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The heat wave that closed out June finally broke with a full day of rain, and the whole farm exhaled. These two weeks were about giving the flowers something to lean on — and, honestly, about learning a hard lesson we'd rather share than hide.
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From the Field
The big job these two weeks was stringing Hortonova netting over the beds to hold up the ammi, zinnias, cosmos, and sunflowers. As they get tall and top-heavy, one summer storm can lay a whole row flat; the netting gives every stem something to grow up through so it comes out straight instead of bent. The sunflowers in particular are loving it — growing fast and arrow-straight. After that heat, the day of rain was exactly what the beds needed.
A LESSON FROM THE FIELD
We lost about half our veggie starts — here’s why.
We started a big flat of vegetables in plug trays, and between the heat wave and a few too-busy days, we simply couldn't keep up with the watering. Plug trays hold very little soil, so they dry out in hours, not days - and once tender seedlings cook in that kind of heat, there's no bringing them back. We lost roughly half.
What we're taking from it: start fewer plugs than we think we need, keep trays in afternoon shade during a heat spike, and take them back in to harden them off gradually. We'd rather tell you the parts that didn't work than only show you the pretty rows. If you've got a hot-weather seedling trick, comment below — we're all cars.
IN THE CART THIS WEEK
Cosmos: still going strong and producing second and third rounds of buds.
Ammi (false Queen Anne’s Lace/White Dill): now blooming and being harvested.
Zinnias: we stunted their first shoots and now they’re branching like crazy.
Calendula: now opening up in the meadow.
From the north pasture: wild Black-eyed Susans and orange coneflowers, cut fresh.
FIELD BOUQUETS are available now! We’re not on a market schedule yet, but if you'd like flowers for a table, a gift, or an occasion, just get in touch on our website and we'll put something together from whatever is at its peak that week.
Around the Farm
A handful of white cosmos
Cosmos in the bed before harvest
Calendula by the north pasture
If you’re enjoying these field notes, the kindest thing you can do for us and our farm is forward this to someone who'd like it too.
See you in two weeks,
The Hardy Hill Farms family
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