What the Farm Really Looks Like in Summer

Hey y’all—welcome back to Daydream Manor Flower Farm! I’m Dawn, coming to you from my kitchen because it’s hot as Hades outside. At 7:30 in the morning, it’s already 98° in the tunnel and 94° out in the yard. So let’s talk about what the farm really looks like during these steamy South Louisiana months.

Spoiler alert: it’s not blooming—it’s baking.

June, July, and August are my farm’s official “rest” season. The heat is brutal, the humidity is relentless, and keeping flowers alive would take more energy than it’s worth. So I shut the farm down and shift gears to what I call “back of house” work:

• 📦 Accounting and business planning (with help from my new accountant—hallelujah!)

• 🧵 Sewing wreath sashes for The Mercantile at the Manor

• 🎄 Prepping for holiday markets with bulbs and amaryllis

• 🛍️ Updating inventory and content for both my boutique and online store

• 👩‍👧 Making peasant dresses for my granddaughter Mavis, who’s nine going on eighty and loves a good muumuu and silk bonnet

I also use this time to reflect and reset. I’m mapping out changes to the farm, reworking my planting schedule, and planning to start cool-season seeds in mid-September. The tunnel’s cleaned out, the mums are hanging on, and I’ve got a little patch of zinnias and celosia for one-off bouquets. But mostly, it’s quiet—and that’s okay.

On a personal note, menopause is kicking my tail. Between brain fog, night sweats, and joint pain, I’m running on grit and iced coffee. I’ve started treatment and I’m hopeful for relief soon, but y’all—this season of life is no joke.

So while the fields may be resting, the work never stops. Summer is my time to sew, plan, organize, and take care of the things that keep Daydream Manor running year-round. And yes, I’m already dreaming of fall bouquets with Roseanne

browns and mums. Fingers crossed!

Thanks for stopping by, and stay cool out there. We’ll be back in bloom before you know it.