A family picking flowers in the rain reminded me just how much this first season at Hickman Hollow has meant. As we prepare for garlic, a new spring flower garden, and 400 lavender plants, I'm finding that the most beautiful thing we've grown this year are the friendships that have blossomed along the way.

As the summer flower season begins to wind down, we are already dreaming about new flowers, fresh vegetables, and the seasons still to come. From tiny packets of flower seeds to plans for growing more food, this week's letter is a reminder that some of the most important things we grow begin long before anything blooms.

September seems to have decided that Hickman Hollow needs more animals. This week the Gardener is learning what baby ducks, dirty pond water, fall planting and four new sheep have in common, while the Keeper quietly insists that some things make more sense when given time.

Four St. Croix sheep have finally found their way into the pastures at Hickman Hollow, including one tiny June lamb who is slowly learning that the Gardener comes bearing treats. Their arrival has brought plenty of happiness, one spectacular escape by Rose, and the beginning of an entirely new chapter for the Hollow.

While the summer flowers begin to tire, tiny zinnias, stretching sunflowers, budding dahlias, and rows of green cosmos are quietly preparing for another turn in the fields. The Gardener is learning that the Hollow keeps a calendar of its own, and perhaps the Keeper understands the timing better than she does.

Gardener’s Letter No. 01 finds us moving more than 700 pieces of stone and watching the herb garden finally take shape. Meanwhile, the late summer flowers are changing, our first bottles of After the Garden have left the farm, and a verse from Ezekiel has me thinking about the beautiful and useful things God has given us to grow.

Welcome to The Gardener’s Letter, a new weekly note from Hickman Hollow Farms. I hope it becomes a little invitation to slow down, notice what is growing around you, and feel like you are part of what is growing here too.

June at Hickman Hollow Farms was the month everything came together. After months of planting, planning, and dreaming, we welcomed our very first visitors to the flower fields and watched our little farm become everything we had hoped it could be.