Our Story
Learn more about Flower Haven Farm
I am a lover of nature, and always felt a connection with plants, flowers and the great outdoors. As as child, I was always drawn to the beauty of our neighbours’ gardens. My first memory of the impact that flowers had on me was in our garden where my dad had planted a whole row of purple bearded irises against our front wall. When they bloomed, they were such a sight to behold. I remember the life that gravitated towards them, besides us, there were so many insects that could not resist the inexplicable force that these irises had.
As I grew older, I would experiment with growing the seeds contained within the various seed packets. I could not restrain my excitement when they started to push through the soil, grow leaves to photosynthesise and ultimately flower. As expected, the flower was always the treasure! I would ‘paint’ my garden as well as others I had seen, always dreaming of a flower filled space.
I remember going on solitary bike rides (yes we could back then – even on busy roads) where I would mentally take photographs of each garden that resonated with me. I have taken so many mental photographs over the years. After completing my landscape design education, I was ready to take on a career with flowers and plants, however it was not the right time to pursue this passion.
Fast forward to 2019 when my husband and I visited the Shed and Silo where we were swept away by the beauty of how rustic this gem was. Everything seemed untouched. We loved the openness of this space. We spent almost the entire day just soaking up the vastness of being in the open. We even mentioned to one of the owners that we would love to have a flower farm here one day. We left that day and went about our daily life not thinking this would become a reality for us.
Then COVID happened where restrictions both physically and mentally kept us all constrained and contained. Not only were our bodies aching for walks in the park, being free and enjoying the sun, but so were our minds! When we were allowed to move freely once more, we made a very cathartic decision to revisit the Shed and Silo. Our minds were renewed once more, but this time it felt different. Everyone was craving the healing power of nature, not just us. The Shed and Silo had become our sanctuary, our haven. This is where our name was derived. A Haven for everyone. A Haven of Hope.
At the time my brother knew of my desire to grow local flowers. He phoned me one day to let me know that he had come across a piece of land that could possibly kickstart my pursuit of growing flowers. I was all in.
In the first months of my first season, I planted ranunculus, anemones, larkspur, delphiniums as well as all the other winter bulbs. While my excitement was growing, my brother who had shared about this land was terminally ill with cancer. My planting took a hit as a I was focused on spending time with my brother.
My brother passed away on the 4th April 2024. I had to make a decision to continue as the season was ahead and needed my care and attention. If I had abandoned the land, I felt I would be abandoning his desire as well as mine to see the flowers grow. We continued and started selling flowers from our first harvest of Spring flowers. It was such a joy to see these beautiful blooms, but also to see how these same flowers made others happy too. It became clear that I needed to pursue this desire of mine.
In August 2024 we broke ground at the Shed and Silo. It was a tough start, as I was late in planting my seeds , but knew I needed to have flowers for the coming season. The ground was relentless, but the determination the team had, was even more relentless! They erected the tent with precision and expertise so that I could plant the first seedlings for the Summer 2024/2025 season. It was wonderful to see local flower lovers enjoying the seasonal beauties such as dahlias, cosmos, nigella, yarrow, zinnias, hollyhocks, paniculata hydrangeas, lisianthus and more!
It has been a long road to get here, but my greatest advocate is my husband. He brings the practical aspects which I don’t, although he too is a dreamer. We are learning together on a scale that transcends the ordinary. We are both filled with such happiness that we can share this journey with you.