Symbols This Summer Will Be Different Carley Fortune

The Flower Farm Symbol in This Summer Will Be Different

What Is the Flower Farm in the Novel?

The cut-flower farm is a recurring imaginary place that Lucy Ashby builds in her mind throughout This Summer Will Be Different. In the story, a cut-flower farm is a working agricultural property where flowers are grown specifically for harvesting and arranging—not for landscaping or seed production. Lucy envisions greenhouses, rows of sunflowers, salvia, cosmos, and dahlias, and a barn where she can arrange bouquets. The farm begins as a vague fantasy during her teens and twenties, then gradually becomes a concrete goal she pursues with Felix’s encouragement.

Where the Flower Farm Appears and How Its Meaning Changes

The flower farm symbol evolves across distinct moments in the narrative:

Chapter Context Meaning Shift
Chapter 16 Lucy confesses her long-hidden dream to Felix on a beach at night. She describes fields of sunflowers, salvia, and cosmos. The farm is a private, almost shameful wish; she calls it “silly.” Felix’s interest makes it feel more real.
Chapter 21 Two years earlier: Felix buys Lucy Floret Farm’s Cut Flower Garden and tells her to “dream big.” The farm becomes a shared secret between them, a point of connection that excludes Bridget.
Chapter 22 Felix sends dahlia seeds without a note; Lucy replies with Wide Sargasso Sea. The farm is now a code for their growing friendship and unspoken romantic feelings.
Chapter 38 After Bridget moves to Australia, Lucy reads the farm book, draws diagrams, buys seeds, and imagines the farm in detail. The farm represents self-reliance and healing—a goal Lucy pursues for herself, not for anyone else.
Chapter 39 Lucy buys land on Point Prim Road without telling anyone except Felix. She reveals it to him as her plan. The farm becomes a tangible future that includes Felix; she declares her love alongside the property.
Chapter 40 Lucy talks about building a shared house and flower farm on PEI; Felix reveals he has architect plans. The farm is now a joint project—a symbol of commitment, home, and a life built together.
Epilogue The couple hosts a housewarming at Primfield House, the modern farmhouse built on that land. The farm is fully realized: it anchors their partnership, their community, and Lucy’s sense of belonging.

At first, the farm is Lucy’s private antidote to a life consumed by work. In Chapter 16 she admits, “I don’t think about it much these days… But I always pictured a greenhouse.” As the story progresses, Felix’s repeated question—“Tell me about your farm”—transforms it from a guilty daydream into a shared vision. By the epilogue, the flower farm is no longer imaginary; it is the foundation of Lucy’s new life on Prince Edward Island, complete with a house, a community, and a love that is no longer forbidden.

Character Connections to the Flower Farm

  • Lucy Ashby: The farm is her secret ambition. She inherited a love of flowers from her Aunt Stacy, who owned the shop In Bloom. Running the shop after Stacy’s death leaves Lucy feeling hollow; the farm represents the creative, soulful part of floristry she fears losing. Owning the farm also lets her rediscover her own preferences—she chooses specific varieties, designs garden plots, and imagines a swimming hole and a dog. The farm becomes a vehicle for self-discovery and independence.

  • Felix Clark: He is the only person Lucy tells about the farm before Bridget leaves. Felix nurtures the dream by giving her books and seeds, and by asking her to describe the farm in detail. His belief in the idea gives Lucy permission to want something for herself. In Chapter 39, when Lucy shows him the land, he responds with a love declaration that explicitly connects her dream to their future together.

  • Bridget Clark: Bridget initially knows nothing about the farm. When she learns, she immediately starts looking at properties—exactly as Lucy feared. Bridget’s role is the enthusiastic friend who would push Lucy to act, but Lucy needs to move at her own pace. The secret about the farm parallels the larger secret of Lucy’s relationship with Felix, and both secrets create distance between the best friends until they are finally resolved.

  • Farah: As Lucy’s business partner, Farah’s growing competence allows Lucy to step back from In Bloom and pursue the farm. Farah’s confrontation in Chapter 37 forces Lucy to delegate, which frees time and mental space for the farm dream to take root.

  • Aunt Stacy: Though deceased, Stacy’s influence is everywhere. She taught Lucy floral design and gave her the “gift that cannot be taught.” Lucy’s fear of failing Stacy’s memory is a key obstacle to pursuing the farm. In Chapter 20, Felix reassures Lucy that she can succeed on her own—a turning point that lets her honor her aunt without being paralyzed by her legacy.

Theme Connections

  • Belonging and Home: The flower farm is the physical anchor for Lucy’s decision to move permanently to Prince Edward Island. It turns a vacation setting into a permanent home. See the belonging and home theme page.

  • Self-Discovery and Growth: Lucy’s journey from dreaming in secret to buying land and declaring her love parallels her psychological growth. The farm forces her to take risks, to trust others, and to define happiness on her own terms. See self-discovery and growth.

  • Secrets and Honesty: The flower farm starts as a secret Lucy keeps from Bridget, just like her relationship with Felix. The gradual revelation of the farm mirrors Lucy’s growing willingness to be honest. See secrets and honesty.

  • Forbidden Love and Loyalty: The farm is the space where Lucy and Felix’s love is allowed to exist openly. It counters the forbidden nature of their early relationship. See forbidden love and loyalty.

  • Friendship vs. Romance: The farm begins as a secret Lucy shares only with Felix, creating a private bond that competes with her friendship with Bridget. By the end, the farm reconciles both relationships: Bridget celebrates the couple’s new home. See friendship vs. romance.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Lucy keep her flower-farm dream a secret from Bridget for so long?
Lucy fears that Bridget’s enthusiastic support would pressure her to act before she is ready. She tells Felix in Chapter 22, “If she thought I was sitting on a dream, she wouldn’t let me get away with not seeing it through.” Lucy needs to own the dream at her own pace, and the secrecy also allows her to nurse a private connection with Felix.

2. How does Felix’s role in the farm dream differ from Bridget’s?
Felix encourages the farm without pushing for immediate action. He asks Lucy to describe it in detail and gives her books and seeds as gifts that imply patience and belief. Bridget, by contrast, would likely try to organize the process immediately (she starts looking at properties as soon as she learns). Felix’s approach gives Lucy room to imagine before acting.

3. What does the farm represent for Lucy after Bridget moves to Australia?
The farm becomes a tool for healing and self-reliance. Lucy reads about flower farming, draws garden diagrams, starts going to the gym, and reconnects with friends. The dream grows more detailed as she learns to enjoy her own company. It represents her ability to build a fulfilling life independently, not just as someone’s friend or partner.

4. In what way does the flower farm symbol connect to Lucy’s aunt, Stacy?
Stacy inspired Lucy’s love of flowers and taught her the craft. The farm represents a way for Lucy to honor that legacy while also stepping out of Stacy’s shadow. In Chapter 20, Felix tells Lucy she can succeed on her own, which lets her pursue the farm without feeling she must match Stacy’s achievements. By growing her own flowers, Lucy takes the raw material of her inheritance and creates something uniquely hers.

Conclusion

The flower farm in This Summer Will Be Different is a layered symbol that tracks Lucy’s arc from secret keeper to confident partner. It begins as a private refuge, becomes a shared language with Felix, and finally solidifies as a literal home on Prince Edward Island. The farm encapsulates the novel’s core themes of belonging, self-discovery, and the courage to claim a future that feels authentic.