Bracing for the Unexpected | Navigating August Frost and Seasonal Shifts

A couple of days ago, I did my usual weather check, finally seeing some manageable temperatures with highs in the 80s. But then—what’s that?! Like a giant pimple on the end of your nose on prom night, a number glared at me: 35°F. Gasp! A forecast of a 35°F low in August!

Needless to say, I’ve since refreshed the app multiple times, downloaded every possible weather program to compare forecasts, and we have frost cloth and box fans on hand, ready to go. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best, right? This is one of the most challenging aspects of growing cut flowers where we do—our season is incredibly short, and it seems to be getting shorter every year. The upside is, if we can get the plants through the cold snap, temperatures usually rise again, allowing us to skip merrily into the field and keep cutting dahlias for a little longer.

Last year, we had frost-free days from summer solstice to fall equinox—just three months without damaging frost, and that was by the skin of our teeth. I try not to take the weather personally, but I do. As I feel the chill of fall breathing down my neck, I find myself in a panic to capture all the beauty, snapping as many photos and videos as possible. Part of me wants to be okay with letting the field go and moving on to the next season, yet August is just way too soon. Early October—that would be much more reasonable. Please, Jack Frost, don’t nip us in the bud quite yet!

Though I recognize the chance of losing crops is pretty slim, our climate has played dirty tricks on us before—enough so that the other day, I woke up in the middle of the night, panicked that frost had wiped out the flower field. I’m told I can be dramatic, and I feel dramatic... but am I? Time will tell.

Right now, though, the zinnias, dahlias, cosmos, and lisianthus are in full bloom! A rainbow of soft, romantic colors with some bolder hues peppered in. There’s something humbling and special about seeing these last blooms that will carry our season to its end.

As I come to terms with having either a few days, a few weeks, or two months until the season’s end, I’m also finding myself looking forward to tucking in the tulip bulbs, moving the daffodils, and planting the fall transplants and seeds. The winding down of the season gives us the opportunity to plant some delicious crops that hold such promise for cozy fall dinners.

Our ducklings, aka “the bug-busters,” will be ready to move outdoors in just another week or two, and I’m so looking forward to them gobbling up every buggy foe they can find. Simple tasks like cleaning, reorganizing, and giving extra attention to the farm—such as getting weed cloth on the remaining peony rows that were overtaken last spring—are on the to-do list. Another season under our belt has given us another season of hard yet helpful lessons that we can now apply for the next.

As we move through these final weeks, I’m reminded of the resilience it takes to farm in such a fickle climate. Every challenge brings new insights, and every season brings its own rewards. Here’s to making the most of the time we have left with these beautiful blooms—and to preparing for an even better season ahead.