Dawn Cosgrove
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Instagram: @farmgirlsk | dawncosgrove.com
Sharing Yourself With the World
Besides growing food and flowers, I have a passion for photography. I am completely self taught and love learning more about it whenever I can. To me, photography is about sharing how you view the world with others and capturing a moment in time forever.
Books I Love
I recently finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society for my book club and I absolutely loved it! I felt sad when I finished reading it because it felt like a story that I could have kept on reading for years to come. I have also loved Jane Austen’s books for many years, turning to them every Winter when I nestle in and am in need of a good read.
Life In The Country
While many others find our area to be isolated and desolate, I find it extremely peaceful. I love that I can watch the sky without any visual distraction and sometimes feel like I am the only one for miles around. But with that being said, I also love the community here, people with open doors that welcome you in at any given moment. They support you, help you, know you and your family. It’s a safe place to land.
What does slow living mean to you?
Slow living to me is about enjoying the simple pleasures in life. Hot coffee in the morning before the sun comes up. Stopping whatever you are doing to watch that sky change from cotton candy pink to lavender to orange, walks in the tree rows, sitting by the fire, and getting your hands in the dirt any chance you get. It’s about saying “no” to the noise and “yes” to things that make you feel calm and happy.
Solid Life Advice
Just be honest, own your mistakes and tell your story. Sometimes it's hard for me to admit my failures but I have found this advice to be very freeing. People can identify better with you when you just own who you are.
Get Some Fresh Air
Get outside! No matter the weather, make sure to take time out of your day to be out in the fresh air..take a walk, move, remove any distractions and just be there. As someone who has struggled with anxiety for the last few years, I have found that even taking 20 minutes to walk our farm has had incredible results.
Comfortable With Yourself
I think it’s really beautiful when someone is comfortable with themselves. You can see it in the way they dress and the way handle themselves in their daily life, it’s so inspiring to me. I also find beauty in the simple ways of nature, things like gardens that are wild & untamed..that, to me, is beauty.
Bigger Isn’t Always Better
Recently I dove head first into expanding my flower farm and quickly became overwhelmed. I was in over my head. So I am taking these lessons and moving forward knowing that the quantity of flowers matters much less than the quantity. I want to be proud of what I create here on this farm and this lesson was huge in zeroing in and what is important to me.
Dahlias Steal The Show
Here on our flower farm and while they grow surprisingly well here in Canada, they are actually native to the mountainous regions of Mexico! Dahlias boast 30 different species with over 20,000 cultivars, no wonder why its always so hard to choose a favorite!
Extend The Life Of Your Flowers
To extend the vase life of your flowers, make sure to cut their stems at a 45 degree angle and submerge under fresh water. Make sure to remove any foliage that would lie under water and always keep the flowers away from direct sunlight