A Change in Location

#bfrdpwy #aginternship #RightRisk

This week, I deepened my understanding of peony field maintenance, especially through the time-intensive task of deadheading. By spending nearly a week working through the entire field, I gained a clearer sense of how essential this process is for encouraging healthy plant growth and preventing disease. Along with deadheading, I also weeded and cleared fallen petals from the base of the plants; tasks that reinforced how small details can have a big impact on the health and appearance of the crop. These repetitive yet important practices helped me build endurance, focus, and attention to plant care.

In addition to continuing my work with my internship, I transitioned to a new internship site, moving from my first host’s field to my second host’s annual floral business. Even though the switch happened late in the week, I chose to dive right in rather than take the afternoon off. I helped prepare arrangements for a wedding by creating meadows and working with materials like tall grasses, larkspur, and smylax, which offered me a first glimpse into large-scale floral event prep. I also learned the basics of how to water the field from the farm manager, something I hadn’t yet done on my own and now feel more confident about.

This week highlighted the contrast between field work and design work, and it made me reflect on how these different types of tasks are valued in the floral industry. Deadheading was repetitive, physically demanding, and time-consuming, yet it plays a vital role in keeping the plants healthy and productive. On the other hand, preparing materials for wedding arrangements, though shorter in duration, felt more creative and visually rewarding. I would challenge the idea that one type of work holds more importance than the other. While design work often gets more recognition especially in event settings like weddings I think the foundational field work is just as critical. Without well-maintained, disease-free flowers grown through dedicated care, the quality of design work would suffer. Both types of labor support each other, and ideally, the industry would place equal value on growing and arranging. As someone experiencing both ends of this process, I’m beginning to appreciate how much behind-the-scenes work it takes to make floral design possible and beautiful.

Now that I’ve switched to my second operation, an annual floral business, I’m curious about how the production and design work differ from what I experienced at the peony farm. How are annual flowers managed differently throughout the season? What kinds of events or design challenges does this business specialize in, and how can I best support those goals as an intern?

I’m also interested in the specific floral design principles that go into creating arrangements for weddings and events. How are decisions made when combining flowers, greenery, and textures? What role do color theory and client preferences play? I’m looking forward to learning more about both the creative and logistical sides of this new environment.

I plan to continue refining my plant care techniques, especially now that I’ve gained more experience with field maintenance like deadheading and weeding. I want to be able to recognize when plants are vulnerable to disease and learn preventative practices that can be applied to different types of flowers, not just peonies. I also hope to share what I’ve learned with others on the farm if the opportunity arises, especially newer interns or seasonal help. Looking ahead at my time at this floral business, I plan to be as proactive as I was on Friday volunteering to help wherever I can and asking questions to better understand the workflow. I’d like to focus on gaining hands-on experience with floral design, watering systems, and learning more about annual flower varieties. This shift in environment offers a new learning curve, and I’m excited to explore all the possibilities it holds.

Submitted by: Courtney Robb
Edits by: GrowinG Internship Team