it’s Crunch Time!

It’s almost officially Summer! With just 20 days until Summer Solstice, it’s crunch time! May and June are always busy months for florists and farmers, with countless tasks to get done before summer hits. May was spent weeding, transplanting, developing rows, pinching plants, and lots of field maintenance...did I mention weeding? In June, I will be continuing to maintain and put the finishing touches on the field, and I will be transplanting the final starts including zinnias, cosmos, celosia, rudbeckia, and the remaining amaranth and statice. I will also be finishing setting up support netting to encourage the plants to grow strong and straight as they take off this month! In addition to the farm work, June also is the kickoff to wedding season and time for any last-minute prepping for all of the BB happenings coming. This year also looks a little different for me as I establish myself in my new community, hi Bellingham! So I’ll be juggling a lot this month trying to finish the final pieces for each of these areas.

Luckily, I’m someone who does best when I have a full schedule. Being busy with things that I’m passionate about is extremely rewarding for me, exhausting yes, but also fulfilling. So I’m welcoming the month, even if I’m still wrapping my head around the fact that it’s already June. As the first of the summer flowers are slowly beginning to bloom, I’m filled with excitement and anticipation. The time we’ve all been waiting for is here and I am so excited to see the flowers FINALLY blooming, the wedding designs come to life, and the old and new faces of those who I get to share my flowers with. It’s the time to put into motion all of the planning and preparation over the past few months.

Going into each year I like to set goals for Beverly Blooms. I write down a few business-related goals and a few environmental goals. It was important to me when I started Beverly Blooms to strive to be as sustainable and environmentally conscious as I could be from the start. This year, I add a “personal goals” section to my annual goals. Last year I became way too burnt out and I knew putting myself through this each year would not be sustainable.

I dedicated my winter to learning about running a small business, narrowing down my focuses to specialize in a few areas, and developing more efficient processes.Adding annual personal goals was one of the changes I made during this process. I’ve learned the importance of taking care of myself and it’s something I prioritize now. I’m able to maintain the joy that this work brings me when I’m rested and feel balanced. So I encourage anyone in an industry like floral work to set your own personal goals each year, let’s take care of ourselves!

Anyways, back to the June happenings. Wedding Prep also holds a large portion of my to do list this month including finalizing design plans with my couples, ordering any remaining materials needed for the whole season, and ensuring plans for sourcing flowers for each wedding. I try to do the majority, if not all, of this before July 1 because once July hits my time and energy needs to be focused on the current projects, field and flower needs, seasonal commitments, and more. I’ve learned that the more I prep and do before the height of the season hits, the more success I will have and the more I am able to take care of myself through this busy time (woo!).

I have my first wedding of the season this month, actually! I’ll be traveling over to Orcas Island for a very fun and eclectic wedding at Moran State Park. June is always a funky month for flowers, the Spring flowers are at the end of their season and most Summer annuals aren’t blooming quite yet. This means I have to get creative with the flowers I’m using, and with where I’m sourcing from. The perennial flowers typically start to bloom in June since they are more developed in the ground. and I can hope for the first few sweet peas, calendula, delphinium, and maybe even some stock. Peonies and ranunculus will likely still be in bloom as well, so there are options!

This month, I’m also doing final preparations for my Full Season and Summer CSAs. This is my first year doing CSAs so a lot of thought and planning has gone into it the past 6 months. Now, it’s time to work out any last-minute logistics, plan delivery routes, gather materials, share final information with the subscribers, and more. I’m so excited that I’m able to offer CSAs this season, this is something I’ve been working towards that last few years and to finally have the space to grow the quantity of flowers required for CSAs is incredible. The more this business grows the more flowers I will be able to grow, and in turn, the more CSA subscriptions I will be able to offer. So, thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has signed up for a CSA this season. It means so much to us small business owners.

If you haven’t signed up for a CSA subscription yet, there’s still time! While Full Season and Summer CSA subscriptions are closed for the season, the Autumn CSA subscription is still available until August 1, 2024. There are only a few spots left so if you’ve been thinking about it, now’s your time!

Lastly, Beverly Blooms is starting a new program called Flower Fridays this year. I will be selling pre-made bouquets at a few local spots in Bellingham every other Friday through September. I’m excited for this program as it allows me to get to know my new community more and introduce myself both as an individual and as a business. Flower Fridays start June 28 at Lettered Street Coffeehouse and Lost Giants Cider Co. Visit the Find BB page for all of the spots you can get bouquets, arrangements, and more from Beverly Blooms this season! This page will be continuously updated with any new opportunities to get Beverly Blooms flowers throughout the season, so be sure to check back. If you don’t see what you’re looking for here, reach out, I’d love to find a way to share my flowers with you.

So yah, it’s a busy month! As I sit on my front porch writing all of this down, listening to the birds sing, I don’t feel worried about all that there is to do in the next few weeks. It’s my favorite time of the year and I want to enjoy it while it’s here. Each year, everything seems to work out, even when it feels like it won’t, so I try to lean into that mindset more and more. I’ve done the planning and preparing, I’ve rested, and now it’s time to go to work and enjoy the ride! If you can believe it, next month is even busier. Wish me luck, see you then!

Chase