As usual, I will start this post with the customary “wow!!! where did the time go, where have I been….what in the world….” blah, blah, blah….

Four days into June?? I quickly read over last year’s April post….and see I have some updates to post about this years events….so I will do a quick run down of what’s been happening, and try to sort it out by topics so you can skim to the topic you want to read most about….

Gardening – seed starting – seedling purchases – events

We purchased from Jolly Farmer order and Farmer Baily this year, and before they even arrived we managed to pre-sale over 1,500 seedlings. It’s a definite do again, and will be discussing going in with another buyer on purchasing more Lisianthus this year, as they were a big hit! We shall see how it all plays out. Jolly Farmer is a very long ways away, but Farmer Baily has really high minimums. There is certainly a lot to consider.

I started the usual suspects for seeds this year as well, Zinnia, Cosmos, Asters, Snap Dragons, Marigold beasts, Fever Few, and Cress. I sold several of them at the two different events we had this Spring. When I say several I mean….over 400 seedlings of my own home grown ones, and over 1,700 purchased ones. We ended up with a decent sized profit, but certainly not much left over to pay the light bill with. Of course keep in mind that I also plant a decent sized amount in my own garden (210) and my daughter gets at least that or more, and this year I gifted a flat to a friend, as well as a flat to the place my mom lives at for the residents to enjoy. This is the first year that I was keeping better tabs on what has been selling. It gets a bit more difficult when the stuff ends up in the stand….but numbers landed around 2400 seedlings purchased, with an investment of $1,500. 2,300 seedlings sold (that includes my own grown ones) with a profit of $918 (but that doesn’t include sales from May in the stand :-S), but I can guess maybe 200$…so a profit of $1,100 (making back my initial cash investment plus extra is a good sign). My usual goal is to break even, have plants to share, make friends and get tired. Mission accomplished on all levels! Of course if I had to pay staff….it wouldn’t have been so great. Thankfully Joe and my daughter were a huge help. It’s fun that my daughter is enthusiastic about it all.

I will be switching over to a Shopify shop for both my pottery and my seedlings, it will be easier to track and easier to do utilize as the time goes by for keeping customers in the loop about seedling orders and such. I’m going under the name of Authentic Creations by Jade, but wonder if I should just go back to Double J Flower Ranch, since this is the web domain page that I pay for….and I will be selling seedlings but I’m also selling pottery….

We were welcomed back to the garden club sale that we did well at last year. The weather was substantially better this year – and we did very well. I had a line in my booth even! It was mostly plants this year…not so much pottery, but hey, getting those off my hands was a huge deal! Thankfully Joe was able to help again this year, he is so patient and kind…the things he puts up with! Hopefully next year my daughter will be able to be at the sale, she has been a huge help again this year, but she has a new baby – so it was tricky working around her three kids’ schedules. She’s most certainly an asset and was so encouraging and helpful!

Our sale on the other hand….not so great, the weather was pretty good, but it wasn’t well attended – and actually, this year was the worst year of them all. I felt horrible for the other vendors….I shopped with each of them, and made sure to spend at least their booth fee, there was only two of them that was difficult to find something to purchase, so it’s not a huge deal for me to shop with most of them. I think I sold 4 pieces of pottery at the garden club event and maybe 4 at my event. Even the plants were not selling at my event, it was so odd. I know the economy isn’t great, I know that there are lots and lots of other people selling seedlings at their road side stands, and I’ve even been seeing nurseries having big sales on their “extra” inventory. I’ve seen other people who sold at other events, and they too are having close out sales….all of these things tell me that indeed, everyone is having a tough time moving things. I think we will do it again next year, but I’m not entirely convinced. Lots of things going one, all sorts of moving pieces. Maybe we will become incredibly independently wealthy and I can quit my job to teach classes, grow flowers, sew aprons, make pottery, do paper crafts, crochet blankets, travel….all the stuffs….

I think that really is the only updates I have lol. Nothing major with mom, she’s doing good mostly. I’ve found a nature path that I’ve really clicked with and have managed to get some things sorted out. I’m supposed to have surgery on my carpel-tunnel mid-June, but I’ve put in a decent sized installation in my garden that will need tending to, so I’m hesitant to do anything that might jeopardize that.

I haven’t done much in the pottery realm…..no time…no energy….no reason….no use….the space I have is cold and dank…so….there’s that. Nothing has happened with the milk house studio.

We did buy a really cute t-bird – which is counterintuitive to saving money for the barn, but here we are. It was too cute to pass up. I seen her three years ago at a dealer we purchased the camper trailer from. There was a matching yellow one. Ours is a beautiful turquoise, with matching interior. We debated about it for over a month, it was a touch and go situation, but as soon as I seen it, I knew it would be fun to have and enjoy trips with hubby out to the water to enjoy dinner and a sunset. yes, we have a Honda to do those things in, but as Joe pointed out “we are at that age where we can do something special like this, it’s a spare tire when we need it….” and I added “and it’s super cute”. It’s a 2002 thunderbird, I will be sure to add a picture below. I can still haul pottery and plants in it – and humans, but I can’t do both at the same time lol. but it’s cute, classy and fun!

I think I should probably post this update, I’ve been working on it for two months now….each time I would start with – wow – it’s “fill in the blank with February….May….and now June”.