Greetings, farm friends!

This week we’re wrapping up peony season and saying goodbye to ranunculus for real. It’s been a gorgeous Spring and we’re lucky to have had these lovely blooms to work with as long as we did! As our earliest crops wind down, new things are coming onto the scene on a regular basis. We’re cutting the first yarrow and veronica now, and the first Spring field-planted crops are coming into bloom!

We’re loving the sunny days, but the farm is beginning to really dry out. I’ve probably mentioned before that we’re experiencing an abnormally dry spring, and now we’re truly beginning to feel the effects of this drought. The fields are so dry that the soil is cracking in areas that haven’t been irrigated, which is particularly unusual at Two Boots, where we have a high water table and, if anything, generally struggle with things being too wet.

*Elisa, programming an irrigation timer.*

This year we set up a new automated irrigation system, but we’re still getting the hang of it, and it isn’t entirely hands-off, especially when it’s as dry as it’s been. We’re also experimenting with a watering method called pulse watering this year. Pulse watering is different from our regular watering method in that you water for short bursts of time throughout the day, rather than one deep watering early in the morning. This method was largely popularized by a dahlia grower in Australia, who, faced with water restrictions imposed by a drought, needed to water their crops sufficiently. The theory behind this method is essentially that you’re giving the plants a drink throughout the day when they’re thirsty, and in turn the plants are able to draw the water down to the root zone, rather than having more water sit near the surface of the soil as it would with other watering methods. So far we’re feeling good about pulse watering, and it seems to be working out well.

Unfortunately there are still areas of the farm that don’t have access to irrigation, which means that we’re doing our best to keep these plants alive with diligent hand watering when necessary. We’re also trying to get our annual large block of cover crop established, which means running a sprinkler every morning and moving it through the field. Managing our water needs during a drought could easily become someone’s full time job!

Despite the lack of rain, our crops seem to be thriving, and things really do look beautiful on the farm! We’re noticing increased pest pressure this year, likely due to the warm winter, but for the most part our crops are healthy and the farm is full of life.

*We planted this baptisia in February last year and we can’t get enough of it. Fortunately, it should keep multiplying for years to come.*

Upcoming Events

June 4th: Baltimore Farmers’ Market under the JFX. We’ll have bouquets, campanula, peonies, ranunculus, an assortment of other bunched flowers, and Two Boots Merch.
June 17th: Centerpiece workshop on the farm- We will tour the farm with the sun on our backs while sipping mimosas and N/A beverages. Elisa will demonstrate how she makes an arrangement with seasonal flowers. You will then get to make your own floral arrangement to take home.
July 8th: Open Design Day on the farm- We will tour the farm with the sun on our back while sipping mimosas and N/A beverages. Then we will head up to the barn and you get to decide what you want to work on. Hand tied bouquet? arrangement in a vase? Flower crown? I will assist you and show you how. Please email me before the class to let me know what you want to create so I have the correct materials/flowers on hand and ready to go.
July 15th: Eco-printing & Bouquet Technique Workshop with Monique Crabb and Elisa Lane
We will have a tour of the farm before we begin the workshop and you will leave with an eco-printed silk scarf and cotton tea towel, and a bouquet of flowers you will arrange yourself.
The two eco-printing techniques are Bundle Dyeing, which uses steam to extract color from plants onto fabric and Hapa Zome is the Japanese art of beating pigment out of leaves and flowers with a hammer. You are also allowed to bring one small natural fiber item to alter with plant colors.

Thanks for reading this far!

Wishing you all the best,

Amelia & the Two Boots crew

Water, Water Everywhere...