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Never Trust a Zinnia or American Airlines

admin — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:56:38 +0000

Wow! Where the heck did July go? It’s actually kind of impressive how quickly the month flew by. I definitely didn’t do a very good job this month of posting weekly updates/thoughts for my devoted readers (ahem, all 2 of you lol). No but seriously, I wonder if anyone even reads these things?

Anyyy-wayyyy, July has been busy, stressful, and wonderful and sometimes all at the same time.

First, can we take about this heat?!? Lord have mercy it is HOT. I swear I can’t consume enough electrolytes to replenish the copious amount I am losing in my sweat. Gross. I know. Summer has made herself known. I see you summer, maybe can we knock it down a notch or two?? Please??

Along with the heat, summer has also brought its fair share of random and unexpected thunderstorms. One of these surprise storms was accompanied by some very strong winds. And unfortunately, we were faced with LOTS of pushed over flowers. Couple that with some epic poor crop planning on my part, and we found ourselves on the verge of running out of blooms. We are in fact STILL barely squeaking by. My hope is that we won’t have to miss any farmers markets and that we will have fresh flowers for y’all all summer long. I’m trying to catch up, but when it comes to growing flowers, they make the schedule.

We had a special visitor to the farm, Technical Sergeant Brogdon aka my littler sister. Laynie got to come stay with us for a week and boy did we have fun. Unless you don’t consider farm work fun (which she doesn’t). And being that Laynie has a major aversion to having dirty hands I can only imagine her misery. If the moans, grunts, and trash talk to the weeds wasn’t enough, her face said it all. She was miserable, I was entertained. Nevertheless, the work got done and she was a HUGE help.

To be clear though, we didn’t only do farm work. There were lots of laughs, cooking, wine sipping, and line dancing… don’t ask. It was a week filled with lasting memories that I will look back on fondly. And of course, it was only fitting that they were made at Growing Memories Flower Farm.

The next adventure July had in store for me was a trip to Michigan. My parents relocated up north last winter from Arizona (I know, big change) and I finally got the opportunity to go visit. Nobody tells you how strange it is to walk into your parents’ house and not even know where to find a spoon ha! Michigan in the summer was fantastic. I was blown away by how many flowers were in bloom, ones that could only survive in early spring in Texas. I swam in Lake Michigan, it wasn’t as cold as I was expecting it to be, and we ate a ton of great food. It was a wonderful trip… except for the actual traveling part.

I’m just going to come right out and say it American Airlines CANNOT be trusted. On my way to Michigan, I was issued a total of nine boarding passes….NINE! There was not a single flight that was not delayed and I found myself more than once doing the Home Alone run through the airport to make my connecting flight. It took 17 hours to get to Michigan. Y’all, I could have driven and arrived an hour earlier than I did flying. I showed up stressed, tired, and hungry. Thank goodness my mom and older sister were willing to make tacos at midnight.

Going back to Texas 4 days later was no different. My travel started with a delay, and then a canceled flight. Another 4 boarding passes and 15 hours later, I finally made it home. I vowed right then and there to never leave the farm again. Well, at least never fly American again.

While I was away for a week, the flowers survived, my husband took charge of harvesting, and I made it home just in time to build bouquets for the farmers market.

With all the intense heat we have had the last couple weeks, the flowers are showing signs of stress. We are doing what we can to keep them happy as we continue pushing forward through this heat wave. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, I love zinnias, they are a reliable, brilliant, and beautiful bloom. But they are always the ones that let me down in a bouquet. Looking fantastic one day and on their deathbed the next. You can do everything right when it comes to harvesting but sometimes, they just decide to die. I haven’t figured out the rhyme or reason as to why some last 12 days and some last 2. But I’m working on it. For now, I guess like American Airlines, zinnias continue to be a bloom that cannot fully be trusted.

Okay y’all that’s all for now! Until next time, keep blooming friends!

The post Never Trust a Zinnia or American Airlines first appeared on Growing Memories Flower Farm.

