EMBARRASS- Amy Vesel brought bouquets of her homegrown flowers from her yard to give to coworkers to brighten their office. Now that she works remotely from home, she has decided to pursue her dream, earning a living doing what she loves: working in her garden and growing flowers for her new business, One Pine Flower Farm.
She began researching flower farms to learn what it would entail to run one full-time and make it financially viable. She also researched roadside flower stands in rural areas, something she now has at the end of her rural driveway on Wahlsten Rd.
After her employer moved to remote work, Vesel found an opportunity to spend more time in her garden and work towards her goal of growing and selling flowers as a full-time job, and, hopefully, a retirement plan. Vesel and her husband, Willy Milton, have lived in their Embarrass home for over twenty years. Originally, Vesel had only a few small gardens with flowers and vegetables in her front yard. Last September, Vesel and Milton began the laborious process of mowing, grading, and filling their backyard with dirt to prepare for what Vesel has now: multiple plots in her backyard where she can grow a wide array of summer flowers, perennials, and seasonal vegetables.
She has also set up a self-service flower stand on her property, and when she has flowers ready to sell, she sets out bouquets and makes an announcement on Facebook. Customers help themselves and pay for the flowers by leaving cash or check or paying Vesel on Venmo, an online payment service. She said she has tried this three times so far with bouquets of tulips and has been successful: “I have sold flowers in my stand three times so far, Mother’s Day weekend and then the following Monday.” Vesel has also brought her stand to Tower once, setting up shop on Main Street. “I have sold out every time,” she said.
Vesel said that before opening, she considered whether there was enough traffic on her rural road to support sales. Theft and vandalism are not issues that concern her.
“Everything has been going really good with the stand,” said Vesel, “With Mother’s Day weekend, it was kind of crazy, I honestly didn’t even keep track of what I put out there and how much I took in to know if there was anything missing or not. We have really good neighbors here…we know all of them, and we have great supportive neighbors who help each other out, even though we’re rural. If someone sees something, they’ll call or give you a heads up.”
While Vesel has provided flowers for a few private events, she isn’t set up for wholesale yet. “I have left my business cards at several businesses in the area. People can also contact me via my Facebook page to ask about orders. I’m not quite set up yet, but it’s something I hope to do in the future.” She plans to put out her stand again on Father’s Day with bouquets of peonies. Vesel also brings any extra bouquets she has to assisted living facilities in the area.
Vesel plans to be at the Ely and Tower Farmers Markets this summer, so prospective customers can look for her there. “I was also contacted by the Virginia Farmers Market to see if I wanted to go there, and I would really like to, but because this is my first year, I really don’t know how much I’m going to produce, so if I produce enough, I’ll be selling there as well,” she said.
She started the seeds in her house in January and began planting at the beginning of May. The tulips and lilies are bulbs; everything else has been started from seeds. Vesel has planted 3,000 varieties with around 300 more to go. Flowers in her garden include zinnias, Bells-of-Ireland, peonies, lilies, sunflowers, snapdragons, stock flowers, and more. She also currently grows various vegetables, including miniature pumpkins and gourds. In the fall, Vesel will have miniature kale and ornamental corn. She plans to add and remove varieties based on customer demand.
Vesel grew up in Soudan and attended college in St. Cloud, where she received an Associate of Arts degree with an emphasis on business. After working in Alaska for a while, she moved to Embarrass with her husband. Gardening and working with flowers is a life-long interest for Vesel. She was taught how by her parents and grandparents, with whom she gardened throughout her childhood. And her favorite flower?
“Peonies…any color.”
Vesel has several plots on her property and manages them primarily by herself, with assistance from her husband.
“(My husband) really helped me get everything set up. He got his friend here to help clear the land; if I tell him I need something, we go shopping together…he didn’t care that our dining room was full of dirt all winter long. He helps me cover the plants when there is frost. My kids come out (to help) occasionally.” She said she has spent 20-25 hours per week working on planting, weeding, watering, and transplanting in the past month. She expects a few weeks of downtime before most of her gardens bloom.
“Once everything starts blooming, there will be a lot of cutting and arranging, but that will be the really fun part. I like to play in the dirt…the cutting and arranging will be my favorite part.”
Vesel posts updates on her Facebook page when she sells out, so customers don’t have to make the drive to Embarrass if unnecessary. She plans to be at the Ely Farmers Market by the end of June. She can be reached at onepineflowerfarms@outlook.com or on Facebook @onepineflowerfarm.