Fall – A Time of New Beginnings for Gardeners?

Happy August! It feels like just yesterday I was eagerly awaiting summer’s arrival, and now I’m sharing on Instagram how bittersweet it is to see China Asters blooming, signaling the gradual reduction in daylight hours and the winding down of summer.

Summer is a challenging season for flower farmers. The heat and humidity take their toll, and pests can wreak havoc on the beautiful blooms we’ve worked so hard to nurture. Despite this, our summer flowers—zinnias, sunflowers, cosmos, and lisianthus—are putting on a stunning display.

But, I must admit, I’m looking forward to fall and the promise of more pleasant working conditions.

Interestingly, fall, much like spring, feels like a time of new beginnings.

Why?

Because fall is when I plan for sowing and growing what I call my “secret flowers.”

“Secret Flowers”?

These are flowers that many home gardeners might not know about starting in fall. They are commonly referred as “cool flowers”—plants that thrive in cooler conditions, slowly developing strong roots over winter and then blooming with long stems and vibrant colors early in spring, long before others.

It’s challenging to think about sowing and planting again as summer winds down and the end of the growing season approaches. I know many gardeners are feeling the fatigue by this time. Yes, I’m tired too, but the anticipation of having the earliest and best blooms next spring keeps me motivated.

Seeds have been ordered, and sowing will begin soon. In the meantime, tackling the weeds is our biggest and toughest task. Weeds appear everywhere, and since we avoid using chemicals on our farm, we rely on manual removal—a labor-intensive process.

Here are a few of the “secret flowers” I’ll be sowing this fall:

You get the idea: many of these cool flowers are ready for harvest by late April or early May—all grown right in the field, without fancy heated greenhouses or special equipment.

In fact, I sow and plant a wider variety of flowers in the fall than in the spring.

Excited about these “secret flowers”? Why not grow them with me? Join our fall Flower Club program, where I’ll guide you through sowing and growing these unique blooms, so you can surprise your friends and neighbors with early-season flowers. Although the information has just been posted on our website, you are the first to get notified!

As a special bonus for our email subscribers, we’re including a dibbler kit—a handy tool for transplanting seedlings.

We will close registration for the Club at the end of August, so don’t wait too long!