From a Hair-Brained Idea to a Blooming Business.
From a Hair-Brained Idea to a Blooming Business: The Story of Long River Family Farm
I’m one of those people who always have 100 ideas swirling around in their head, each one begging to be the next big thing.
Five years ago, I got the hair-brained idea to start Long River Family Farm. It was the summer before COVID, and my kids were finally old enough to play outside without my constant supervision. They could use the bathroom by themselves. I had never felt so free.
We lived in a 960-square-foot house with six kids, all under 14. Those were the ages when I thought, These kids can finally do some things on their own, and they need to be outside!
Cause…. if you didn’t catch that, that was 8 people in a tiny house. Growing flowers was a mental lifeline for me.
We had a tiny greenhouse, and my daughter and I thought it would be fun to grow bedding plants—you know, begonias, petunias, and the like.
As I researched, I stumbled across the world of cut flowers and decided to try growing a single row in my vegetable garden.
That was all it took. I was hooked. I remember standing there, dirt under my nails, staring at that first row of blooms and thinking, This is it. This is what I want to do.
The bedding plant idea was abandoned in an instant.
It didn’t matter what it was—a book, Floret’s Instagram, everything The Gardener’s Workshop put out—I devoured it all. I was going to start growing flowers. I was going to sell them. I was starting a business.
We had one of those temporary pools, and I would plop down on our new deck with my faded pink tropical flower towel and devour everything I could find about growing flowers. I mean obsessively consumed every bit of information.
My poor husband—he's the real MVP here. He had already lived through my sewing phase (I made and sold the cutest inside-out quilts), my make everything from scratch phase (soap, toothpaste, cleaners, ranch, mayo—you name it), and my can we grow everything ourselves phase (imagine us butchering 50 chickens in a year by hand, growing 30 tomato plants, and planting rows and rows of beans).
Once I get an idea, I am ALL in. And I was all in on the flower business.
The cool thing about growing flowers is that there is always something to learn. And the catch? You have to wait a whole year to implement those new ideas! It’s a great way to teach kids patience and life skills, too.
Now, I’m on a mission to help you grow flowers, without all the trial and error I went through.
One of my biggest victories in this journey was figuring out exactly what grows well in Michigan. After years of experimenting—failing, learning, and trying again—I finally cracked the code on the best varieties and growing techniques for our region.
And the best part?
I get to share that knowledge with you, so you can skip the struggle and go straight to growing gorgeous, thriving flowers.
I remember how frustrating it was when I started.
I was so excited—like make it spring already or I’m going to explode excited.
I ran off to the garden centers, but—whomp whomp—they didn’t have cut flowers!
I remember finding adorable pink-striped zinnias. The label said they grew to 12 inches tall, and I thought, Perfect! Um…not so much. They were way too short for cut flowers, but at least they looked cute in my front yard.
I struggled to find what I needed, which meant I had to start seeds. And let me tell you, I had NO idea how to start seeds. I probably killed the first 1,000 I tried.
Finally, I just stuck some zinnia and cosmos seeds in the ground late in the season. I had to grow something! And that was it—I was officially hooked.
But here’s the kicker: even after all these years, finding cut flowers easily still isn’t a thing.
So many gardeners are left with few options, forced to invest large amounts of time in seed-starting or ordering plants through the mail.
Not anymore. I got you, West Michigan!
We’re growing thousands of cut flower plant starts for you—Lisianthus, zinnias, cosmos, snapdragons, ammi, celosia, ageratum, eucalyptus, dill, basil, and more.
You deserve to have the cut flower garden you’ve always wanted. A place to rest and relax. Flowers to rise up and greet you on your table. A spot to sip your coffee in your robe in the morning while watching the bees and tending to your blooms.
Growing flowers is fun and refreshing—but it’s also so much more than that. But before you dive in, here are some common mistakes I made (so you don’t have to!):
Common Mistakes When Starting a Cut Flower Garden
Choosing the wrong varieties – Not all flowers sold at garden centers are good for cutting. Look for varieties that grow tall with strong stems.
Planting too late – Many flowers need a head start indoors or early direct sowing to bloom in time.
Overcrowding – Spacing matters! Too close, and your plants will compete for nutrients and airflow, leading to disease.
Skipping succession planting – Want blooms all season? Stagger your plantings so you always have something blooming.
Ignoring support needs – Some flowers, like snapdragons and lisianthus, need netting or staking to keep them upright.
What are the benefits of growing cut flowers? I’m so glad you asked that. I’m a little nerdy about this and love talking about it.
Gets you outside
Gives you a retreat to escape to
Helps you fight off the winter blues
Provides a place to talk to God
Gives you a beautiful gift to share with others
I wish I could put into words just how happy flowers make you feel!
I still remember the first time I handed someone a bouquet of flowers I had grown myself. Their face lit up, their eyes softened, and for a moment, all the stress of life faded away.
Flowers have this incredible way of bringing joy—not just to the person who grows them, but to everyone they touch.
There’s something magical about walking through a garden you grew yourself, seeing the bees buzz from bloom to bloom, and knowing that with just a little effort, you created this beauty.
Imagine stepping outside to a garden bursting with color, where you can snip fresh blooms for your home or share them with friends.
Picture yourself sipping your morning coffee while bees hum around your flowers, knowing you grew this beauty from the ground up.
Ready to start your cut flower journey? Sign up for my email list here and download my Ultimate Guide to Planning, Creating, and Designing Your Cut Flower Garden. This guide will set you up with everything you need to start planting and basking in the beauty of your flowers!