Farmer or Gambler

admin — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 18:28:00 +0000

Am I a farmer? Or a professional gambler? Sometimes I’m not 100% confident in the answer. I mean, yes, I am a farmer but almost everything I do is just one big gamble. Each day I place my bet against some of the toughest in the game. Bugs, rain, hail, extreme heat, deer, wind, and that one rabbit that for some reason LOVES sunflower seedlings, the list goes on and on. Sometimes I win big and other days I go home with my tail tucked and head hanging low.

The gamble doesn’t stop at the growing phase; it carries on into every flower that is harvested and put into a bouquet. I can’t tell you how many times I ask myself, “is this bloom going to last over a week?” One of my biggest fears is having you take your flowers home only to wake up the next morning and find a completely melted zinnia, or a sunflower that has dropped all its petals.

And let me tell you, you cannot always trust a zinnia. One day they are looking their best, and the next it’s like you’ve deprived them of water for a week. Stop being so dramatic zinnias, you’re stressin’ me out!

Just know, if this ever happens to you, and you find yourself with a bloom or two that didn’t last, I am truly sorry. I never intentionally put an iffy flower into a bouquet, but inevitably, it does happen. I touch Every… Single… Stem… that go into your bouquets and if it’s tucked inside that sleeve, it means that in that moment, it made the cut. Sometimes I have no way of knowing that a flower is going to embarrass me as soon as you get it home when it decides to die. But I guess, that’s just part of the gamble.

When you’re dealing with nature, there are lots of things that you have no control over. But I promise you, I am doing my best to deliver you the cream of the crop. And the bottom line is, they ARE going to die. Flowers aren’t meant to last forever. Their job is to bloom, thrive, and then say goodbye. Their purpose is to help keep us in the present. They serve as our reminder that some things don’t wait until we “have the time” to enjoy them.

To be a farmer, and I supposed a gambler, you’ve got to be prepared for the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. When you win, it feels big. The crop survives, the weather cooperates, and people are telling you they thought their flowers would never die. But when you lose, that’s when you hope you have thick skin. Maybe the seeds didn’t germinate, the wind knocked out an entire crop within a matter of minutes, or a bouquet only lasted 3 days, and you know what, it hurts. You feel it deep in your soul and it makes you question why you even tried to begin with.

The funny thing is, all it takes is for me spot one perfect flower in the field and just like that, I’m back at it. I guess I can understand how some people become addicted to gambling.

So, farmer or gambler? Maybe they are one in the same.

A big thank you to those that buy our flowers. Thank you for choosing the present and enjoying your blooms while you can. And if every once in a while they are shorter lived than usual, just know that I bet on a bloom and lost.

The post Farmer or Gambler first appeared on Growing Memories Flower Farm.

Fire Ants and Half Mardi Gras

admin — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 23:36:19 +0000

Okay y’all, the word(s) of the week is FIRE ANT. If you’re not familiar, please let me know where you live, and if there are any farms available to purchase… asking for a friend. Second, let me give a quick introduction.

The fire ant: A tiny demon creature that lives underground in East Texas with billions of its tiny demon family members. Fire ants enjoy spending their days building their evil lairs over and around perennials, destroying crop roots, and waging absolute war on my ankles, hands, and ahem… other places…I’ll get to that.

It is a very rare occasion that I go an entire day without a fire ant bite or two, or twenty. I haven’t done the research, and I am in no way an expert, but I am convinced they have a secret phrase or code that they use to ensure that all the ants bite down at the exact same time, but only AFTER they have secretly invaded your body.

One second, you’re minding your own business, deadheading the zinnias, and the next you’re throwing down your snips, yelling expletive language, and swiping at your feet and ankles like you quite literally are on fire. I see now how they get their name.

This week I happen to have a very unfortunate event evolving a single fire ant. I had just finished digging up some ranunculus corms and preparing a bed for a new crop. As you can imagine, that was a very fire ant filled afternoon, I had come across a new mound right in the middle of the bed that I planned on seeding the following day. I watched as a flood of ants erupted from the ground like your 6^th grade volcano science project. There was no way I was going to be able to work around them, they had to go. Out came the poison.

