Goodbye 2025 and it is the Hodgepodge

 

 

Goodbye 2025 and it is the Hodgepodge.

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

1. Did you make resolutions or set goals for the year we're waving goodbye? How did that work out for you? Will you set any goals for this new year, new season, or new month? Share one or two if you'd like to share.  

 

 I memorized some of my favorite Bible verses. I plan to continue to do that in the new year.

 

2. When did you have the most fun this year?  

 Anytime I spend time with my family. 

Even when helping our oldest son move to his first home, on one of the hottest days of 2025! Hot and sweaty lifting boxes, boxes and more boxes. 

 

 3. What's a song or song lyric you'll associate with 2025? Tell us why. 

It Is Well with My Soul

2025 was a challenging year for my husband and I. I did not share much of those challenges here on the blog, it was a year of "closed doors" several dreams had to be shifted and reevaluated.

 It Is Well with My Soul has always been a favorite. Life can be unpredictable and challenging, but faith and trust in God can help us to overcome hardship and tragedy.  

 

4. Best (or a favorite) bite of something delicious you tasted this year?  

Fresh fish and chips. The fish was fresh from the cold waters of Lake Superior. 

 

 

 5. What do you want to do more of in the new year? Less of? 

My husband and I did not have much time to travel this past year, we hope to do more of that in 2026. I hope we have less "closed doors" that caused stress in 2025.

 

  6. Insert your own random thought here. 

 

My New Year Prayer for you ...

God Bless This House

and all that is in it

a garden of flowers

some books for the hours

good health

and

love glorious love

  ♥

Carla

 

An article in the Newspaper!

 August of 2018 our local newspaper did a story about  The Little Garden That Could.  We were hosting our first garden tour and Rice Lake Chronotype journalist, Ruth, came for the tour as well and did an interview with me.

Click below for the post I shared regarding our first garden tour.

Hosting our first garden tour.

 This early spring I received a message from Ruth that said the following..

"Hi Carla, I will be doing a story on Laurie Broome of Cumberland who read the cut flowers book you recommended in your story and plans to start a cut flower business. You inspired her, isn't that cool?"

Below I share some of the recent interview with Laurie.

"To further help her dreams to bloom, Broome read about The Little Garden That Could, a cut flower business by Carla TePaske of Cameron, who in August 22,2018, Chronotype story recommended the book "Cut Flower Garden" by Erin Benzakein of Floret Farms."

 

How exciting.. to have inspired someone to keep pressing on to achieve a dream. You just never know what kind of impact you will give another person. My interview for the newspaper was printed in 2018. Laurie read it, worked hard, created her own flower business and had her own interview with the paper, which will inspire another.

 ♥

And know that, yes, what you do matters. Hang in there. Keep going. Keep shining your light. Let us stand united in hope, in beauty and in joy.

Anne B

My Giant Strawberry  

 

Opening Day

The long wait is over. The sleeping garden is waking up.

The Flower Shack officially opened on May 7th. This will be my 9th year selling fresh cut flowers at my Flower Stand.

I started in 2012, selling my bouquets on a card table set up in front of my house.

Each year came a few changes and in 2018 The Flower Shack was built.

My tulip crop this year was fantastic. I loved the colors.

I will plant more in the Autumn. Many, many more.

I sanitized The Flower Shack, the vases were handled with gloves.

The Flower Shack is self serve and curbside.

I did not have any complaints or problems during my opening day.

At the end of the day, I found a note left from a customer.

"Thank You!"

"Thank You!"

A great way to start the season.

Happy Weekend my friends.

♥

Carla

Click here to learn more about The Flower Shack

Heritage Flower Farm

Heritage Flower Farm

I was so excited when my aunt Sharon shared a recent newspaper article with me about one of my mentors, Betty Adelman of Heritage Flower Farm.

You may remember some of the posts I did about her flower farm back in 2016.

My first trip to Heritage Flower Farm

Click on the link above to read about my first visit to the farm.

