Spring is almost here, and it’s time to think about the gardening season ahead.
I’m excited to return to writing this column about gardening, and to tell you about my flower farm for this season. In 2019 my husband Scott and I established One Hubcap Farm on Muller Road in Blythewood. We produced pork and vegetables at first, then I discovered I could grow cut flowers and sell them in bouquets and to florists.
Flowers don’t run through the woods at night or knock me flat on the ground in their enthusiasm for food, and so we decided to leave the pork and vegetables for others and grow flowers exclusively.
In addition to selling flowers to local florists, I also operate a self-serve flower stand on Fridays and Saturdays in season, host Pick-Your-Own flowers events, offer Mason Jar arrangements for Easter and Mother’s Day, and I create Christmas wreaths. I expect to open the flower stand and the you-pick in mid-to-late April, depending on the weather. The best way to stay informed about the farm is to sign up for our email list at our website below.
In this column I will provide you with gardening instructions for our climate, inform you about local food and farm events, and update you about the flowers of One Hubcap Farm.
I will guide you through the year’s gardening process, explain what I’m doing on the farm, help you start seeds, set out plants, create garden beds, maintain your crops, and improve your soil. I have been in the garden my entire life, and during this process I have made just about every mistake possible. I hope that in reading about my experiences, you may avoid my errors.
As I write this, it’s 80°F outdoors, and temperatures are forecast to remain above 40° as of this writing. Garden centers will be full of tomato plants. The weather feels like spring, so why not get a head start on the summer garden, right? Please don’t make the mistake of starting the summer garden too soon. Our last average expected frost is the first week of April. Even if the temperature never goes into the 30s again this season, temperatures below 50° will make your tomatoes unhappy. They really prefer temperatures above 60°.
Plants that begin their lives stressed will never be as productive as those that start life in warm temperatures. Resist the urge to purchase tomatoes and instead grab some cool-season plants such as broccoli and lettuce that enjoy our weather.
Stay informed about our flowers at https://onehubcapfarm.com/.
One Hubcap Farm is located at 1236 Muller Road, Blythewood (about 4 minutes from I 77).
