Ophelia Farm Co
February 2026
Why We Started With Planning
Introducing the Ophelia Farm Co Zone 3 Workbook Series
If you have ever felt excited about growing flowers and immediately overwhelmed by where to start, you are not alone.
Seed season has a way of doing that. Catalogs arrive, online carts fill quickly, and suddenly you are making decisions before you have even stopped to ask what kind of season you actually want.
That pause is exactly why we are launching the first two workbooks in the Ophelia Farm Co Zone 3 Workbook Series.
Where This All Began
Before Ophelia Farm Co ever existed, this was just a backyard dream.
During lockdown, we were suddenly working from home, tucked into our screen porch, staring out at our acreage yard. It was nothing but dirt. A big, empty stretch of dirt with no clear plan and no idea where to begin.
So we did what so many new gardeners do.
We dreamed. We watched endless YouTube videos. We read and bought every gardening book we could find.
We took online courses. We filled notebooks with ideas and screenshots and half-formed plans.
And somewhere along the way, while we were learning, we kept thinking the same thing over and over again.
There has to be a better way.
A way that does not require piecing together information from ten different places. A way that does not assume you already know the basics. A way that speaks directly to people like us, real beginners, standing in front of a large space of literal dirt, with no idea what to grow, when to grow it, or whether it would even work.
Learning the Long Way Around
So we kept learning. And we kept growing.
We tested ideas. We made mistakes. We adjusted plans. We learned what advice translated well to Zone 3 and what simply did not. We learned which decisions mattered early and which ones could wait.
Over a few growing seasons, patterns became clear.
Most overwhelm happened before planting. Most wasted time came from unclear goals. And most frustration could be avoided with better planning, not better plants.
That is when the idea for this workbook series really took shape.
Why Planning Comes First in Zone 3
When your growing window is short, guessing is expensive.
Poor planning costs time, money, energy, and often confidence. We learned that clarity before planting is one of the most valuable tools a grower can have, especially in a cold climate.
That is why we started this series with planning, not planting.
These first two workbooks are designed to take everything we learned, through courses, books, trial and error, and lived experience, and bring it into one clear place. Broken down simply. Written for real beginners. Designed for people starting from scratch.
Workbook One: Getting Clear
Getting Clear is the foundation of the entire series.
This workbook helps you slow down and figure out what you actually want from growing before you buy more seeds or build more beds. It walks you through goal setting, strengths, boundaries, and balance, all through the lens of a Zone 3 season.
It is not about doing more. It is about doing what makes sense for you.
Workbook Two: Planning and Mapping the Garden
Once your goals are clear, Planning and Mapping the Garden helps you turn ideas into a realistic plan.
You will map your space, choose crops that fit a short season, understand spacing, and build a flexible succession plan that leaves room for adjustment.
Because in Zone 3, the season rarely goes exactly as planned.
Built for Real Beginners, From Real Experience
Everything in these workbooks is written for people who are starting where we started. Standing in front of a big area of dirt. Unsure if this is a hobby or something more. Wondering if it will work at all.
There is no assumption that you already know what you are doing. No pressure to turn it into a business. Just clear, thoughtful guidance designed to build confidence step by step.
More Workbooks Are Coming
This is just the beginning.
We are building this workbook series slowly and intentionally, just like we grow. More workbooks are coming in the near future, covering growing, harvesting, and selling, but with seed buying season already here, we knew planning needed to come first.
If you are dreaming, learning, and standing in front of your own patch of dirt wondering where to begin, these first two workbooks were made for you.
Planning well does not take the joy out of growing.It makes room for it.
You can explore the Ophelia Farm Co Zone 3 Workbook Series now and start the season grounded, not rushed.
xo Christa
People Also Read
Why We Started With Planning
Seed buying season can feel overwhelming, especially for new gardeners growing in Zone 3. In this post, we share the story behind the launch of the Ophelia Farm Co Zone 3 Workbook Series and why we started with planning first. From dreaming up a backyard flower farm during lockdown to learning through trial, error, books, and online courses, this post explains how these workbooks were created for real beginners starting from scratch. If you are growing flowers in a cold climate with a short season and want a clear, realistic place to begin, this is where it starts.
Growing Flowers With a Designer’s Eye - copy
Growing flowers is not just about what thrives in your zone. It is about how colour, texture, and shape work together in the garden. In Growing Flowers With a Designer’s Eye, we share how to approach planting like a stylist, choosing blooms that feel cohesive, intentional, and beautiful from seed to vase. This guide blends practical growing advice with a design-led mindset for gardeners who want their flowers to feel as good as they look.
Have Any Questions?
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