Spring Planting: The Joy of Getting it Wrong (and Eventually Right)
Ah, spring. That magical time of year when flower farmers emerge from hibernation, squint at the sun like confused groundhogs, and attempt to remember how to grow things again. If you’ve ever flung a tray of delicate seedlings onto the ground because you tripped over a rogue hose, or confidently planted an entire row of something only to realize you mixed up the labels, congratulations—you’re doing it right.
Planting before the last frost is one of the most exciting, nerve-wracking, and sometimes questionable decisions we make as flower farmers. But as with all great adventures, it’s best to jump in headfirst and learn as you go.
Why Plant Before the Last Frost? (Or, How to Trick Your Flowers Into Blooming Early)
There are flowers that actually love the cold. Unlike us, they don’t spend winter wrapped in three blankets questioning their life choices. Hardy annuals, biennials, and cold-tolerant perennials thrive when planted before the last frost, rewarding us with early blooms that make us look way more competent than we actually are.
Some of the best early bloomers include:
Ranunculus & Anemones – Gorgeous, layered blooms that make you feel like a Renaissance painter. Just ignore the fact that you’ll probably plant them upside down at least once. Or have a fantastic presprout only to have the deer chomp them off while you’re at work.
Sweet Peas – Fragrant, delicate, and always a test of patience. Bonus points if you manage to untangle them without muttering curse words. I don’t untangle, I just let them work themselves into a pile of knots. I have big plans for a pretty trellis. We’ll see if I can get up the nerve to actually build what will likely be an ugly hunk of something kind of workable.
Snapdragons & Larkspur – Reliable and stunning, provided you don’t accidentally step on them in a moment of springtime enthusiasm. This is my first year with larkspur. I went nuts planting indoors only to read that they hate being transplanted. Pause while I set a reminder for the Fall to sow seeds outside.
Poppies & Bells of Ireland – Cold-hardy and whimsical…if you can actually remember where you planted them. I dropped the ball on poppy seeds this year. I was hopeful that they would reseed. Still holding out hope on that one. Bells are supposed to do the same. They are tough to germinate indoors for me. I think they are so cool so I am sure to have a hard time cutting them out of my seed purchase for next year.
Foxglove & Delphinium – Towering beauties that make you feel like you belong in a fairytale, assuming they don’t flop over from an unexpected windstorm. I had great success with the first year (greenery only) of foxgloves last year. They overwinter pretty well and I’ve been watching them like a creepster for any signs of growth and possible flowers. Also…should be thinking ahead and planting seeds for more flowers next year. Well, I’ve THOUGHT about it.
Spring on the Farm: A Beautiful Mess
Spring planting is chaotic. No matter how much planning you do in the winter—sketching out garden maps, creating seed schedules, reading books by professionals—there will still be moments of absolute disaster. I just always run out of time, energy or both. Obviously, life is full of all of things - that 8-3:30 job, part-time job, kids want to eat, dishes need to not spill over the sink, laundry, pets…I don’t need to tell you!
Like the time I confidently carried a tray of newly sprouted seedlings outside, only to watch the wind yeet them straight out of my hands. Or the year I planted an entire row of what I thought were snapdragons, only to realize two months later I had planted precious Bells of Ireland in the weediest part of a too wide row.
But here’s the thing: making mistakes means you’re doing something new. It means you’re willing to be a beginner, to take risks, to try and fail and try again. Every expert started out as someone who killed more plants than they grew. Learning through trial and error is half the fun (the other half is probably coffee and impulse-buying more seeds than you have space for).
Why We Keep Doing This
Despite the spilled trays, mislabeled rows (or, unlabeled everything), and occasional existential crises when a late frost threatens to undo everything or the deer fill their bellies, we keep planting. Because nothing compares to that first flush of color in early spring—the ranunculus glowing in the golden light, the sweet peas climbing skyward, the tiny green sprouts defying the cold.
And the best part? Soon, those early blooms will make their way to bouquets, filling our roadside stand with life, fragrance, and the unmistakable joy of spring. Customers will stop by, marvel at the flowers, and have no idea how many mistakes, mishaps, and moments of mild panic went into growing them.
So here’s to spring planting. To getting it wrong, learning as we go, and embracing the beautiful, unpredictable mess of growing flowers. Mistakes aren’t failures—they’re just the first step toward doing something amazing. And if nothing else, at least we’ll have great stories to tell.
Happy planting!