The next day I was feeling pretty good about my ant-less bed and got to work on sowing the seeds. Remember, I’m in East Texas, and it’s June. It’s hot and humid and overall, it’s just uncomfortable. That day, I was a little extra annoyed because I kept feeling something poking my… if you are easy offended, this is the part where you stop reading… my boob. It was like having a sticker in your sock and with every move it just keeps poking at your skin. So, I’m working, and I’m scratching, focused on finishing the task when suddenly the fires of hell are in my bra!

Thank the lord none of my neighbors were outside because in an instant I had my shirt off, half my sports bra pulled up, and yep, she was out. It was a half Mardi Gras situation. After a panicked inspection I found a single, yet mighty, fire ant. Clearly, it was seeking revenge for the previous days’ poisoning. This thing had bit me at least 6 times. I picked that mother f’er off my skin and gave it good squish between my fingers.

As good as it felt to squish that little devil, the damage had already been done. I was left with a burning itching sensation that literally had me waking up at night reaching for the calendula gel. On a side note, if you’ve never tried calendula gel for bug bites, rashes, or any other skin irritant I 10/10 recommend it.

It has been a few days since the event now, and I’m STILL feeling the effects of the attack. I’ve learned the hard way not to ignore the small poking sensations and that it’s probably a good idea to do a proper investigation and depending on the body part, preferably not out in the open.

But anyway, that’s my short story about how a fire ant got me to half flash my neighborhood. I’ve never been so happy to have very few and far neighbors. And the next time you think to yourself that you might want a fresh bouquet of flowers, think no more and get them. Every flower that I get to put into your hands makes those fire ants bites hurt just a little bit less.

Thanks for sticking with me and our little flower farm!

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Any asshat can grow a sunflower

admin — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 18:14:10 +0000

I get asked all the time about what my favorite flower is. And as you might expect this is almost an impossible question to answer. My usual response is

“Well, it depends on the season.”

It’s true! Every year as we move through the season, I am declaring my new “favorite” flower. The freesia started blooming in early April and there I was swooning over their unique shape and irresistible scent. The next thing I knew it was May and “finally my favorites are blooming” I told Ryan as the gladiolus spikes started to emerge.

I’m sure lots of people have more than one favorite when it comes to flowers, I mean come on, it’s hard to pick just one. What I do believe however, is that each of us have just one soul flower. It’s the one that represents your values, knows you best, and keeps finding its way into your life. Even when you don’t always choose it.

Mine? Mine, is the sunflower. I know what you’re thinking, very underwhelming. I get it if you’re rolling your eyes at me right now. Everyone who is anyone says they love sunflowers, and honestly, I can’t blame them.

And while the sunflower isn’t necessarily my FAVORTIE flower, I like to call my soul flower.

There is a saying in the flower farming world that says, “any asshat can grow a sunflower.”

And honestly, its true. Sunflowers are straight forward when it comes to growing them. Dirt, water, sunshine and in about 60 days you’ve got yourself some bright cheerful blooms. The first year we decided we wanted to start our farm, I went out and bought every color sunflower I could get my hands on, and no surprise, they all grew.

Do you remember the first time you saw red sunflower? I do. I was absolutely in awe. If you haven’t seen one in person, I highly suggest you track some down…we grow them on the farm wink, wink.

Sunflowers get their reputation of being just sunflowers but let me tell you something, I have yet to meet anyone that has no idea what a sunflower is, and I can’t say that about some of the other flowers that we grow. Sunflowers feel like home, they are the familiar face and the flowers we’ve been picking since we were little.

A lot can be said about a flower that is so woven into our lives that time and time again we choose them. You see them in weddings, at baby showers, in anniversary centerpieces, popping out of Mother’s Day bouquets, and on kitchen counters. Sunflowers are a universal symbol for happiness, and I think that is extremely beautiful. They are the flower that got me started on this crazy flower journey and I like to call them my soul flower. What is your soul flower? Is there one that just keeps showing up into your life? Let me know.

Also, the next time you see a bouquet of sunflowers, buy them. You won’t regret it. Better yet, get yourself some seed and grow them yourself… I promise I won’t call you an asshat.

