hey boy, howdy!

welcome!! and welcome back to those of you joining me again this month! what an exciting month february was as it gently reminded us to feel alive as spring is just around the corner and there are still reasons to smile. seriously… i know you saw the memes about your seasonal depression not being real until you experienced one of those beautiful warm late winter days… february really is such a sweet month ♡

short.. sweet… and to the point.

whats new?

as far the month went.. not much is new in the world of somertime. in our home garden - we started cutting and staining wood for new beds, built said beds, and really got the beginnings of our addition to the garden started. our goats are 10 weeks old and beginning to make their transition fully outside to munch away at kudzu and bramble!! it makes me sad, but i am so ready to see them grow more and do what they do best which is eat.. eat and mulch and yap and holler a lot! our tulips and daffodils are beginning to come in, so keep your eyes peeled on our social media for when you can grab a bundle of fresh blooms for yourself. we’ll have so many garden blooms this year so don’t miss out. most of the seeds i started are doing well. a few starts were transitioned outside too soon, or possibly forgotten about outside on a cold night, so we live and we learn.

i got out 20 bouquets for valentines day. some went to old fort yoga, some went to purrfectly pampered pet spa (in old fort) and others went to amazing people that trusted and supported me. i am so thankful for everyone that got a bouquet!! please check out my valentines day bouquet blog post to see photos of the bouquets.

business related

i have started spring clean ups at my clients houses as well!! the outside temperatures aren’t consistently above 50 degrees but the clean-up i am doing is typically okay for pollinators. i cut back anything left over from last growing season, any nice dormant pruning and left over leaf clean up, and normally move to the woods where it can decompose… on occasion i will bag up my garden debris, but i really try to stay away from that. by the way - outside of the garden i am always taking clients for indoor plant care and maintenance; this includes rentals, businesses, residential housing and anything of the such!! please reach out if you are interested in learning more. i have currently put a pause on taking any new residential garden maintenance clients for the upcoming year. i am hoping to get all of my current and existing clients situated for spring and summer and will consider taking additional clients when the seasons develop a little more. with that being said i am always taking consulting clients, please please please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have plant questions. if you’re looking to spot my work in person i’ll be creating an installation for the front windows at SEEKER COFFEE. we are starting with the windows and working our way back to create a beautiful fun space filled with simple but lovely planttttssssss. whats better than coffee, community and plants!?

in your garden

time to start that spring clean up if you haven’t already. cut back any dead or existing stalks from your perennials. you can mulch them up, or let them decompose.. leave them in your garden, or move them. it’s your world, your life and your garden… please do as you wish! leave the leaves?? move the leaves?? i think it depends on how many leaves we are taking about and where the leaves are… sometimes i leave them.. sometimes i move them. leaves will absolutely break down and provide fabulous nutrients to your garden. they can also cause your plants to rot if they are too thick especially around the base of the plant. all of that being said; leaves typically also host a lot of really beneficial bugs and pollinators so just keep that in mind and make a decision that will be best for you and your garden. my method is to clean up the garden by taking all of my garden debris out of the area and placing it in the woods, or in a compost area. most of what i on is all by hand with hand tools and not much gas powered equipment. my thought process with i garden, and clean up the garden is that i am trying to make the area better than i found it, and mulching up and bagging up debris doesn’t allow for the life living amongst the garden to thrive. never ever forget that your garden is the way you connect with nature. honestly its all he said, she said, and i’m sure you can advocate for any style. my favorite greenhouse and nursery PAINTERS GREENHOUSE right here in old fort is open for the season now, so make sure and support them if you can. they are amazing and have a wonderful native and nativar plant selection!!!

upcoming in march

super exciting month ahead of us!! the vernal equinox is at the end of the month, and so much will be popping up in your garden. longer days stimulate growth in your plants, and all of those evergreens should really be popping out some vibrant greens and new growth about this time. its still too soon to get out a lot of veggies and tender annuals plants, we have another little bit before we can plant all of those summer warm season loving plants so buckle up. if you’re looking to transplant things popping up in your garden or get some trees, natives and perennials in the ground, now is the perfect time. gardeners tip is to get them planted before the heat of the summer, make sure you’re thoroughly watering them in and it will really help them establish better as a new plant.

our bulbs are popping out of the ground finally. i am thrilled to see them make their cute little appearance into the world. look for bouquets and fresh blooms available soon. its slowly something i am opening up to the world, but its not a full go yet.

i am also beginning to work on a new project.. its a collaboration with an amazing human and we are hopefully about to blow up old fort with even more blooms and fresh produce!!!

highlighted businesses

i wanted to take a second to point out some amazing businesses right here in the old fort community

Painters Greenhouse

Purrfectly Pampered LLC

The Common Pine

Seeker Coffee

Old Fort Yoga

if i missed your business, check in next month for more highlighted local businesses!!!

there are a lot of things in the works in our little world. together - as a community we can work together to make the world a better place. we just have to start small and dream big.

happy march lovelies. thanks for reading along.

lets chat soon

xoxo,

somertime

♡february newsletter♡