Things I Thought Would Be Glamorous About Flower Farming (Spoiler: They Aren’t)

A behind-the-scenes look at mud, bugs, and why I still wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Morning Sunflower with a Bee Buddy

When I first started dreaming about growing flowers, I had visions. Whimsical visions. Sun hats, breezy mornings, curated rows of blooms swaying in slow motion…

What I got instead?

Well, let’s just say reality has a good sense of humor. Here's what I imagined versus what actually happened.

Autumn Bee Buddy

💭 Expectation: I’ll start my day early, coffee in hand, surrounded by peace and petals.

Re-heated coffee - 3rd time is the charm!

Reality: The “peace” part lasts exactly 30 seconds—until I see that the squirrels ate my cockscomb, the dahlias are full of earwigs, and the cat left me a gift in the snapdragons. Also? The coffee is cold. Always. Plus, I am not a morning person.

💭 Expectation: I’ll wear beautiful linen aprons and cute gardening gloves.

Reality: The apron has been missing since March. I’m 90% sure it’s composted itself. The gloves are… somewhere. Usually I realize this after I’ve stuck my hand into a fire ant nest or grabbed a rose stem bare handed. And shoes; don't get me started. Either full of mud, ants, or dirt. That's why I'm usually barefoot!

Frosted Blackberry Leaves

💭 Expectation: My farm stand will always look picture-perfect.

Reality: It’s cute. But sometimes it’s frosted, or sweltering, or limp stemmed, and a very creative interpretation of “open hours”. Also: if the flowers are out and the chalkboard is sideways, I’m still calling that a win.

GRRR

💭 Expectation: I’ll harvest in quiet reflection, maybe with a little background music.

Reality: It’s 97° with 70% humidity. I’ve got two spiders in my shirt and one cricket in my boot. My background music is a squirrel and cardinal yelling at me and the sound of my own thoughts, mostly consisting of “Where did I put my snips?! I JUST had them!”

💭 Expectation: I’ll build a lovely little flower farm that runs like a dream.

Reality: It’s chaotic, muddy, full of surprises, and held together by passion, caffeine, and community support. It’s also the most fulfilling, creative, joy-spreading mess I’ve ever made (besides my kids; they always win first prize).

Early Morning Petals

So yeah, not exactly the linen-and-lavender aesthetic I had in mind.

But for every crooked bouquet, every surprise bloom, every text from someone saying the flowers made their day—I’d do it all over again (bugs and all).

💛 P.S. If you see me looking like I’ve been run over by a wheelbarrow… I have. Bring snacks.

🌸 Want to see the real-life magic behind the mess?

Join the Sass for early flower drops, pop-up alerts, and behind-the-scenes stories (like the time I found a wild orchid growing in the field).