Annnd I wanna be a farmer.

As if we don't have enough going on in our lives!

Two dogs, two cats, 3 kids, two full-time jobs, 1 photography side gig, building a home...and yet...here we are...


For those who don't know my husband and I personally, we've always had this crazy dream to buy a big piece of land and have ourselves a little farm of sorts.

Since before we got married, Matt has always been a diligent gardener. The seasons would change and come early spring, he'd have his grow lights on and seeds started in the basement. If you could see in our garage at night you'd probably think we were in the business of "illegal horticulture," but no - it's just tray after tray of sweet peppers, hot peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, kale, onions, swiss chard, radishes, spinach, peas, green beans, corn - you name it.


He's also got a particular interest in trees: He'd like an orchard someday and a chestnut tree grove. To express the level of affection he's got for his seeds, I can tell you that we've been cold-stratifying chestnut seeds in our beer fridge every winter for the past 3 years...they're tucked in there right next to the Miller Lite (you know..for safekeeping). Oh, and the devastation two years ago when our cat managed to eat over 200 of his pepper seedlings: I'm actually surprised we still have the cat. Needless to say, the man likes his plants.


When the two of us got married and started talking about where we wanted to buy a home, it was evident that we weren't gonna be satisfied in the confines of a housing plan with a postage-stamp backyard. No - we wanted acres and hills and fields to call our own. It's been a wild ride these past 10 years, but we finally managed to find "the spot:" A 60-acre slice of happiness where we can plant "all the plants" and not have to worry about a damn thing...except the out-of-control deer population.


These past few weeks we've started the garden prep and I've taken a new interest in growing flowers. Every year I see these beautiful photos taken at sunflower fields, wildflower patches, and cut flower gardens, and I think "Man...I'd love to photograph in those places." But I also hate fighting the crowds, being forced to pay for a "time slot" or a photographer pass, and having to drive all over God's great creation. So being the ambitious, stubborn, wild woman that I am, I decided I'm gonna grow my own.

Well...at least TRY to grow my own.


Now...this whole situation comes with a lot of uncertainty.

Will they grow? I don't know.

Am I great at gardening? Ehhh. But I know a guy...(and we're married, so by default, he's my helper)

Will Mother Nature cooperate? Since we've had the rainiest April on record since 1901, that's certainly up for debate.

Have I been watching a little too much "Growing Floret" on the Magnolia Network lately? Probably

Will anyone want to book "Flower" sessions after we put in all this effort? Who the heck knows.


BUT...I'm a hard worker. I don't mind the dirt. It gives my kids something to help with, look forward to, and see the "fruits of their labor."

And at the end of the day, if the only people who enjoy the flowers are our family and neighbors, then that's a win for me.


So what are we planting?

See, this is where the whole "ambitious" part of my personality comes into play.

I might have gone a "little big," so to speak. But...hear me out...we are living on 60 acres. That's some space to work with!

I figured...hell...let's get wild and plant some stuff! Worst thing that happens is that it doesn't come up or we feed the deer herd.

I may or may not have purchased over 7 pounds of seed for the cut flower garden (which, as I'm learning, is actually quite an enormous amount for cut flowers)...and that doesn't include the sunflowers...


What we've prepped for so far:

Wildflower Field

Sunflower Field

Cut flower garden with Zinnias (2 types), Cosmos (4 types), Dahlias, Snapdragons, Bachelor Buttons, Sweet Peas, Marigolds, Calendula, a variety of herbs, and Lord knows what else I might impulsively throw in the ground.


And when might they bloom?

Most of this doesn't get planted until after the last estimated frost date (early May) so we're estimating a bloom situation sometime in July/August at the earliest. But this is our first time trying this whole endeavor. It's kind of a leap of faith. We're familiar and comfortable with vegetables, but no one seems to want photos in a field full of tomato plants..so I can honestly say I'm not sure what to expect with flowers. We're learning as we go.

So if you're interested in flower photos this coming summer, or if you're just curious about where this wild journey goes, STAY TUNED!

I intend to keep track of our little farm and how she grows, as well as any sessions I might be planning! But at the bare minimum, it's a little exciting to watch how this all progresses.

Fingers crossed we get some flowers!