A very special wedding...

One of my dearest friends, Junia, married a great guy, Colin, this past August at Bluemont Vineyards in VA. She asked me to be a bridesmaid, along with our other high school besties + Junia's best friend and college roommate, Allison - A very fun bunch to say the least.

Billy and I scoping out the garden the morning before the wedding... Photo credit - Beth Ruoff

Billy and I scoping out the garden the morning before the wedding... Photo credit - Beth Ruoff

Junia asked her friend Beth Ruoff to do the wedding flowers and she asked me if I would have anything blooming in late August. J and Colin had a short engagement, and the night we first discussed flowers I went home and sowed a fresh batch of zinnias in their color scheme. They started blooming in perfect time, and we also had amaranthus, the awesomest green lisianthus, cosmos, wild foliage, some early dahlias and anything else we could find. We also made, at Junia's request (nothing thrilled me more!!!), an attempt to use mainly local flowers to make the bouquets, centerpieces, bouts, etc.

Friday before the wedding, I took the day off from my city job and visited flower friends (Cut Flowers by Clear Ridge, Lynnvale Studios and Don's Dahlias) to supplement what I had (we also ended up getting a little from the wholesaler). It made me understand how hard it is to source locally. I so appreciate the florists who make this extra effort to support local farmers!!! That night, the rehearsal dinner was held at Colin's parents home in Virginia, and his dad showed me around their lovely gardens and let me cut some goodies to add to J's bouquet - Specifically, sedum which I can totally spot in the pictures of her bouquet -- So fun!!!

Beth and I got started early Saturday morning harvesting tons from my garden and processing / making samples. Junia had asked some friends and family to come out to the farm to help us prepare and it was very much a team effort, I don't know how we could have done it without everyone's help (or the giant center island in our kitchen - I don't have a cooler yet and it was in the 90's that weekend!)

Making wedding flowers is intense! I had no clue going into it what it takes to harvest, pick-up, assemble, transport, install and take down (and I did not do all of this, by any stretch!!). Add to that the part about me actually standing next to my friends on their most special day, and...wow.

I love these people!!! Photo credit - Lisa Boggs

I love these people!!! Photo credit - Lisa Boggs

Photo credit - Lisa Boggs

Photo credit - Lisa Boggs

Beth and I kind of divided and conquered - I made bouquets and facilitated flowers / foraging, processing, shuffling, etc while Beth worked on the centerpieces. No two were the same (intentionally) but the colors of course complemented each other and the finished products were nothing less than stunningly beautiful. Walking into the barn after the hustle to get ready literally took my breath away. Beth knocked it out of the park in terms of transforming the space into exactly what Junia envisioned. It was so fun to work with her on this!

The head table was especially lovely. Photo credit - Lisa Boggs

The head table was especially lovely. Photo credit - Lisa Boggs

Photo credit - Beth Ruoff

Photo credit - Beth Ruoff

What a fun learning experience this was, and what an honor it was to be asked to help with such an important part of such an important day, what an honor to stand next to my friend as she said her vows. 

Congratulations, Dr. and Mrs. McCormick!! XOXO, Morgan

 

 

...summah is ovah...

Somehow summer flew by in the blink of an eye. It happens.

End of May // rudbeckia patch

End of May // rudbeckia patch

Early June at dusk // larkspur

Early June at dusk // larkspur

It's hard to keep up with it all. Working full time. Farming full time. There isn't always time to document the day to day but all of a sudden the month to month escapes and now it is season to season...

Late June and most of July felt like we were stuck in a yellow, white and green period // italian white sunflowers (branching - a nice addition to a cutting garden)

Late June and most of July felt like we were stuck in a yellow, white and green period // italian white sunflowers (branching - a nice addition to a cutting garden)

celosia cramer's burgundy

celosia cramer's burgundy

first time growing watermelons

first time growing watermelons

summer night sky

summer night sky

we like tomatoes

we like tomatoes

practicing // all grown at our farm

practicing // all grown at our farm

stunner // cafe au lait dahlia

stunner // cafe au lait dahlia

While this blog space has been quiet this summer, we have been diligently photographing blooms and updating our "flowers" section (click to check it) and we try and post to instagram regularly. We will try to keep this space updated at least monthly going forward.

dahlia season has begun // jowey winnie

dahlia season has begun // jowey winnie

Thank you for your support of locally grown flowers! 

In like a Lamb...

I so wish I had a lamb pic to share! Instead...The winter garden (3.1.16)

February was a total blur and even with the extra #LEAPDAY I couldn't get my act together to post an update here!

We spent the last weekend in February cleaning up the garden and direct sowing Larkspur; checking on our fall sown flowers (Yarrow looks amazing, as does the Rudbeckia...Foxgloves not so much!). The most exciting things happening around here right now are that the Peonies we planted just a few short months ago are totally popping up - It is so exciting - And we are putting in a 500SF greenhouse over the next few weeks! I have to pinch myself to believe it.

Spring is literally around the corner, you can feel it when you step outside! So excited to have blooms again, to be outside in the dirt again, to build on last year, to continue to learn.

Thanks for following along!!

Time for an update...

This has been a crazy mild fall. We have been so lucky to be able to plant every weekend in November -- and mom and I got 40 peonies in today (December 6). While we've had some hard frosts, the ground is no where near frozen and thank goodness, there is still a lot to do!! I thought I would have a 3-ish month break but it looks like I will be planning for 2016 in January, building a greenhouse in February and starting plants in March...Not clear when my break is scheduled for?

Some pixx of the latest and greatest around here...

Mom and dad had the South side of the barn restored by Dusty Gloeckner (he has done a ton of great work for us around the farm over the last year).

Mom and dad had the South side of the barn restored by Dusty Gloeckner (he has done a ton of great work for us around the farm over the last year).

This is the "after" shot -- new tongue and groove wood miiled in MD.

This is the "after" shot -- new tongue and groove wood miiled in MD.

Chicken whisperer

Chicken whisperer

These darn sheep -- They are very photogenic but they are so D-U-M-B!!!

These darn sheep -- They are very photogenic but they are so D-U-M-B!!!

We all love these dogs so much...

We all love these dogs so much...

Me and my girl Belle!!!

Me and my girl Belle!!!

We are looking very much forward to all that is in store for us personally and on the farm in 2016. Thanks for reading and checking in! Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year!