In the post I shared about Betty when I toured her farm and she shared how her dream of Heritage Flower Farm started and how she got to where she is today.

My Flower Shack.. a self serve Flower Shop. Never give up on your dreams!

My second trip to Heritage Flower Farm.. click on the below link to learn more.

During my second trip to Heritage Flower Farm in 2016 Betty and her dear friend Gail, my aunts Sally and Sharon all toured the garden, enjoyed a lovely lunch and discussed ideas for my business.

Gail is the owner operator of Yerke Greenhouses and she sells Cottage Garden Bouquets at the Milwaukee market.

Betty thought Gail would be able to help me with ideas, share her tricks of the trade and talk bouquets. It was a great help to me as I got started in 2016.

My second trip to Heritage Flower Farm

Time continues to go on.. it is 2020 and I have accomplished so much since meeting Betty in 2016.

It was fun to read the article about Betty in the April 16-17 2020 issue of the Southern Lakes Newspaper.

It was a highlight for me to read all that Betty has accomplished since opening Heritage Flower Farm in 1998.

Betty has been growing heirloom plants for more than three decades.

Betty's interest in heirlooms began three decades ago, when then 93-year-old window Anne Patterson placed the future flower farm property for sale.

"She took me around and told me all about her plants, which was something a Realtor would likely not have been able to do." she said. "Fern-leaved bleeding hearts under the Bur oaks, a patch of pink lily-of-the-valley, purple bearded iris and her lemon lilies. That's what got me interested in old flowering plants and we continue to grow Anne's plants today."

"Heirloom plants are either just plain old, or have cultural and ethnic significance that make them unique."

One of Betty's favorite anecdotal stories to tell in her garden is about the Rattlesnake Master, a native plant to Wisconsin that the Potawatomi used for good luck gambling. "They would pick the seed head, a thistle, and put it in their pockets. And today, of course, they own the casino."

Click here to peek at Betty's website

Dance ~ Love ~ Sing ~ Live

My husband always wanted to learn how to play guitar. 

Each new year would roll around, and those 12 months seem to go faster and faster. And he once again would be saying, "This is the year, I am going to learn how to play guitar."

He had a special birthday in January. 

I decided I needed to take the guitar playing dream to the next level.

We have some very talented young friends. I asked if they ever considered giving lessons. My husband is on his third lesson and he strums a little tune for me every night.

He will be purchasing his own guitar with in the next few weeks. He has one picked out. 

He enjoys going to his lesson each week. He thinks his instructor is amazing.

And so do I. 

Jeremy feels comfortable playing and is encouraged each time he returns from a lesson. 

Harvest Moon by Neil Young is one of my favorites. 

He knows I am very excited for him to play this for me.  

He will say"oh I don't know if  I  will ever be that good."  I tell him, "I just enjoy whatever you play, and I am happy you are chasing that dream."

 

School.dle Doodles ~ Dreams Come True

For more information click here.

Through hard work, perseverance and a faith in God, you can live your dreams.
Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/ben_carson_490146?src=t_dreams

 Through hard work, perseverance and a faith in God, you can live your dreams.

Ben Carson

Dear friends of ours have started to raise Goldendoodles. This is a dream come true. With ups and downs as all dreams give us,  pressing on and not giving up when finding a mate for Winnie became a huge issue. Praying for hip and elbow tests to come out with flying colors. And much, much more!

We can give High Fives.. 

They have eight little pups ready for adoption. For more information and photos of the pups and family click on the link above.

Through hard work, perseverance and a faith in God, you can live your dreams.
Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/ben_carson_490146?src=t_dreams

Through hard work, perseverance and a faith in God, you can live your dreams.
Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/ben_carson_490146?src=t_dreams

Through hard work, perseverance and a faith in God, you can live your dreams.
Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/ben_carson_490146?src=t_dreams

Through hard work, perseverance and a faith in God, you can live your dreams.
Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/ben_carson_490146?src=t_dreams

Through hard work, perseverance and a faith in God, you can live your dreams.
Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/dreams

Through hard work, perseverance and a faith in God, you can live your dreams.
Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/dreams

An Autumn Project

My Little Greenhouse

 I shared last week that my husband and I were working on a project. 

