action, then space. Then more action, then more time lapse. It's all adding a piece to the creation, and who am I to rush this process? I remind myself of this often, and that nature doesn't have 100% germination either.
Try it all, experiment, stop being so afraid to fail, and know that you won’t get it perfect. It’s all OK. The faster we fail the faster we learn.
Flowers soon…
For Pennsylvania grown seasonal flowers and a visit to Forest & Flowers Retreat each month for your bouquet or bucket of blooms... click here to learn more about this year’s monthly flower subscriptions.
Expect new colors and varieties to take home July-October, available for pick-up at Forest & Flowers Retreat in Portersville, PA.
Your purchase also includes a bonus gift card of $50 off an overnight stay at the Retreat House & 10% off Retreat Menu Experiences.
Not local? You can also donate flowers to local nursing homes through our Pretty Petals Program. Click here for all the details.
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