Can you ever have too many flowers? I don’t think so.
Flowers are so much more than a treat. To me, they are history, love, beauty, and healing in gorgeous, mesmerizing, endlessly fascinating bundles.
My love affair with flowers began before I was born. My great grandmother Bessie’s rose garden in east Texas was the stuff of legend. Thanks to the nearby Tyler Rose Garden, her large garden featured every variety of scent and color. She raised her children, including her lively son Thomas (my grandfather), in this garden. He grew up to be a cattle rancher with thick auburn hair and bright blue eyes nicknamed Red. Though he died before I was born, I felt I knew him through the red flowers my mother planted in his memory whereever we lived (Dad’s job moved us around quite a bit). My earliest memories are framed by her red tulips, roses, and zinnias bursting into bloom.
As my careers in finance, public health, and writing took me hither and yon, I tended to tuck in bulbs, rose bushes and seeds as I went. Today, flowers are my love and my business. I grow, sell and arrange choosing from the more than 100 varieties of certified organic flowers, herbs and shrubs that we grow on our farm. We handcraft each arrangement from whatever is in bloom: cut flowers, cover crops, grasses, wildflowers, weeds, vegetables and more. After nearly 20 years, I still love the fragrance and fun of making bouquets, floral jewelry, wedding arrangements, whacky crowns, pocket squares...
Because I am endlessly fascinated by flowers, I love to share what I’ve learned, whether’s its a presentation to a group, school children or customers curious about our native, heirloom and heritage varieties. I especially enjoy hosting our monthly Second Friday Flower class (6:30-8:00, open to all) at our east Austin farm because we try something new every month — floral jewelry, arrangements, art — and everyone discovers artistic abilities they didn’t know they had.
Training new farmers, volunteers and interns (most of whom have rarely had access to gardens), about the importance of certified organic food and flowers is a priority on our farm. Sharing what I know about growing organically and for the benefit of all living things is what inspires me to learn more and gives me hope for the future. Come join us!
To find our flowers, you can:
shop at our weekly Saturday farm stand, open to all
sign up for our flower CSA
take our flower class (second Fridays at historic farm except in September), topics change each month
become a volunteer or workshare member who trades flowers for work
purchase by the stem or bucket
hire us to create an arrangement/s
hire us for a wedding and other events
arrange to have us present to your group or give a farm tour
Questions? Send us an email, info@greengatefarms.net or call 512-484-2746.
If we don’t have what you need, please check out our friends at: ArnoskyFamilyFarm, Blackland Blooms, BoggyCreekFarm, Cassiopeia Farm, Farmshare. The world needs more organic flower farmers (and less neutered, heavily sprayed, imported blooms) so please seek them out wherever you are. Here’s a good way to find a flower farmer near you.
