About
Hello, I'm Emily! I have a small backyard flower farm located in Saratoga Springs, Utah. In just a few hundred square feet, I grow hundreds of flowers and filler for bouquets and arrangements from April through September.
I believe in the power of "stopping to smell the roses." Flowers can evoke memories and feelings. Their scent can take you back to the backyard of your grandma's house, and their colors can remind you of your wedding day. Flowers might be associated most frequently with celebrations--birthdays, weddings, anniversaries--but a simple arrangement of sunflowers on a kitchen table can brighten a dull day.
Why "Bessie and Joyce"?
Meet my grandma Joyce
Meet Joyce. She is my maternal grandmother. In this picture, my mother, me, my daughter, and my grandma Joyce are standing in front of her amazing garden on Peaks Island, Maine. Her garden was impressive and photogenic and just perfect. Every year, she made my grandpa tear out another little bit of lawn so she could grow more beautiful things. It gave her purpose and joy to share her garden with her neighbors and any wandering visitors from the mainland.
While my grandmother is still alive, dementia has stolen her ability to garden. Gratefully, she passed on to me a love for tearing out grass and replacing it with flowers. My wish is to send her a beautiful bouquet next year, so she can see what her own garden inspired half-way across the country!
Meet my grandma Bessie
Meet Bessie. Bessie was my paternal grandmother who passed away when I was 8 years old. She was motivated and a hard worker. When my sister sent me this photograph of her in 1946 hoeing a garden plot, I felt a distinct connection to her. It was as if she understood how I feel when working the ground and growing something amazing from it.
This flower business is quite possibly going to be the hardest thing I do outside of raising my children. It seemed apropos to put her name on it, for if she were here now, I think she would grab a tool out of the garage and start working alongside me as if it were nothing.
My Grandmothers' Legacy
These two women are the namesakes for my small flower farm. I love telling people about them, and I love showing photos of their gardens. In this small way, it is as if they are working alongside me as I meet the challenges of starting a business and growing beautiful flowers.
Neither one ever owned a flower farm. But they both knew how to work hard and make something better than it was before. I appreciate their examples and the inspiration I get from their stories. My hope is that I will be continuing their legacy by making my world and yours more beautiful through flowers.
Carousel photos courtesy of Eve Hart copyright 2023