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Halloween on the Flower Farm

admin — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 16:07:04 +0000

It’s fall y’all! Well… at least according to the calendar it is. If you live in almost any part of Texas then you already know, but if you don’t, then let me introduce you to what we call “Hotaumn.” It’s an interesting phenomenon where you know it’s supposed to be fall and your heart is telling you it’s time for sweaters, crisp cool weather, and all things pumpkin spice but mother nature is flat out refusing to give up summer. Case in point, here I am still wearing shorts well into October.

Luckily though, not all things fall are completely lost. Early mornings and late evenings on the farm have started to cool down, not by much but you CAN feel it. And the tress seem to be right on schedule, flashing brilliant colors of golden oranges and bright reds. It really is the season that I find myself enjoying the most, especially since it marks the start of the holidays. And speaking of which, Halloween is upon us!

I always love learning about the different traditions that people have for each holiday. On the farm, we’ve got three that we always do for Halloween. Two of which are time honored classics. The first and probably no surprise is pumpkin carving. Every year we throw a big pumpkin carving party with our friends and family. Everyone brings their own pumpkin and just after supper before the sun is goes down, we gather outside and get to work on our jack-o-lanterns. We’ve got only one rule, no stencils allowed. Everyone must draw their design by hand and let me tell ya, we’ve seen some interesting one over the years lol. I really do love everything about carving pumpkins. The smell, the creativity, even pulling out all those gooey guts. The best part though, is when we are finished carving and the pumpkins are lined up with everyone’s creation flickering in the dark. And even though we don’t make it a competition, I’m pretty sure we are all secretly judging each other’s work. Okay maybe not secretly but it’s all in good fun. I know it may sound a little corny or cliché, but the pumpkin carving party is something that I look forward to every year and I highly recommend giving it a try.

Our second Halloween tradition is to make sure at some point on or near October 31^st we sit down and watch Hocus Pocus. With a festive cocktail in hand, I always find myself laughing at the Sanderson Sisters, even though I have seen this movie a least a hundred times. I love this tradition because even though we watch this movie year after year, we always make a point to put away our phones and just enjoy the nostalgia of it. This year we plan on doing apple cider old fashions and I’ll be sure to include the recipe at the end.

And the third tradition, the newest, yet possibly my favorite is making our Halloween Bouquets. That’s right fresh flowers do have their place during spooky season. And is, in my opinion, one of Halloween’s ultimate treats. Especially when it comes to the Marigolds. Oh, how I LOVE the marigolds. The red and yellow shades are just perfect for fall and the orange ones, well, let me tell you, they SCREAM Halloween… see what I did there J.

Marigolds are not only a beautiful, durable, and long-lasting cut flower but did you know that in some cultures they are seen as a symbol of the connection between life and death. With their bright colors and unique fragrance, they are said to serve as beacons to help our loved ones find their way home. How cool is that?!? And so fitting for Halloween.

And if that’s not enough to move marigolds up on your favorite flowers list (because we all have one of those lists, right? No? Maybe it’s just me lol) someone once told me that if you swirl marigold leaves into some water and put drops of that water in your eyes, it will give you the power to see fairies. I’ve never tried it myself and for all I know it’s just another fairy tale, heck maybe we should ask the Sanderson Sisters, but either way it all sounds like pure marigold magic and who doesn’t need a little more fall magic in the air.

Here on the farm, we don’t use marigolds to see fairies, but we do love to use them in our fall and Halloween bouquets. Parings those bright orange blooms with the deep and bright purple celosia and gomphrena make for a beautifully spooky arrangement. And if spooky isn’t your cup of tea marigolds and sunflowers are the perfect recipe for your farm fresh fall bouquet. Ha! Say that three times fast… farm fresh fall bouquet, farm fresh fall bouquet, farm fresh fall bouquet.

My point here is, when it comes to holiday traditions even the non-traditional ones, like flowers on Halloween, they are worth continuing and passing down to our kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, friends, and neighbors because these are not only the memories that we will look back and remember the most but also what keeps us excited about our futures ahead.

As promised the Apple Cider Old Fashioned:

-2 oz bourbon

-1 oz apple cider

-1/2 oz maple syrup

-2 dashes bitters

-orange twist and cinnamon stick for garnish

Combine, mix well and serve over ice

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