We Adore Flowers

03/10/2025

I ran out Saturday to walk in the woods, one of the last snows for the year. I was excited to get out before it was mud again by mid day.
I was the first human to leave footprints in the snow at Leforage Woods but there were mice prints, bunnies hops, maybe a fox or probably a coyote’s, they were running, I ran a bit too:)
Seems like everyone is really ready for Spring.

Spring Goals-
To hear the first peep from the Spring Peepers, I know that is not really possible to know, but I want to go listen a lot.
To witness the courtship of a Timberdoodle. (Calling a Timberdoodle a Woodcock, is like calling a Tamarack a Larch, and a Linden Tree a Basswood, please join team way more fun)
Celebrate the first hummingbird I see with some yet to be determined new ritual
And to walk the Potawatomi Trail all 17 miles, slowly, let it take all beautiful day.

Spring Garden Chores Checklist this week-
Take down the Christmas Lights-ha you too?!
Clean up any beds where I have bulbs trying to come up
Clean up my hellebores
Cut back the ornamental grasses
Prune my bushes that bloom on new growth-you probably don’t need to, but I am looking for long and strong growth for my designs
Tame/train our honeysuckle and clematis up the trellis
Prune my blackberries-if you have other fruit this is the week

Hey, should we start a loose group of front yard gardeners? Or you know what would be fun, coordinated bike tour? Or at least a map of us where folks can plan their own tour. Just to share notes, celebrate our bold stand against boring conformity, our ecological offerings, and our play, our color, our fun.

We in Ypsi are pretty lucky to have a supportive community, crazy to me that gardening in your front yard isn’t allowed in some places.

I see you all out there and feel comradery. Lots front yard gardens here in Prospect Park, so many in Gault Village, I wish I knew you all!

Front yard gardens, we are a thing, we should have a thing.

We are planning to have our Ypsi Poetree coming soon...!

First two photos by the magical Britt

Gonna be gorgeous! Lots of warmth and growth coming!

01/11/2025

1.5’’ of snow! A regular Tuesday snow on the West Side of the State and a Tuesday afternoon in Marquette. But here in Ypsi, it is the first time since I put up my Christmas lights up Dec 10th that there has really been any.

Last night I went outside to see.

Just the bittiest, sugar flakes, like beach sand, it’s glittertown out there folks:)

I went to look at my lights in the snow. I am proud of them. Not maybe in the way you think.

It was a hard year for lights, a late Thanksgiving, then it was cold. I love lights. There are notably fewer lights this year. And it is hard, you can’t do everything, and that is actually my point.

Being the face(a red face;) of my business, as someone who loves effort, quality work and excellence, it is easy to feel the increasing need to put a shinier and shinier foot forward, well on everything. It is hard to show up in my community with things that aren’t excellent-cookies, singing, my spelling, my outfit, my home decor, oh god my nails! Are people going to think I can’t make a banging out of this world bridal bouquet if I don’t manage my cuticles! Ha!

It’s a slippery slope and I’m not going down there.

I have my areas of excellence and I am sticking to them, like bridal bouquets.

These kinda sloppy stars are cute and all I could get done. I didn’t kill good with perfect, I did fine. My little offering of light, it’s good, I’m happy with that.

12/12/2024

I’m a believer in Lagniappe. A New Orleans tradition that means “a little something special.”

I moved to NOLA at twenty years old.
Not in a Girls Gone Wild kind of way.
But in a WWOZ kind of way.
Tipitina tra la la la, sweet olive, live oak over old brick, gas lit streets, the Mississippi River,
for something real, for something sweet.
I do know what it means to miss New Orleans, it’s an honor to be haunted.

I was your lousy waitress at a lousy restaurant.
Please don’t ask to separate your check at the end,
it is still my stress dream.

My friend was a bartender at Brennan’s Restaurant.
We’d go out to eat with a crew,
To Dickie’s, Mr B’s, and Commander’s Palace and enjoy NOLA’s finest on a huge discount.
The service industry is family there.
Little somethings special would float over- fried oysters, a glass of port, creme brulee.
Little gifts, where the transaction is in smiles and cheer and simply good will.

Lagniappe, pronounced-Lan-yap
A small delight, the extra mile

And I have got one that is so cute.

