I have enjoyed meeting so many people this summer on the farm. I have met many neighbors with whom I might never have spoken because they stopped by the farm and confessed they’d always wondered what we have been doing on this land. I am thankful for all of you, and I am glad you stopped by to visit.
Many people have asked, naturally, “How did you learn all this?” and “How do you start seeds, irrigate, or keep the deer out?” First, we don’t talk about the deer. Shhh!! As for the rest, this farm is a product of decades (seriously, I can say this now) of gardening, farming, making mistakes, and killing plants. More plants have lived than have been killed, and so I can continue farming. Plants die around here every week though; please don’t think I have everything figured out.
I thought I would share with you some of my favorite resources. (I don’t get any compensation from these people or products for saying this, but I thought I would provide links to the information).
First, seeds and flower farming information:
I follow Lisa Mason Zeigler at The Gardener’s Workshop. She sells cut-flower seeds in home gardener sizes and anything you need to start the seeds. She also has numerous books, podcasts, and videos. She lives in Virginia, and so her growing information applies to South Carolina. I also buy seeds and supplies from Johnny’s Seeds, but I am wary of their growing information because they are in Maine and much of their information is accurate for a colder climate. I cross-reference their information with sources for the South.
For irrigation, I consult with Berry Hill Drip. Lisa Zeigler recommends them. Because they are in Virginia, shipping is relatively inexpensive. When I call them for advice, I speak to a patient and experienced person who wants to help me succeed. It’s similar to the experience I was blessed to have as a young adult who called home for help with car trouble and spoke to my father for help. These people might be slightly more patient than my father, especially since they know it won’t cost them any money to fix my problems 🙂
For deer problems…I am extremely thankful that we (shhhh!!) don’t have a terrible deer problem. We back up to hundreds of acres of woods and horse pasture, which helps them find something to eat besides my flowers. Some do visit, of course, and I find that this solar alarm helps. If you are in a neighborhood, try this water-activated sprinkler. If I eventually need to put up a fence, I will start with 2 lines of electric fencing like this one. They will jump or go through one row of electric fencing, so don’t bother.
If you have any questions, please ask in the comments.