Pollins Flowerstead

02/26/2026

Of all the craft stations this weekend, the nail/string art was the most popular. Here is a look at some of them! ♡ Blown away by the creativity of a string vase filled with our dried flowers - so neat!

Beyond all the creativity, the first seeds were sown today. I managed to sow 150 Lisianthis before the sun went down this evening. I'm behind on seed starting this year, but there is a lot of growing season ahead, so I'm trying to let "my schedule" go and simply trust life's unexpected side quests and divine timing. All in good time. ♡

♡alicia

02/24/2026

I'm still glowing from the Teen Gathering we hosted this weekend. ♡

An afternoon of crafts & conversation. Today, I'll showcase their letter art. All the material was grown & harvested right here on the flowerstead. Wire, twine, ribbon, & hot glue were made available to use as they wished.

Cuttings from our orchard, p***y willows, and dogwood provided the base, and all our lovely dried florals added color & whimsy.

Each one is so unique & beautiful. Next up, I'll share their string art projects! Moving from art station to art station and sometimes back again, made for a blissful, creative, and relaxing Sunday afternoon.

♡alicia

02/16/2026

Looking out our front door as I let Copley & Cider outside for the morning, I see a fresh green corn husk tumble across the driveway & I remember the joys of the weekend.

Abundant sunshine & warmth beckoned us all outside. A bit of Spring cleaning of the kids’ shed; an old chopper wagon turned toy/bike shed, a good scrubbing of the garage, and most enjoyable, the readying of the greenhouse for planting. Amid the laughs, smiles, and playful activities, we also tapped maple trees for a total of thirteen taps and have collected a half gallon of sap so far.

With the greenhouse woken from her Winter slumber and our spiles, drip, drip, dripping, we have further invitations to attend. Plants must be watered, sap collected, and sunshine enjoyed. This warmth of course won’t last, but the steady creep towards true Spring has certainly begun. With the sun higher each day, the greenhouse can sustain life once again. Our roosters have begun to crow once again and the Guinea Fowl are back to their feisty selves - chasing the wild birds away from our flock’s feed.

With rosy cheeks & the first honks of returning geese; a dinner of steak & July’s sweet corn was feasted on. Here’s our favorite way to preserve Summer’s golden kernels:
Remove the first few layers of corn husks, leaving about three layers of fresh looking green husks.
Chop both ends of the cob off.
Store in gallon freezer bags, we can fit five per bag.
Freeze until ready to enjoy.
Husk the corn and prepare as you would any Summer evening.

Now to stoke up our fire so all the windows can be open again on another marvelous mild Monday.

♡alicia

01/29/2026

This morning as I catch up on chores; listening to the warming song of our woodstove, a creaking, tinging of metal, I pause & notice my reading pile. What am I learning right now? How am I being inspired? What draws me in?

I typically have an ongoing book or three that I try to read a little from each day. These tomes are chosen because I want to learn a new skill, explore a new field, or simply be inspired. Beyond these “academic” pages I like to have a novel that I read whenever there is a spare moment. Those moments of waiting, those in between moments, moments in need of a little rest & reset.

Sometimes I devour hundreds of pages in mere days, most often it’s a steady page by page endeavor. Books have always been my steady companion. From grade school on through adulthood; their stories provided steady companionship & feelings of cozy comfort when those were sparse in my life. Even in seasons of immense joy & connection, books have been my way to settle, reflect, & be still.

Now I’ve dampered the woodstove & must ready for the bookwork portion of our homeschool day. Happy Reading friends.

♡alicia

01/28/2026

January Flower Field Report

While this may not be the flower field of my dreams or plans; January’s field does provide opportunities to observe, learn, & capture Winter Beauty. This stretch of bitter cold temperatures has encouraged more inside puttering, than outside wanderings, but glimpsing the clear, cold night sky still amazes me each evening. Walking to the flower field after barn chores was crunchy & full of blustery wind, but seeing the sunflowers frozen in time makes that frigid saunter worth it, even if I only lingered for mere moments.

