Floret's Flower Farming Intensive Course!!!

Talk about butterflies in my stomach. 

I've just 'invested' in my small crop farming education. 

I like excitement butterflies (think Monarch), but I'm feeling more anxiousness (think moths...) 
simply because what lies ahead isn't assured. 

When is it though? (I should remind myself.) 

I think it's more about the monetary lump, 

versus my hopes and aspirations for the meat of the course itself.

While I know this course will be taught by a pro in the field (literally) and 

I have found her example teaching methods to be very clear, thorough, and helpful, 

and while education is never a bad thing -

when forking over the payment for any course or programme, 

I always find myself wondering if it's right for me, and the best one I could reasonably choose. 

I've always swooned over taking one of Floret's past courses held on farm, hands on and seeing. 
Those days are over though, so too bad for me. But why shouldn't this version be as good?

Just a tiny bit jealous of those lucky people who did attend!!!

If you don't know about Erin and Floret, please just feast your eyes, here. 

If you want to read about the course, and past on farm events, here.

I have read every word in her lovely and informative book Cut Flower Garden, 
and I talked about it in April. 

So here's my thought process behind taking the dive, 

concerning what I find important, and my pro and con values: 

Who the course is aimed at - People like me in a round-about sense. 

Lots of other people with only a few similarities may well get a lot from it. 

Maybe more, maybe less than me. Positive 

Knowledge and Know-How - Erin is for real. Hands down. 

Entrepreneurial success followed by trial and error, and constant improvement on her way there. She's not giving her students anything but what she's proved works. Definitely positive 

College/Accredited course - How do I know this is equal or better than Floret's course? 
It's a fact I don't, and probably won't. Unless I take them all! 
College courses I could take aren't totally feasible with my current schedule, 
are actually more costly, require some courses I don't even predict would be overly helpful, 
and may not include exactly what I want. 
Do you care if the flowers you buy are grown by a horticulturist or a biologist? 
I bet you've never even given it a real thought. 
If you did, you thought this flower was grown by a flower loving farmer. 
Doesn't it look nice in this bouquet? Right. 
However, it's not a tax write-off. Neither are all the best things in life. 

All things are equal - or slightly better

Instructor/Teacher - We all know about this one. 
If you connect, the experience is just that much better. I do think Erin is that for me

Cost and Virtues - Floret's is expensive. Its true. But try to create the same college equivalent 

and you'll pay more. Or you want just one elective and you need prerequisites. 

You also won't have lifetime access. You can't do it at your own pace. 

(Take other training programmes on a similar platform and the course simply won't offer 

the depth or detail, though the cost would be so, so very much less.) 

It may not be held comfortably outside of the growing season. 

Still I find myself saying, you just never know. 

And I totally sound like a relic who needs to loose my tarnish. Get out the Silvo!

More positive than neutral. Course isn't useful if one cannot attend.

Could this be done Myself - I am a fan of figuring things out myself, 

even if it means doing everything the hard way. 

To save money, to prove a point, or mainly because I didn't see it another way -  

probably because each step became so taxing I couldn't look up and see a resolution. 

What I actually mean is I am self perpetuating in a stick-with-it way, and that's great,

but certainly I'd prefer to breed some sense into my actions. 

You know, when you get good advice; take it. Right?! 

Also, how much is my time worth? 

Researching from scratch as we've done in the past has meant a time consuming 

and labourous outcomes we would rather not repeat. 

Who's ideas are we using anyway? Positive 100%

Not Making So Many Mistakes, For Us/Me - Time is worth something. 

Frustration kills enthusiasm for even the most positive, go-getter, energetic, inclined human. 

It also makes you tired. 

Reducing my time, trouble and expenditure on the wrong things is so helpful! 
It could probably save the cost of the course, and then some. And our sanity. 

Content - Oh this one is the hardest. If it's a wonderful course designed for me, then perfect. 
However I have fears. But it could be simply perfect. 

Hands On - I'm just hopeful in this area. What if I struggle because I'm not able to be hands on? 

Random but Cool - The course is going to be easy on the eyes. 

Everything is filmed on their gorgeous small farm. 

And as you know, Erin's got impeccable taste in flowers, colour and arrangement, 

plus she's one organized woman. It's going to be a beautiful course! 

This is clearly a bonus, but I've decided this couldn't sway choice. 

Well now that I got all that out, and down on paper, it seems I've I made a logical decision. 
Good thing! And, it's going to be gorgeous, to boot. 

Now I can await the course start on January 8, 2018, with my proverbial monarchs! 
Anticipation is the best! I'll be keeping you up to date...

You're asking, am I going to become a flower farmer? 
Who knows... But I'll probably be growing more soon!

Leave me a note, and tell me, what's your favourite garden flower? 

You do all secretly know how much I also love herbs. I guess it's not really a secret!
That's right those fluffy orange (and yellow) calendula blossoms do a lot more that just look pretty.
Herbs are very companionable. Flowers and them are a good match.

What herb could you not live without?