I haven’t posted in a while, which doesn’t sound much like a new grumpy gardening adventure. My hubby hasn’t posted anything in the past several months either. Some have assumed that this is due to our growing family. While it is true that having a baby complicates life a bit, this is not the whole story. Fiesty Grump actually enjoys helping me water plants. She loves pulling leaves off plants and trying to eat them before I notice. She certainly loves eating bananas, often demanding them at 4 in the morning. In reality, I have not written because I currently have almost no plants.
Yes, this sounds sad. No, nothing terrible has happened. Please read on.
A Midwest Move- Our New Grumpy Gardening Adventure
Our big news/adventure is that we are moving cross country later this year. Over the past two months, I have spent considerable time selling and donating most of my plants and rhizomes and seeds to area gardeners and hobbyists. I am grateful for everyone who has purchased parts of my precious collection; the outpouring of the garden community was nothing short of amazing. This process has not left me much time to write, and has taken much of my source of artistic inspiration for now. However, this is not the end for Grumpy Pants Plants. On the contrary, this is a new grumpy gardening adventure.
We are in the process of purchasing an acreage in the Midwest. This will allow us to start writing for a much wider audience, as Florida gardening is quite unique to the country. We will also continue to collaborate with other farmers to ensure that my fellow Florida gardeners and their unique challenges will not be neglected. More details will be released when we close on a property and open shop locally.
Next Steps
First, as I have no desire to give up my subtropical/tropical collection, and I plan to continue to raise turmeric and bananas (and likely many others) using indoor and greenhouse methods. Thus, my first goal is to build a large, sturdy heated greenhouse that can withstand the cold and wind of northern winters. I plan to complete this first greenhouse by mid-Fall 2022. Stay tuned for this adventure.
Second, I plan to expand my plant collection and offerings to include both Midwest favorites and rare edible plant varieties. This will require the building of several gardens on the acreage. I plan to start my first outdoor garden Spring 2023. If all goes well, Grumpy Pants Plants will have a presence at several farmer’s markets by Summer 2023.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone for your incredible support over the past two years. I’ve enjoyed getting to know many of you through local farmer’s markets and other Florida plant events. I’ve also loved the collaboration on various social media channels, to include Facebook and Instagram. It may be a bit before we can post much unique content again, but the upcoming year will be full of adventures I’d love to share together.
If you’re in the area and want to buy our fresh produce, you can find us at the Orange City, IA farmer’s market this summer (2023). We plan to have fresh vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, and herbs available this season. We’ll also be selling extra produce at our road market stand in Alton. Feel free to reach out if you’re looking for anything in particular! We can be reached at [email protected].
For now, check out this recipe for plum cobbler while stone fruits are in season!