This past week we finished it.

A little greenhouse for my Little Garden That Could.

 We will be putting shelving up in the spring, just before I get busy starting seeds. 

We built a raised bed on the floor of the greenhouse.

I planted Perpetual Spinach, Swiss Chard, Kale, Radish, Butter Oak Lettuce and some tulips inside. This all will be an experiment on how things will grow in the greenhouse during the winter. It is not heated. The lovely sunshine is the only heat at this time. 

 I will be doing some landscaping around the greenhouse in the spring. 

A little greenhouse is something I have wanted for a long time. I saved my bouquet sales during the summer to go towards purchasing my little greenhouse. 

I have a feeling you just might find me in it during a cold, yet sunny day in the winter, soaking up sunshine and taking in that greenhouse smell.

 

April 7th

April 7, 2000

Jeremy and I were blessed with our first born.

Samuel Charles 

He loved semi trucks and dinosaurs.

When his little brother was born in May, 2002, he did not like him. He punched him in the stomach.

 It did not take him long to like his brother! They have become the best of buddies and are asked many times if they are twins.

 He grew and grew.

 April 7th he will be 18!

He likes Jeep and anything tech.

He enjoys running, shooting sports, air-soft and skiing.

He is a loyal friend. Will help others in need. Loves his cat Max. 

I could go on and on, but what I want to say is ..

Happy Birthday Sam!!

Wishing you a great birthday and year as you start your own journey towards your dreams.

 

♥

 Mom

 

Goals for The Little Garden That Could

Welcome 2018 !

Looking ahead at goals that I have for my little flower business, The Little Garden That Could.

The Little Garden That Could 

Click on the above link to take a peek  at The Little Garden That Could. This summer I will continue to offer my Fresh Flower subscription service.

This summer I plan to have my flowers for sale in my front yard, like I have in years past. 

This summer, we plan to have a Farm Stand. I am excited to share with you as my husband starts the design and build on this cute Farm Stand that I dreamed up.

The reason I asked Jeremy if he could build me a small farm stand, is because of the weather. On windy days, my flowers do not fair well out on my table. My gladiolus are very hard to keep up on my table.  Jeremy understood and we have come up with a solution.

 I will be back at the Bruce Farmer's Market. I took a year off from the Farmer's Market during 2017. I missed my other vendors and I am happy they missed me. My market manger shared with me she would love to have me what ever Friday's I could join up for the Friday market. I want to continue to do my Meals on Wheels (two weeks on two weeks off). The two weeks off, those Friday's I will go to market. I am excited to meet up with my other market friends and see my customers again in the Bruce area.

2017 was a fun year of kicking off my flower subscription service. I was featured in our local newspaper and had several customers ask me if I would do garden tours.

 Another idea for 2018 would be to host Flower Garden Tours.

I am wondering how to promote this? 

Once a month?

Offer Flower Garden Tea Time?

Build your own bouquets?

I would love to hear from you. 

"Just living is not enough." said the butterfly "one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower."

Hans Christian Anderson

 

On Your Mark, Get Set, Go Into the New Year ....

My last walk of 2016. This is me and my walking buddy Molly, my Boston Terrier. She has been my walking buddy for 11 years! We go in all kinds of weather, she says we must. Molly wears a cute blue coat and it has a hood, so she looks so stylish walking on chilly days. She use to hate when we dressed her, but now she likes it, it may have something to do with all the people that say to her "You are so cute!".  As 2017 comes rolling in,  most of us look at the New Year to plan new goals, try new things and reach for dreams. My friend Julie from JulieLou wrote a fun New Year's post. I am going to share ... New Hopes .... New Dreams .... New Challenges .... New Experiences .... New Projects .... do you have some New ____ already in the works for 2017? Please share and I will be cheering you on in the New Year to reach that New _____.  I have a New Project that I will be starting and I will be sharing soon. Happy New Year! On Your Mark, Get Set, Let us Rock 2017!!

