November brings the first real snow fall of the season which also begins the “grey season” in Michigan. The snow is really
beautiful on the farm as it covers all of the lavender plants but the days are short and mostly grey. This also means there is
little left to do on the farm after the snow falls. The greenhouse has been closed up for the season with straw for insulation
on the existing plants. We also finished cleaning and performing maintenance on tools and equipment for the season.
The end of fall also brings one of the least favorite chores on the farm; dealing with the Dahlias. Dahlias are absolutely
stunning but they require a great deal of work for them to grow in our harsh climates. Winter is especially hard on these
fragile tubers so they must be dug up and stored in a dry cool place until the spring when they can be planted again. It is
not the most enjoyable task but it is the price we pay for a bountiful beautiful assortment of flowers.
Clearing the new land we purchased this year continued into November. There is a lot of work to be done to prepare the land
for planting. We had a lot of dead trees and bushes as well as weeds to get rid of. We will continue to work on the land
until the ground freezes giving us a bit of a reprieve from outside projects. We plan to have some new picnic areas as well as
beautiful spaces for special events on the new property.
We have also started our baby lavender plants. When we prune the plants in the fall we take the cuttings to start new
lavender plants. The cuttings are trimmed and dipped in an organic plant starter powder then placed in moist soil to root.
The babies need warmth and a bit of water to help them grow so we will continue to nurture them until they are ready for
sale in early Spring.
The farm store stays busy while we are working on product and shipping orders. Online orders pick up during this time as
customers are checking their loved ones off the Holiday Shopping List. We have also been enjoying having customers in the
store for our Holiday Wreath Making Classes. It has been lovely to see how different everyones wreaths have turned out.
Remember to follow us on social media @lavenderfarming.