NC flowers for people with roots.
Join our NC flower story
Believe it or not, I grew up in Cary. The daughter of an organic gardener, I liked dirt under my fingernails. But I didn’t start farming flowers; I started with bees.
When you keep honeybees, you quickly learn that blooms are the secret to sustaining these flower fairies. And so my affair began.
I’ve been an organic grower for almost 30 years. I’ve tried my hand at pots, perennials, vegetables and several ill-fated roses.
We started our farm in 2015 as a haven for pollinators, including my bees.
It’s grown into a specialty cut flower farm that supplies the blooms for Hen House’s arrangements and your life’s celebrations.
Join our group of flower fanatics and reconnect with NC’s natural beauty!
Flowers picked with care
Growing for people and bees is sometimes counterproductive. They often want different things in a flower.
But one thing we all agree on is the value of sustainable growing practices.
Here’s what sustainable growing looks like at our farm:
Pesticide and herbicide-free flowers
Cover crops and natural compost to improve our soil
Natural habitat for pollinators and wildlife
Member of the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers for continuing education
Staff at NC State’s College of Agriculture & Life Sciences for expert connections
It also means I don’t grow roses, or use some common florist tools or chemicals. But I find that when beautiful flowers show up, no one misses those things.
Local farm heritage
Our farm need grew from the ever-growing demand for elbow room for our hobbies. Paul, the hunter. Me, the gardener & beekeeper. The boys – well, boys. Projects that we piloted on a small scale at home and in the mountains, quickly outgrew their bounds and demanded space. We discovered this land in Chatham County and the dream rolled on.
The farm started as a commercial chicken farm in the 1950’s as Pittsboro Poultry. In the 1970’s it was sold to Mary & John Clouse who operated as Rocky Hill Farm. They were contract chicken farmers raising broilers for hatching eggs.
The Clouse’s heritage is humbling. Everyone in the small farm business knew them. Mary visited several times before her passing and told me how John was renowned for his way with animals, well-known and in high demand for sheep shearing, cattle advice, and mechanical know-how.
Mary was legendary in her own right. An outspoken supporter advocate of small farms who spoke to all who would listen about the importance & tough road of the small farmer. The Rural Advancement Fund International (RAFI) has a plaque on their wall in her honor.
Following those footsteps makes you feel small. Time took its toll on the farm. Chicken barns were torn down and things fell into disrepair. When we found the property we saw great possibility (and work).
A budding flower farm
We think bringing the farm back from the past feels right. Neighbors comment that it’s good to hear a rooster on the farm again. The beehives are buzzing again. And the land is producing flowers.
We are working to find our own path & niche on this land but find that things here have roots (and rocks). We’ll keep trying, adding new things but working hard to maintain the character and roots from which it came.