We did not do a clean-up of the field this year. Year after year we have been blessed with one warm November weekend. In the back of mind I knew this may someday pose a problem, the counting on Mother Nature’s timing & grace. This November, our one mild weekend, was incredibly windy. Between that & the epic amount of snow we received early in the winter season, the decision was made for us to simply allow the flower field to overwinter.

This has been a method I’ve wanted to experiment with, so I readily accepted the trial. In keeping the plants in place, we’re protecting the precious soil we’ve worked to build and continue to amend. Their roots break down & become soil. The creatures & micro biome of the living soil are more thoroughly protected with our growing mats & plants still in place. The standing plants, though long dead, provide a much needed wind break & snow catch. As we transition to Spring we’ll remove the plant debris, remove the plants, do a light till, and rearrange the mats per this year’s layout. The only potential flaw to this plan, is that the soil may remain too wet to be workable in the timeline we need it to be.

Plants will begin being transplanted to the field mid-May, so that means field prep work will be done end of April into early May based on Mother Nature’s temperament. The sowing of seeds in the greenhouse begins the first weekend of February! Steps have already been taken in readying some of the seeds for planting. As it stands, 2026 growing season is well under way!

♡alicia

01/27/2026

The first bloom of the year! 😍

It's not a cut flower variety, but it sure is lovely seeing color amid this arctic cold. ♡

This is a Sensitive Plant, also known as a Bashful Briar. Her leaves respond to touch by closing. I remember my Grandma showing me one in her flower garden, but haven't seen one since. Then this fall, one of my favorite fellow green thumb friends grew me one from seed! (thanks Aaron!)

I am so happy to have this little windowsill friend to remind me to rest because as the sun goes down, she closes her leaves & rests her branches. 🌿

♡alicia

01/22/2026

Glimmers. God-winks. Serendipities. Divine Timing.

Today held a sprinkling of these magical moments and it was exactly the kind of day I needed. Learning to trust my inner rhythm and setting aside the endless lists & checkboxes has been a struggle.

Do I wonder if I've forgotten something? What if I miss something? Should I make note of that? I'm learning the most important things aren't mindlessly forgotten. Appointments, classes, and meetings are on the calendar. Homeschool routines, time together, farm chores, and coffee are the key stepping stones of our days. I don't need a list or an empty checkbox for these types of things.

Allowing the authentic moment to moment to inspire action around our keystones has proven to be freeing. I don't have to hurry. There is time for what matters. All else can wait and happen as inspiration allows.

For now, this new pace is working.

♡alicia

01/06/2026

Cozy Kitchen Corner. ♡ All sorts of lovely Christmas cards and pictures of family & friends adorn our patio door. The plants are vibrant with life. Homeschool routines are returning. A bit more time to savor the cozy holiday season.

As we settle into the winter rhythms post holidays, I am forming deeper intentions about the heart of each day.

What's working? What is bringing joy?
Which routines can be softened?
Where can more love & laughter be invited?

I'm thankful for this time to ponder amid the hours of darkness. To rest. To reflect. To reinvigorate.

♡alicia

01/03/2026

01/02/2026

hello 2026.

Faithfully I have chosen a word to embody the year ahead. Today marks year eleven. Looking back they've become a lineage of growth, of becoming, of beauty. In those eleven years I've grown into a more rooted mother, a whimsical creative, and a softer human.

I do not wish to layer more upon my life & heart, but deepen my presence amid all the blessings of this one beautiful life. In choosing this year's word I lingered, fully tuning into how I want the next year to feel.

To tend, care for, protect, and honor legacy. Legacy on our small scale farm. Legacy in our family routines & rhythms. Legacy in our gifts shared. Faithfulness in small daily acts creating this wholesome, handmade life. I do not want to build this year, but rather inhabit.

To trust in patient cultivation.
Have discernment in what needs attention now & what can rest for a time.
Allow 'well-tended' to replace 'perfect'.
Recognize that my energy is a finite resource
Choose sustainability over urgency.
Invite intentional care & steadiness.

To keep a home. To keep a garden. To keep watch. To keep faith. I keep what has been given.

This year, I choose to be a Keeper.

♡alicia

12/16/2025