 

Flower Farmer Market Update

Hello Dear Friends,

It is already the middle of August. I have been setting up my Flower Stand each Friday since the first week of June at the Bruce Farmer Market.

 I have learned several things during the last few months. 

1. Patience ... June was slow ... the first part of July was slow ... I was feeling rather foolish. The flower market is not an easy one, simply because people can not eat flowers. 

I had more than one Friday that I did not sell any flowers. 

2. Work ... setting up for market is a lot of work. I have an EZ UP tent ... EZ UP ? not sure how they came up with the name. 

I am so thankful my market manger gave me a tip on how to set up the EZ UP ... I am only 5'1" so this tip of how to get this tent up really helped this short girl.

3. Rewarding ... each and every Friday has been so fun for me. As different flowers come into season I have more and new choices to create bouquets.

The past week I sold out! I was so happy. 

I also received my first order. A gentleman ordered a bouquet for his wife to celebrate their 26th Wedding Anniversary.

The Little Garden That Could ... has eight more Friday's left. My Autumn harvest is coming along well, I will be excited to share it with you.

A BIG Thank You ... so many of you have encouraged me when I was feeling wobbly.

 

 

Yerke Greenhouses ~ Mukwonago, Wisconsin

 Yerke Greenhouses

Click here to read more

Yerke Greenhouses in Mukwonago, Wisconsin the home of Gail Yerke who sells fresh Cottage Garden Bouquets.  I was blessed with an outing to meet her and tour her business.

 The following garden are her annual flowers plants for summer bouquets.

 Taking a tour of the grounds.

 I loved this idea.

 Yerke Greenhouses

Family Owned and Growing 

Since 1869

 Red!

 Ferns, one of my favorite.

Herbs and more.

Thank you for coming along with me.

Wishing you a great weekend!

 

Back to Heritiage Flower Farm

 This past week, I went back to Heritage Flower Farm to see it in bloom.

Beautiful flowers and fun added touches in the gardens.

Heritage Flower Farm is an award - winning nursery devoted to finding, growing and preserving heirloom plants.

 Betty, who is the owner of Heritage Flower Farm, sells at Farmer Markets as well. 

I met with her in April to get some ideas for market.

In April plants where just starting to pop up.  I knew I wanted to go back when the gardens where in full bloom.

 My Aunt Sally and Aunt Sharon both joined me.

And to my surprise, Betty had planned for me to meet her best friend Gail.

Gail is the owner operator of Yerke Greenhouses and she sells Cottage Garden Bouquets at the Milwaukee market. Betty thought Gail would be able to help me with ideas, share her tricks of the trade and talk bouquets.

 Betty took us to lunch at a fun restaurant called Wildflower Cafe.

 I was blessed with the knowledge that both women shared with me.

It was great fun to talk flowers and share stories about heading to the market.

I am so thankful to Betty for thinking of me in such a way to meet Gail and be able to ask her so many questions. It was a wonderful surprise.

 All of the following photos are from Heritage Flower Farm.

Thursday,  I will share more about Gail and her flower business, Yerke Greenhouse.

Bruce Community Farmer's Market

 Hello Friends,

If you have been following The River for the past few years, you know that I sell Fresh Cut Flowers during the Summer months in my front yard.

During the Winter months I did research and studied the idea of selling at a Farmer's Market.

I am excited to announce that The Little Garden That Could will be selling Fresh Cut Flowers at the Bruce Community Farmer's Market each Friday 2:00 - 6:00 June though October.

My first fresh arrangement for the 2016 garden season.

 This will be my first time selling my flowers at a Farmer's Market.

I have attended two meetings with the Bruce Community Farmer's Market team, each time I leave the meetings excited and filled with optimism.

Thank you for coming along with me on this adventure. 

I appreciate all the support you have given me in comments.

I am a little nervous. I hope my garden season will be a good one. I hope my flowers will bring smiles and cheer. I will never know unless I try.

I am looking forward to this journey.