Burdock Acres Farm Journal: October 2025
October always feels like a turning point on the farm. The mornings get colder, the days get shorter, and everything shifts from growing to putting things to bed. This month had a little bit of everything—cleanup, construction, bouquets, and the slow realization that winter is closer than we’d like.
We started by bush-hogging the sunflower field, which is always bittersweet. It’s hard to watch something that brought so much joy this summer get cut down, but that’s the cycle. The fields were tilled and prepped again. Seeing clean, ready rows in late fall feels like a small win — especially on the days when it felt like the weather was moving faster than we could.
Lisianthus wrapped up too. I wasn’t exactly kind to her this year — she went into the unheated greenhouse, and she definitely didn’t get the attention, watering, or weeding she deserved. But even with less-than-ideal care, she still performed like a champ. Those ruffled blooms showed up anyway, reminding me why she’ll always have a spot here on our farm. Next year, she’ll get the attention she earned.
We’re still feeling the effects of this summer’s drought. Some crops never grew the way they should have, and our eucalyptus struggled from the start. Instead of pulling it out and calling it a loss, we decided to try overwintering what we could save. Maybe it will bounce back next season; maybe it won’t. But after the year it had, it deserved a fair shot.
One of the brighter parts of the month was having my big brother back to help with the polycarbonate roof on the barn-to-greenhouse project. He’s the one who climbed up there, measured, cut, and installed every piece. I wasn’t on the roof — I was running deliveries, keeping the boys entertained, and trying to make sure that his coffee cup never ran dry. But having him here pushing that project forward made all the difference. Watching the roof finally take shape felt like a huge step forward, and it wouldn’t have happened without him. This barn conversion, is a labor of love, and I am very grateful for my family and all of their hard work and help.
We also finished putting up the last of the hoop house frames — 225 feet of future growing space. Even just seeing the frames standing there makes spring feel closer than it is. What’s going to go into these two big beautiful structures? While my plans are ever changing, one thing is for sure, our rose collection deserves a house of their own. We have already preordered our roses for next year and I can’t wait to have our current rose collection and these new one blooming from May-October next year.
On the bouquet side of things, October was steady: mini pumpkin bouquets headed out to stores, we were back at The Marty’s First Stop, earlier than previous years. October also brought baby showers, weddings, and a handful of those “could you make something special?” messages that always feel like such an honor.
One of my favorite moments this month was delivering bouquets to school principals in a neighboring county for National Principals Month — A reminder that flowers don’t need a big event to be important. Sometimes they’re just a way to say “You’re seen. Thank you.”
Toward the end of the month, we opened Thanksgiving preorders and started sketching out ideas for the arrangements — warm tones, soft neutrals, and lots of sunflowers. Behind the scense, planning for next season is underway. Our rose collection continues to grow, and we’re expanding our mums as well. It feels good to look ahead a little, even while we’re wrapping up the current season.
October was full, tiring, and productive. Not glamorous, not dramatic—just steady work, steady progress, and plenty of moments where I felt grateful to be doing this, even on the hard days.
Here’s to November: slower mornings, finishing the roof, and leaning into the holiday season.