For those signing up for Twelve Weeks of Tulips
I want to thank you for coming to our Winter Flower Show-for joining me in my obsession with these sparkling, gorgeous Opera Singers, sigh-
With this sweet thing we made of wood, glass and pressed flowers from our farm.
All natural materials, my kind of sweet.
It’s soo cute on the tree and in the window.

The humble umbel ornaments are also now available online.

We can even gift wrap it and send it directly to the receiver.

All about this at weadoreflowers.com

It was impossibly hard to live to New Orleans during the holidays,
January was gorgeous, December miserable.

It was going to freeze in Nola,
I stayed up half the night dumping buckets water on the concrete,
Trying to make ice.
It didn’t work.

I was just too far from my family.
And too far from my woods.
After three years, I moved back.

I don’t take it for granted now.
I have some skates this year, a sled.
I put lights up, the wood is stacked and we have a tree.
Grateful for my family. Flaws and balls and all.
Grateful for the snow and cold and the dark.
So we can gather in the comfort of warmth and light.

11/22/2024

The excitement and pressure ticked up yesterday. No, nope, I’m not doing that this is year, not over doing it and getting in the way of my own enjoyment. I am applying the permaculture principle I learned from Jess Tack, called Shoot the Hostage.

I cut my charcuterie board shopping list(hell let’s call it snacks!) went with a cash birthday gift, and I don’t need a new sweater, I already have some I don’t wear;)

All I really need to do is choose a couple things and make those lovely. Not everything. And cultivate wellness, as best as I can.

It is hard to connect when your eye is twitching;) that’s a wink, not a twitch, ha!

To help with twitching and confusion of what we offer, I made a clear list.

We might not have everything, but what we do have will be lovely, you can count on it!

Here are our Holiday Offerings. Join us for a couple:) Info at weadoreflowers.com

Winter Wreath Workshops: Truly a jolly good time

Winter Wreath Kits: Delicious and available for pick up.

Mason Jar Club: Cream of the crop seasonal tour of our gorgeous flowers! Available for pick up or delivery. Sign ups opens Dec 1st, starts in April.

Bucket Club: An overflowing Bucket of Beauties to make your own arrangements. Opens Dec 1st and starts in April.

Winter Tulip Club: The Twelve Weeks or Six Weeks of Tulips. Our home grown tulips, absolutely fresh. Starts in January!

Holiday Centerpieces and Parties: “Gorgeous” and “These are the prettiest flowers I have ever seen” and “Who is your florist?” It might be us.

Daily Deliveries: Absolutely, all occasions the whole year.

Dried Flowers: We are bringing our collection to both Wreathing Events. Anyone can pick up bunches there. Come after 12:30. Also can be found at this week.

Pressed Flower Ornaments: soon!

Refrigerator Magnets: A darling accompaniment for gifting a subscription. We will etch their Club and dates right into this cute refrigerator magnet.

Made Wreaths: soon!

Weddings: Check us out!

Info and sign ups at weadoreflowers.com or call me!

Whew! That is it.

Thank you to everyone, you are the best:)

Wreathing photos !

11/09/2024

“No, heal and heal now.” John Barfield.

Who is John Barfield? Or How the heck do you know John Barfield?!

If you look him up you’ll see he was an extremely wealthy self made businessman, a billionaire and philanthropist. You’ll read that he was a soldier in WWII, he was a black man from the south and he almost died as a kid.

But I admired him for his angel glow, his love for his wife and family, his grace and that kind strength only people with real power have.

In his late 80’s he swam everyday in his indoor pool, played chess and was learning guitar.

I was the plant lady at the Barfield residence.

Eight years ago I was in a rage. I couldn’t stop crying, I couldn’t sleep, I hate messaged about everyone I thought who voted for Trump. I wanted to smash brains or at least myself into a wall. Pain would have been a relief. I had not known this feeling before. Blinding hateful rage. I couldn’t live in this world. Dan, my husband, was extremely worried.

I was going on day three in this numb-out of body-tornado-fire when I was at the Barfields.

John asked me what was wrong in about the kindest way anyone ever has.

I told him, I couldn’t believe we humans would do this.

He said this:
-It is only 4 years-(funny not funny)
-There are checks in his power(again)
-You need to not be so upset, it will be ok.(please don’t tell me how to feel)

And I said, ok, but I think I need to process this and be angry for a while.

He said, no.

No, heal and heal now. Anger and hate eats your heart. The love in your heart is the very thing you will need to get through this. You are dulling your own sword. Diminishing your light. Let it go right now.

