January: The Start of Something Beautiful

Summer Flower Season 2025

January. Oh, January—the month that somehow feels like the longest of the year. Every year we say that if you blink, you’ll miss June, July, and August, but for some reason January always feels three months long. Even though it can feel slow and a little gloomy, I actually really enjoy this month. I love a fresh start and the sense of possibility that comes with a new year.

The Dreaming Stage

January is an important month for planning. I make many decisions during this time when it comes to the flower garden. To me, this is the most fun part, the “dreaming stage,” as I like to call it. You’ve probably heard the famous Audrey Hepburn quote, “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” I find that just as true for the planning stage of a garden as the planting itself.

When I first started growing flowers, I didn’t have much of a plan. I bought seeds and went wherever the wind took me. Each year, I’ve gotten a little better at planning the garden, a skill that really only grows by doing.

As a small-scale flower farmer, I have to be intentional with my planting space. Rarely does something get planted just because I think it’s pretty. Almost every seed has a purpose. I plan with recipes and color palettes in mind, thinking ahead to weddings and events, florists, and the flower stand. I keep notes on what customers loved the previous year and what didn’t quite land. So when it’s time to order seeds, my notebook sits beside me, guiding every add to cart click.

It may sound straightforward, but resisting the urge to buy all the beautiful flower seeds has taken me years of practice.

The Learning Is Never Ending

I’ll always be the first to admit that I don’t know everything about growing flowers, and I never will. Like most things in life, flower farming is constantly changing. Evolving is simply part of learning.

Because of that, every year I invest in education in some way. I’ve taken design workshops, enrolled in online classes, and sometimes it’s as simple as buying a new book. This year, I’m attending a virtual conference for flower farmers. I’m excited to learn from some of the best in the industry and, hopefully, add a few new skills to my toolbox.

You’re Not Going to Be Good at First

You might think the point of this blog post is to walk you through the planning process of a small-scale cut flower garden, but it’s not. Planning is only the beginning. The most important part is simply doing the thing.

I went to nursing school for four years, but I learned the most during orientation at my very first job on a hospital unit. It was humbling to realize that after years of studying and passing my boards, I still didn’t know as much as I thought I did. But that’s because we learn by doing. Those first six months working directly with patients taught me more than any classroom ever could.

You can prepare all you want—read the books, take the classes, but what truly sticks are the lessons learned through action. You’re not going to be great the first time you try something new. But if you keep going, you’ll get better.

Plant the seed

I am entering my fourth year growing flowers for market, and that still feels a little unreal. I love thinking back to the very first seeds I planted and seeing how much I’ve learned since then-how many mistakes I’ve made, and how much growth came from them. Do you ever stop to think about how far you’ve come? We’re often so quick to focus on what we haven’t done yet, instead of giving ourselves credit for the progress already made.

January is full of plans, goals, and dreams, but nothing actually changes until we take the first step. You can spend hours planning a garden, a business, or a new direction in life, but growth doesn’t begin until you’re willing to start, imperfectly.

So here’s your January reminder: plant the seed. Start small. Learn as you go. Trust that showing up and doing the work messy, uncertain, and beautiful is enough. Because every meaningful thing begins this way, and that’s the start of something beautiful.

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