My plants in the farm row are looking ratty and tired. The zinnias are covered in powdery mildew; the newest blooms are smaller and not worth saving as cuts. But their structure is still forming a compact and nicely shaped plant. The cosmos have thinned out with black shriveling leaves. Their stems are crooked and curved. It is challenging to get a good stem length for a bouquet, but they still produce flowers. The amaranth has taken a beating from high winds and toppling over one another. The color is slipping away from their leaves. They look sickly and cold instead of the deep, rich purple and red they used to be. And yet, with all this damage and tiredness, I hesitate to let them go. 

I'm not ready for the growing season to end or to lose my bounty of blooms. The days are drastically shortened, and the wind will only gain momentum. The longer I put this task off, the less chance I have of a successful spring. I need this space to get my hardy annuals established. I tell myself it is time to let them go and move forward. Looking to the future helps me progress. We have rain for the next week, a perfect time to get seedlings in the ground. I see this as a nudge from Mother Nature, telling me the time is now. Once the hard work ends, my focus turns to the chrysanthemum blooms yet to come. And when I look at the clean, empty farm row, I feel renewed, excited, and motivated for next year's flowers.

Week 42 recap:

• Started fescue grass seed.
• Harvested the last of the farm row (amaranth and cosmos).
• Harden-off snapdragon seedlings.
• Hired help to turn over the farm row, clean the studio bed, and transplant the iris.

Plans for week 43:

• Tie up climbing rose.
• Start viola and sweat pea seeds.
• Plant lupin seedlings.
• Plant snapdragon seedlings.
• Pot-up foxglove and dianthus seedlings.
• Harden-off scabiosa.

Week 42 blooms:

• Amaranth
• Celosia
• Cosmos
• Dahlia
• Globe Amaranth
• Marigold
• Pampas Plumes
• Roses

Don't get too rigid with schedules and dates; take Mother Nature's cues and work with her.