I believed him. I surrendered my rage.

And it is not putting on a smile. No no no. This is strategic, it is a war cry, we are protecting the queen, it is owning your power while taking grace. Sit right there in the middle and allow it to be good.

Now I am no pure example, I’m no John Barfield. Don’t take my advice, take his.

I am sure there are lots of ways to skin this rageful cat, you can choose.

For better or worse, seeds grow.

Here are some special November blooms.

10/11/2024

There is she.

I can see our growing season coming into harbor. A dot is out on the horizon, with frost on her tail. Maybe Monday, maybe the week after.

These gorgeous warm sunny fall days are filling up our sails. We still have lots of flowers. Plus we planned for it, we seeded lots of late successions to have blooms now. Oh and heirloom chrysanthemums! Watch out for these if you are a grower or flower lover, they’ll grab you by your heart. Our first buds are starting to open, they will continue to open til Thanksgiving.

It’s pretty dark at 7:30pm and it’s dark when I get up. We have the lights on in the kitchen in the morning now. Our daylight is running low. Am I sad? Ha, no:) Because it’s fun to run really fast and jump on the growing season merry go round, hold on for dear life. Just as it is to step off, and be dizzy. And stand still as the sky spins. Until it is quiet and still again and everything focuses a little differently, like something has changed and something was learned.

Plus well, I have my tulips - loud nasally French Hon, Hon, Hon!
And our freaking 7th Annual Winter Wreath Workshop - Yeehaaa!
And we actually have a task list of about a hundred things to do including some big weddings
And thousands of little plant babies to get the ground and protect
So we can run and jump in spring
Catch the wind with our sails
Take a spin on the flower sea.

(Which analogy are we using here?)

I don’t know which do you like? The season is a ship or the season is a merry-go-round?

(I don’t know but the French sound thing was funny. But I’d say merry-go -round because you do seem like you are spinning.)

Good! That’s the best part;)

Inner critic/confused reader voice aside, it has been another good year. I’m good. I’m grateful. I feel really strong and relaxed even, and it only took 8 years;)

Thank you for your love and support! Can’t do it without you!

Yes our Wreath Workshop is live, and tickets are selling like brunch at the Bellflower, Hon, Hon, Hon!

(Well you ruined it.)

HA!

10/01/2024

Two Announcements!
(Horns for the Queen) We present Tulip Club!

This is a royal scoop of gorgeous tulips coming this WINTER. 16 stems picked up or delivered to your/their door for Ypsilanti or Ann Arbor.

12 Weeks of Tulips-from January to April, you pick 12 out 16 weeks for your pick up or delivery.

6 Weeks of Tulips-starts on Valentine’s Day and every other week through April pick up or delivery.

So many varieties, all are stunners, most are peony types along with fringe, fragrant and parrots. Shoot! We are putting on a show!

We are growing these here, fresh, for you. A three step process that needs Goldilocks temperatures, moisture, humidity, light, time, and voila. We can grow tulips in Michigan in Winter! Yes it IS magical!

We have been planning for this for 9 months, we built another cooler, did years of research, and I am just so excited, well, for January;) Feels like we are having a baby;) Gawk!

More info and to sign up at the website.

And a warm apple pie applause for our good old Winter Wreath Workshop!

Yes! We are delighted to offer this freaking fun event. When people will be off buying crap, you can skip all that and come with us and get your hands on gorgeous greens and make something special, in community, with possible pizza and maybe a beer....(you had me a not crap).

We will be at Corner Brew for our Annual Wreath Workshop Dec 1st and Dec 7th. Start times will be from noon to 2 and 2 to 4pm.

We have made some improvements. All tickets will be presold, two kits per table so plenty of space, plus bigger bunches, more wire, good pruners. Plus all those heartwarming Ypsi vibes at good old Corner Brew-we’ll be there! Join us:)

Tickets and info will be on the website October 7th.

Cheers!

09/02/2024

Awe! Rondo String Quartet was a fellow vendor at a wedding we did at Wellers, the played like angels:) They had super kind words in their blog about us. Thank you for taking your time in share this!

Beautiful words of love and faith were shared by Megan McElroy OP of the Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids during Natalie and Mac's wedding ceremony. Their day was held at Wellers Weddings in Saline, Michigan, a historic ten-acre Henry Ford property. This hidden gem has two very different banquet ro...

08/30/2024

It’s just been the most gorgeous Summer here in Michigan.

