Hi, I'm Emma, and this is my mini-boss.
The Flower Mama started as many businesses do, with a new Mother scrolling at 2am during night feeds and wondering ‘now that I am Mum, how can I build a life where I am also still Me’. It was 2021.
I’d started growing 2 years prior when I was off work, healing from two herniated discs in my neck. On a whim, I bought some seeds, and what began as curiosity quickly became a passion as I experienced the exhilaration of seeing those first seedling trays spring to life. (If you haven’t grown anything from seed yet…I’m warning you, it’s addictive!)
In hindsight, I'd kept it quite contained to begin with.
The idea to sell my flowers was quiet at first, modest. It whispered ‘if we just sell a few flowers at the gate, we could use the money to buy more hostas… maybe a ligularia…some fancy dahlias?’ I googled flower farms, I watched reels, I ordered seeds…..
I laugh when I think, ‘if you’d told me in 2012 I’d become a flower farmer some day I would never have believed you’. I had been superyachting for 2 years by then, I had just gained my 200 Tonne Captains Licence and was sailing superyachts from Alaska to Tahiti to the Caribbean and everywhere in between. Days were spent diving, snorkelling, fishing, scrubbing: think boat shoes not gumboots.
A season spent on the French Riviera meant weekly trips ashore, returning in a tender laden with the most opulent blooms for eight course dinners, hosted for celebrities and diplomats. I was always captivated by the flowers and looking back, I can’t believe I didn’t see this coming!
(PS That's me driving the yellow tender)
I did away with the West lawn next… and then the husband (lol).
‘Whatever I do,’ I told myself, ‘ I have to leave space for the trampoline!’
In amongst the flowers I planted our snack garden. We spend Summer days barefoot, eating strawberries warm from the sun, picking tomatoes for our breakfast and good luck getting a cucumber before she does!
Our mini orchard needs regular trimming being that I planted the trees a metre apart (highly recommend ignoring spacing rules) but for a family of 2 it’s perfect. We have all the plums and apples and feijoas we can eat….although I cant for the life of me get a citrus to set fruit! (Tips please?)
I learnt the art of hand tied bouquets, trialled all varieties of flowers to find out what grows best here in Nelson, and perfected my harvesting and conditioning techniques so every bouquet is as fresh and long-lasting as possible. I learnt to honour the seasons, so every bouquet is thoughtfully arranged using the best blooms available each week and making every bouquet unique.
I researched ways of growing sustainably because avoiding
chemicals and protecting our Earth is a huge part of my ethos. I order in ladybirds and lacewings to eat the aphids, (did you know you can mail-order bugs?!) We head out with headtorches to pick off the slugs, and I use the no dig method to preserve soil health, building healthy soil for healthy plants.
(That reminds me…I am careful to inspect our bouquets for passengers but you might get the occasional ant or critter on your flowers. Simply brush them off, and know that’s a sign that your flowers are real, healthy, and happy!)
We did our first market, I launched our website, and just like that, this Flower Mama has a big five-year-old, and a thriving flower farm.
With all that, my favourite mornings are still spent wandering the rows, harvesting the very best blooms, carefully choosing each stem as I create every bouquet. Most of all I love hearing your stories.
After four months of nurturing them from seed, hearing where the flowers are going, who you are sharing them with, or the special moment they’re helping you celebrate makes the work so meaningful.
So where can you find our gorgeous blooms?
I sell florist bouquets here on the website, we do the Saturday market in season and I have a flower stand out front that I can’t grow enough for! I always update our stories on Facebook and Instagram when the stand is full, and I make sure to always stock it on Wednesdays.
I sell buckets of blooms when I have surplus and I’m looking to expand into a few cafes so if you know of any good ones let me know!
So what's next?
I plan to host workshops and bouquet bars when it works in with our season (motherhood season and mother nature’s season!). I’ll also be hosting an open day this Spring, so if you'd like to come visit our mini urban flower farm in all its glory, or you’re interested in anything you have read here like workshops or growing tips, join our newsletter or shoot me an email. And be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
From me and my mini-boss, thankyou for all the amazing support. Sharing in your special moments is something I feel so honoured to do, and you choosing us allows us to continue making the amazing journey from seed to bloom.
I still don’t know why I bought those seeds that day, but I’m sure glad I did!