Tour the Flower Patch With Me!

Jessie commented last week on some of the challenges that come around every year around this time. And certainly, the exhaustion is no joke; so despite it all it's important to remind ourselves why we love farming and to find the beauty in it. Alongside the August chaos comes the vibrancy of the flower patch -one of my favourite spots on the farm. I love being able to grow food for my community, but being able to share the beauty of flowers in abundance can be equally as powerful. This week I thought I'd share some of that beauty with you and take you on a tour through our flower beds.

We grow almost 80 different varieties of flowers and have visions of expanding our floral offerings in the years to come. This expansion will prioritize the planting and production of perennials and shrubs to increase the resilience, diversity and length of season of our bouquets.

Up first, is the classic sunflower. A famously happy flower known to symbolize adoration and loyalty. I love these blooms for their cheery nature and ability to grow (and thrive) in rough soil conditions.

My favourite bloom of the moment is the mighty gladiolus! Their name stems from the latin word for sword and therefore they symbolize heroism and strength. They are absolute showstoppers and I can't wait to grow more next year for everyone to enjoy. These flowers are started from bulbs and not seeds, so I'll be able to dig them up in the fall and replant them next spring.

Another new crop this year is 'bright lights' cosmos. They may not be best known for their incredible vase life, rather their whimsy and delicate petals. Funnily enough, I'm currently drinking out of a glass featuring an orange cosmo and the blurb on the back mentions that they symbolize harmony and innocence.

This particular variety is also well known for its' ability to make dyes, which is why I was keen to give it a try - I've since fallen for their punchy colour! I haven't dyed anything yet, but have plans to hammer some flowers into a white tee one of these days.

Up next is the aster - certainly a star! The last time I grew them, they proved to be a star amidst the drought conditions of that season, so I'm impressed that they haven't turned to mush despite all the rain. These prolific blooms come in all types of colours and varieties. I've been loving the lavender and apricot shades in the garden this year.

Nigella is a winner in my books because of it's early start, ability to self seed, gorgeous delicate flowers, and stunningly striped seed pods. I love it!

And finally, euphorbia, one of my favourite fillers. The contrast of in the leaves is stunning and the tiny blossoms in the middle are so quaint. It adds drama and class to any bouquet. It does however, produce a milky sap when cut and some people react very negatively to it - luckily, I'm not one of those people!

Thanks for joining me on this mini tour! Hope you're enjoying the blooms as much as I am!

Recipes!!

• I just whipped up a variation of okonomiyaki for dinner - always a winner! It's a great way to enjoy a lot of vegetables with decently little effort. I included cabbage, carrots, zucchini, garlic scapes, sweet onions, green onions and celery!

• In my opinion, summer is dip season and I love to make tzatziki. It's an awesome use of cukes, dill and farm fresh garlic!

• Zucchini season is still in full swing, so if you're slowing down on grilling them, enjoying them thinly sliced with pesto, or cooking them down with herbs into a zucchini butter, then it's time to make zucchini loaf. Every year when I start to panic about wasting food, I'll bake a ton of loaves and toss them in the freezer! Such a great way to save summer goodness. This is my go-to recipe!

Take care and don't forget to share some beauty with those around you! Rebecca