You can’t deny, it is one of the history books.

Mosquitoes are not too bad, cool nights yet warm enough to swim, a sweet spot.

Not the most abundant year for heat loving plants like tomatoes or dahlias but good enough.

I am outside every night, probably right now harvesting and tending, gettin er done.

Me, crickets, cats, cicadas and kids.

The kids in the cul de sac have a new game-Ghost in the Graveyard, tag meets hide and go seek I think.

Them- One o’clock, two o’clock, three o’clock...

Me-One aster, two aster, three aster...

Cats-one cricket, two...

All of us are hoping for one more round, to make one more bunch, one more catch before it is just too dark and time to go in and call it a day.

Summer 2024, mark it special.

Tonight I am harvesting for our event tomorrow. We will be for a Flower Bar. Get tickets on their website’s shop page.

All funds are all going to a family in Gaza, you can read more about them on the shop page Happy to be able to do this collaboration:)

Come! I think there are tickets still:)

08/07/2024

Bridal Bouquets are a shield. Protection from stress and from all the attention. They soften these awkward moments like what to do with your hands, what to look at when you are so nervous.

They say for you “It’s time, please take your seats.”

It’s Earth’s Beauty standing with you, grounding you. These plants we have been evolving with. Flowers and ceremony go hand and hand, that are right up there with food and clothing-I love that.

Yes I made this one. So proud! Gorgeous couple Ypsi couple, gorgeous photos by

Sigh:)

07/30/2024

She called to tell me I was a liar.

I don’t mind being called a liar because I’m not so need to panic.

Late, forgetful, idiot-ok you got me, that is sometimes true;)

It was my sister (Hi Gillie;) “You said lisianthus season was your favorite when I know it is ranunculus.”

Ok here it is Top 10 Favorite Flowers- by a flower farming florist who is a second generation horticulturist-ok, here we go, this is going to be good, in order of season.

Tulips
Ranunculus
Sweet pea
Peonies
Delphinium
Annual Phlox
Lisianthus
Dahlias
Grasses- not technically a flower but they have my heart.
Heirloom Chrysanthemums

Ok now but what is your very favorite?

You can’t ask me that, that is like picking your favorite child, it is really an impossible question-Tulips. (you must read that sentence and be filled with protest and immedaily say tulips totally dispassionately, ha, funny huh?)

Ha! Yes, tulips are my sweet darlings. And we are going all in on them and you should come with me. Choo Choo! I’m going run this Tulip train down and make it stop just for you:)

We are growing winter tulips again. To hold them in the snow, when it is dreary and cold. I love them for their strength, beauty, scent, and that they change from one day to the next, marking moments in time, an hourglass to remind us this is all passing right now and to reach out and take hold.

Sign up yourself and all your friends for Tulip Club- coming this January. God that feels good.

Ok! Your turn, favorites!? And because I love you, Saturday we will draw a name for a free Big Bouquet. Out the area folks if you win we will send it to anywhere local you’d like.

Photo by the lovely

07/10/2024

Hurricane rain falling.
We have 2.75 inches and counting.

Hi! I’m here, I haven’t been posting.
Seems obsurb to talk about flowers during a US funded genocide, a climate crisis and the coming election…
Our inability to take action and get results had me in a dark sad place.

Their death, our death, habitat death, impending future death…

So I went there, and I sat down.

For the month of June, I went to the woods everyday, alone.

To think about my death.

It was an art project/answering the call of my heart.

I have a million things to say about this experience, but I’ll just say one.

I’ll be so sad to leave this place, I don’t want to leave, this Green Good.
So grateful to have been here, despite all the terrible things. Deeply and wholly grateful to be among this beauty, that beauty, your beauty.
The only way to express that gratitude is with love.

Love for my little light I get to hold for now, this Earth and the other lights. The end.

‘Blah blah blah, love is such a boring answer, I’m so bored right now.’

No, not boring, simple is the word.

Simple and the most powerful.

So hand me my hoe, my shears, my pen, my can of spinach-gross, fine.

I know what team I am on.

Again.

And it’s ok if you take a shot and miss.
Like try to call your representative and they do nothing, talk to a racist friend in a loving way that goes nowhere, let the psycho driver pass you and you get a red light, write a post no one reads, try to eat more beans and it makes your family fart too much-whatever it is, give it a try.

We give A’s for effort on Team Love.