Owning a business is not for the faint of heart. It’s a constant dance, except the music keeps changing, there’s trap doors and booby traps in the floors and walls, and we’re dodging boulders and putting out fires – all while trying to dance our best tango-disco-two-step-shuffle-slide-boogie. But, if this is all we focus on, it will continue to remain our reality.

In this spirit, I’m choosing instead to focus on the hope: the good that we bring to this world and our community. I’ve already alluded in previous notes to the many, many things we’ve been working on over the winter, things I am so excited to share with you. (Soon!)

I bet you didn’t see this one coming. (Or, if you know me really well, maybe you did?) 

Our first-ever Iris Presale is now live on our online market. We’re starting by sharing nine varieties that I’ve been growing in my own garden for the past several years, and I can’t wait for you to discover them.

A few weeks ago, I wasn’t sure if or when I’d share this story with you. I wasn’t sure if this was something that was ready to be shared.

But then these plants surprised me, and plant surprises are the best surprises. They need and deserve to be shared.  

Today marks the start of our biannual Customer Appreciation Weekend.

We’ve been hosting these weekends for a couple of years now, and as is true with everything we do, we’re constantly listening, learning, and tweaking our offerings in an attempt to create something meaningful and interesting – something that will encourage you to plan to visit and support our local, independent business.

I thought I might take you on a walk through my own garden, because let me tell you something - I needed it today.

In point of fact, I don’t think I would have made it through this marathon of a year if it hadn’t been for this garden that I’ve been cultivating throughout 2024. My approach has changed a lot this year, and I’ve been trying and experimenting with so manynew things. There’s been a lot of learning, and that’s been the best part, actually.

What story could possibly be told around e-commerce.

Is it about extending and expanding our reach and our impact and audience? Sure.

Is it about generating a new source of revenue to keep us afloat in uncertain times? Definitely.

Is it about the anxiety of launching an online storefront and figuring out things like shipping labels and package weights for the first time and making sure everything is configured and integrated correctly? Heck yes.

It’s all of those things.

And, it’s also about all of the people that follow us from afar and have never been able to visit or moved away and haven’t visited in a while.

Suddenly, we’ll be able to be closer to you, reconnecting, or connecting in a new way for the first time. This all feels important…

Ultimately, this is a story about sharing the things that bring us joy with people we care about.

Anytime I hear someone describe a business like ours as a “small business,” I often feel compelled to offer a gentle redirection.

A few years ago, a fellow business owner in our neighborhood referred to her corner bookshop as “local and independent” rather than “small.” In that moment, something clicked in my brain, and I was reminded yet again how important and impactful it is to choose our words with care.