An Interview with Flower Farmer Sarah Davis

on flower farming on 1/4 of an acre of land and getting started with your own cut flower garden at home

I visited Charlottesville, VA, a few years ago before attending a creative retreat. I was charmed by the beautiful pasturelands and rolling hills. I had planned to pick up a big bucket of flowers to bring to the retreat, and I connected with Sarah. Sarah not only sent me on my way with some of the most gorgeous flowers I have ever seen but also gave me a tour of her flower farm, sharing her process of growing cut flowers on 1/4 acre of land. I was so inspired and left feeling excited and empowered to start my own cut flower garden at home. Since then, Sarah has been a trusted source of gardening information and has also become a friend.

What first drew you to growing cut flowers? Did you grow up in a home where gardening was part of your family culture, or did you come to it as an adult?

My family and I started Foothills Flower Farm in March 2020. One day, while wandering a bookstore, I discovered Erin Benzakein's book, Cut Flower Garden. The photos were captivating, and I bought it based on the photography alone! At the time, I was working as a midwife and doula. I read Erin's book cover to cover and knew it was the kind of career switch I wanted: something that combined creativity and design with working outside in nature. My husband and I had always wanted to do something with a small front field that's on our property and once I read Erin's book I knew just what to do with that field. As much as I LOVED being a midwife and working with moms and babies, I was in a season of life where I needed to take a break from being on call frequently.

Flowers speak a language of their own to our souls. They are with us during really happy times and sad times...flowers can make us feel better both physically and mentally. We all need beauty. Flowers build bridges, foster community, and bring smiles to people's faces. They evoke memories. I was hooked.

Sarah, this is so beautiful and true. I have had all of those same feelings. Flowers are a kind of universal language. I love that you had the courage to follow this new path midlife, to just go for it! When you were getting started, which resources were most helpful to you?

Erin's book was just the beginning into a deep dive that winter. My husband applied for a scholarship to take Erin's workshop and he was a scholarship winner for his school where he teaches urban farming. I watched the workshop videos alongside of him and gleaned so much insight, knowledge, and wisdom on all the practicalities of flower farming. He applied all he learned to growing flowers with his students at Charlottesville High School, and I applied the knowledge to opening up a tiny flower farm on 1/4 of our two acres of land that we own.

It’s incredible that the Charlottesville High School students get this fantastic resource, learning these skills they will carry with them all their lives. And I am so inspired that you started a flower farm on only 1⁄4 of an acre of land. I was surprised to learn this was possible. It’s so resourceful. How much space does a home gardener need to grow a cut flower garden?

You don't need much space at all. In fact, growing on 1/4 acre of land still requires us to have 1 part-time employee. You can fit flowers into 6x6 or 9x9 spacing, allowing hundreds of flowers to grow in a 4'x10' bed. A home gardener could grow a lot of flowers in a very small space...in pots on a porch or a 3x5' bed...you can start with whatever space you have!

That is so encouraging! For those new to flower gardening, which flowers would you recommend beginners start with?

I think this depends on where you live. In Virginia, we have very hot and humid summers so flowers like zinnias, sunflowers, and cosmos grow with ease here. If you live, for example, in the Pacific Northwest, I would recommend something like sweet peas or dahlias. The possibilities are endless. The most important thing is try starting with something! There is a lot of trial and error in growing flowers and you learn best with giving it a go. Digging in the dirt and planting seeds or seedlings is incredibly therapeutic for our minds and bodies, so just the process of growing can bring so much joy.

It’s so true that your region makes such a difference. I discovered that firsthand when we moved from the Midwest to Texas. How does a new gardener choose the flowers that will grow best in their area?

If you know of another gardener or flower farmer in your area, just ask them! They would probably love to share this information with you. You can also read a few books on flower farming or cutting gardens such as Cut Flower Garden by Erin Benzakein or From Seed to Bloom by Milli Proust.

Do you recommend starting cut flowers from seed or purchasing plants at a nursery?

I'm a huge fan of starting from seed because it's a more economical choice. You can start more plants this way. But you could also purchase from a nursery. Sometimes it's easier to buy perennial plants from nurseries and start annuals on your own at home.

When starting flowers from seed, how can we know when the plant is ready to be transplanted?

For most flowers, when a seedling has 3-5 sets of true leaves, then it's ready to be transplanted into the garden.

What is a common mistake that new gardeners make that hinders their success?

I think the most common mistake is simply not trying! It's really easy to get decision paralysis and not start something. It never hurts to just try starting with 3 or 4 different varieties of flowers, read what you can about those flowers and then try it. Learn what works for you and what doesn't work for you. Then, try again!

That is such great advice and applies to so many areas of our lives! What has been the most challenging part about flower farming for you? What have you loved most about it?

I think the most challenging part of flower farming for me, like many other types of farming, is that when you own a small farm with just one part-time employee or no employees, it can feel isolating at times. Especially if you enjoy being around people often. One thing that helps is to host workshops on farm events or selling at a farmer's market. That way, you are getting out into the community and connecting with people on different days of the week. The part of flower farming that I love most is the unique experiences this flower farm has brought us into that I would have never dreamed of. Somehow, these little seeds we plant in the soil, seedlings that grow and bloom with the sun and rain, have opened up doors to meeting a few really special people who I have admired and looked up to...and then they have become like mentors to me...even friends.

Is there something that is making you come alive right now outside of flower gardening?

Well, this has a little bit to do with flower farming, but not on our farm. Two years ago, I was invited to teach flower farming at a kid's day camp, Barefoot Republic Camp and Retreat Center, where my teen girls work each summer in Tennessee. It's for kids ages 5-11 and it has brought our whole family a lot of joy, having a shared experience working alongside one another for a purpose greater than our own. We absolutely love it and look forward to it every summer.

photo credit: Celestial Sights Photography

Additional Reading:

My Three Favorite Easy-to-Grow Spring Flowers

Other Interviews in this Series:

An Interview with Pattern Designer Rae Hoekstra

An Interview with Photographer Naomi Ovando