From Garden Hobbyist to Flower Farmer

That’s right; it’s official, I am taking the leap from garden hobbyist to flower farmer! It is exciting and scary and everything in between, but I’m ready for this new stage in my life. My passion for being around plants has grown drastically over the past few years, and I could no longer ignore the fact that I was happiest when I was among them. Then, I read an anonymous quote just over a year ago: “The things that excite you, they’re not random. They’re connected to your purpose, so follow them.” That quote struck a chord with me, and I knew that, as scary as it was, I needed to follow my heart to make this change in my life.

So, despite my fears, which mostly revolve around self-doubt (Will I have enough flowers? Will people like the flowers and want to buy them? Am I a flower farmer imposter?), I began to imagine myself starting a flower business. And pretty soon, I had an idea about the type of farm I wanted to create.

Living on just under half an acre, I knew it would be challenging to get started. Without acres of land at my disposal, I would have to use my space wisely. However, with me being the sole farm worker and just starting out in the business, staying small was preferred. Besides, micro flower farms are becoming more and more common as the local flower movement spreads. One necessity of being a micro-farm is that I am now more mindful of what I’m growing in my limited space. I’m planting with a purpose, choosing new plants based on whether they are good cut flowers or foliage in bouquets, which is a fun and exciting challenge.

When imagining the farm I wanted to build, I had a few fundamental principles that I wanted to incorporate. Firstly, I wanted to be dedicated to the local flower movement and grow my flowers sustainably. It was important to me to care about kindness—both to the environment and others. I wanted to commit to growing our flowers alongside nature and not against it, which meant growing in tune with the seasons and using natural methods to grow our plants. I imagined the bees happily whistling while they worked among our blooms. I also aimed to spread kindness through our flowers, inspiring and uplifting people with every bouquet. In short, I want to create a place that not only nurtures plants but also nurtures people. And it was within that dream that Whistling Bee Farm was planted.

In our inaugural season, having just turned a passion for gardening into a business, I am still learning all the ins and outs of operating a flower business. Therefore, I’m taking this time to educate myself on how best to grow, harvest, and arrange our flowers so that we can provide quality bouquets for our customers. So, during the 2022 growing season, I plan on selling a limited number of bouquets. However, I expect to be fully operational by the 2023 growing season.

And for those loyal blog followers, don’t worry; I still plan on continuing the Thistle Be the Day blog. It will become the official blog of the business, but other than that, I don’t expect many changes. I would still like to offer posts that spotlight plants, feature experiences in the garden, and share what’s growing here at the farm. I hope you will continue to follow along with our flower-growing journey because I greatly appreciate your support! To stay even more up to date on the happenings here at Whistling Bee Farm, you can also follow us on Instagram (@whistlingbeefarm) and Facebook (Whistling Bee Farm & Florals).

Now, I’m off to get planting because Thistle Be the Day I become a flower farmer!