Shortly after my 60th birthday, I purchased Floret Farm’s book, Cut Flower Garden, and was inspired by the concept of growing cut flowers as a career. I never dreamed I would be expanding my love of gardening to start a boutique flower farm. For the last two decades, I have lived on a small North Carolina county lot of less than an acre, surrounded by 100 year old farms. Over that period I planted trees, roses, peonies, herbs, lilacs and other perennials. Gardening has always given me balance to my professional career in Administration.
So in the winter of 2018, I took Floret’s Comprehensive Flower Farm Course and by that spring we converted existing beds, installed 32 raised beds, and planted over 1000 flowers! By the end of our first season, we had installed 32 additional raised beds and added 100 more perennials! At the end of our second season we were able to add 16 more raised beds bringing our total to 80. By the end of our third season,ย we had purchased the lot next to us and installed over 50 raised beds for perennials including 92 additional peonies.ย
Looking ahead to the 2023 season, we plan to bringย more collaborative events to the farm. It’s been one of my favorite ways to meet our customers! Guests have enjoyed pouring their own candles, partaking of delicious locally blended teas, making a charcuterie, yoga sessions, and of course making bouquets to take home!
I truly could not be more excited for the future of this little flower farm, and we thank everyone who supported our locally grown flowers!
Shellie Watkins Ritzman
We are a boutique flower farm in Kernersville NC 