I am a first generation farmer in a long line of gardeners. It seems that I was surrounded by those who loved the natural world my entire life. I can remember my Great Grandmother's beautifully painted botanicals in oil pastels and her intricate carvings of herbs and flowers on linoleum blocks which filled our home. And then there were the trips to Grandma's house where I could not wait to go into her secret garden. I can remember going through that curved arbor draped in vines and grapes and being transported into a special place. The garden was surrounded by a vine covered fence and filled with flowers and fruit trees. An enchanting place indeed.

Our west coast friend and flower farmer, Hedda Bronstrom , describes what we do as flower farmers perfectly. "Farmer Florists are like peanut butter and jelly. The dirt and grit of cultivation and the beauty of putting it all together are really two jobs. Some highlight either the farmer or the florist, but I am happy to give them both full dedication. Sometimes these jobs feel like being a chef who grows all their own food, but who better to make a dish than the one who loved it from seed."

​​​​After exploring her garden, I always loved walking through her greenhouse that lead to her basement. Beautiful violets and lush plants lived there. The basement was filled with loads of dried flowers which hung neatly in a rows in that magical place. I suppose the love of nature and flowers continued to run through the blood as both of my parents loved to work in the garden and tend their flowers. I am forever grateful for all of their inspiration.

Fast forward into my adult life, soon after Rick and I married and settled into our first home, the first thing on the list was a garden. This love for flowers has finally evolved in the ultimate garden which we have the joy of tending right here at Happy Trails.

I manage the day to day operations on the farm which includes everything from starting seeds to transplanting as well as harvesting, designing and delivering the flowers. It is a labor of love and I can not imagine doing anything more satisfying.