Dear Reader,
If you recall from the last post way back in the spring, I planted a whole bunch of wild flower seeds on top of our septic bed. As per usual, life is constantly in motion and time tends to get away from me. However, as winter starts to slowly creep over the land and frost starts to cling to twigs where foliage once grew, I am reminded that an update on the saga is a must!

There were so many fun little flowers that graced the field with their presence this year. Some flowers grew tall and wild while others stayed close to the ground. There were big blooms and tiny ones, ones that opened only when the sun shone, beautiful bold colors to soft pastels. Every day I’d go out for a stroll to see if I could find a new bloom. It was so much fun!

The Google Lens app ended up being a great helper in the quest to find out what was growing in the field. All it took was a simple picture and a wifi/cellular connection and I’d have an idea of what was growing. At one point mid summer, the field was covered in little tiny fluff balls that resembled “Pussy Willow” blooms called “Hare’s-foot clover.” This had me curious as to how many different clover varieties there might be. Turns out there are somewhere between 250-300 different varieties! On our homestead, we have 4 varieties that I have found so far; Strawberry clover, Red clover, Hops clover, and Hare’s-foot clover. So, whenever you are curious about what’s growing in your yard, download Google lens and see what you have. Who knows what kind of new thing you will discover.

One of my favorite things with growing wild flowers are the beautiful bouquets that I get to bring into the house. A pretty bouquet has a way of brightening up a space. The flowers are bright and beautiful, and some even offer up a sweet aroma overpowering the senses.
Ultimately though, the point is not for just me to enjoy the flowers, but the bees as well. Peter hopes to one day have a few hives on the property. Our family really enjoys using honey for different things… in tea, on toast, in baking and to make mead. Logically, If we are to have honey, we must have bees. And if we are to have bees, we need have the food they like to eat. Therefore, a field of tasty flowers is a must!

It is amazing at how quickly plants grow. It all started with an empty field and over the course of a few months was bursting full with life. Insects of all kinds were buzzing around the blooms. As autumn came, the seed pods started to brow (thanks to the drought), and the birds came to see what was edible. Even a deer braved the proximity of humans to see what kind of yummy treats could be found. Sadly, just as all green things grow, we find ourselves in the season where they start to die.

Frost came last week, signaling the end of the growing season and a time for the earth to rest. It also signaled the time for me to prep the field for winter. According to the Vessey Seed’s maintenance instructions, it is important to mow down a wildflower field after everything had gone to seed. I was able to borrow a mower last week to accomplish the task. Everything is now prepped and ready for next spring.

I’m so happy with how this project turned out this year. I have great expectation for next year. This year, it was evident that the smaller annual and bi-annuals really thrived. Next year, I hope to see the perennial flowers (the lupins, and coneflowers) mature. I will make sure to make a post next year on how the field fairs. I’m sure there will be new blooms to photograph and share.

Signing off until next time!