Preparing for the Next Season

September 17, 2026

The calendar says it's a little closer to fall each day. The sun and heat don't have a calendar! Aside from not feeling quite fall-like yet, the activity on the farm is shifting toward prepping for next season. Many of the flowers are still blooming and will be until first frost, and those will be available at the farm cart each week.  

I'm picking spots for the seedlings and planning to prep those beds this weekend and early next week. Most of the seedlings are hardening off outside, which has been interesting between the hot days and my forgetfulness. I may have forgotten to move them one day, or two, but they pulled through. One thing I've learned is that if I have the feeling I'm forgetting something, I need to stop and figure it out, because my brain almost always reminds me that I've missed something—even if it won't always tell me what it is right away.

Even with the prep and cleanup, I can't believe I'm already thinking about tulips. The bulbs should be here in a few weeks! This year I'm planting some favorites that have been around since the farm started in 2020 and adding new bulbs to expand the colors and shapes. Waiting is hard—it'll be 5–6 months before I get to see those. I'm sure it'll fly by, other than a few cold winter days that seem to last for weeks. As excited as I am for the next season, I'm reminding myself to slow down and enjoy the remaining blooms this year.