I work full-time while running Linden Blooms Farm with my partner, so finding ways to save time without sacrificing quality is incredibly important. I started growing lisianthus from seed, but the long growing time made it difficult to fit into our busy schedule. While searching for lisianthus plugs, I discovered Farmer Bailey. Becoming a customer in 2023 has allowed me to grow one of my favorite flowers much more efficiently.

Lisianthus was definitely the flower that started it all for me with Farmer Bailey, but it didn’t stop there. Once I saw the quality of their plugs, I began expanding into other varieties as our farm grew. Today we grow a wide range of flowers for bouquets, weddings, subscriptions, and wholesale, but lisianthus will always have a special place because it helped us realize we could offer premium flowers without having to start everything from seed.

As a small farm run by just two people—while I also work a full-time career—time is one of our most valuable resources. Farmer Bailey has allowed us to grow high-quality specialty flowers that would otherwise require months of growhouse space and attention. Starting with healthy plugs means more consistent crops, less stress, and more time to focus on caring for the rest of the farm and creating beautiful bouquets for our customers. Their selection has also allowed us to experiment with new varieties and continue growing our business with confidence.

Dahlias have definitely been our most successful crop, with lisianthus coming in a close second. Dahlias are incredibly productive and bring so much variety and beauty to our bouquets and weddings. Lisianthus has become one of my favorite flowers because of its elegant blooms, long vase life, and versatility.

I don’t know that I’d call myself an expert just yet—I’m always learning—but my biggest strength has been creating efficient systems that allow us to run a growing flower farm while I also work full-time. Every year we’ve become better at choosing crops intentionally, improving our growing practices, and building a sustainable business.

Like many small flower farms, our biggest challenge is time. My partner and I do nearly everything ourselves while I also work a full-time career, so every hour counts. We also continue learning how to manage pests, weather, and crop planning as we grow.

Farmer Bailey has already helped by providing healthy, reliable plugs that eliminate one of the most time-consuming parts of production. I’d love to continue seeing new specialty varieties, growing resources, and educational content that helps small farms become more efficient and successful.

Start smaller than you think you should. It’s tempting to grow every beautiful flower you see, but it’s much better to grow a few crops really well than to spread yourself too thin.

I also wish I’d understood that flower farming is just as much about running a business as it is growing flowers. Learning your market, building relationships with customers, and creating systems are every bit as important as healthy plants.

Most importantly, don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s tenth season. Every year brings new lessons, and that’s part of what makes flower farming so rewarding.

We began flower farming in 2021 with a small cut flower garden. What started as a hobby quickly grew into a passion and eventually became Linden Blooms Farm. Every season has brought new lessons, and we’ve continued to expand our growing space, offerings, and knowledge each year.

Our business has evolved quite a bit. We started by selling bouquets directly to customers, and today our farm offers bouquets, custom arrangements, weddings, subscriptions, wholesale flowers to local florists, and flowers for local businesses and wineries. We also work with DIY brides and event customers.

As we’ve grown, we’ve become much more intentional about diversifying our revenue streams. Because I work full-time outside the farm, having multiple outlets for our flowers helps us make the most of every harvest while reducing waste.

Between my full-time career and the flower farm, there honestly isn’t a lot of free time! But when I do have it, I love spending time with my family, especially my children and granddaughter. I also enjoy traveling whenever we can and finding inspiration in nature and gardens wherever we go.

What brings me joy is seeing customers receive flowers that we’ve worked so hard to grow and knowing those flowers become part of their happiest moments. There is something incredibly rewarding about creating joy through something we’ve nurtured from the very beginning.

But even more than that, my greatest joy is seeing how proud my children are of what we’ve built together. Starting Linden Blooms Farm has shown them that it’s possible to pursue something you’re passionate about and that hard work feels different when you truly love what you’re doing.

One of my favorite things is spending time with my granddaughter on the farm. She already tells everyone she wants to be a flower farmer someday, and getting to teach her, work alongside her, and watch her excitement as she picks flowers is something I’ll always treasure.

I’m the co-owner of Linden Blooms Farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, where my partner and I grow specialty cut flowers on our small family farm. While building the farm, I also work full-time as a Controller, so life is definitely busy!

I love combining creativity with growing, whether that’s designing bouquets, planning new flower varieties, or finding better ways to run our farm. I’m always learning, and one of my favorite parts of flower farming is connecting with other growers who generously share their knowledge and experiences.

If our farm inspires my children and granddaughter to believe they can build a life around something they love, then every early morning and late night has been worth it.