About

Hollyhock Acres

I moved back onto the family farm in 2007 and began growing flowers for my own personal enjoyment. As a higher education administrator, I spent many early morning, late evening, and weekend hours in my greenhouse and flowerbeds because these were the spaces where I found balance and rejuvenation – this became particularly important during the years when I completed my doctoral research and walked alongside my mother as she suffered through Alzheimer’s.

Mom loved flowers (and hollyhocks in particular) so working in these spaces helped me to both grieve and heal. Growing for my own personal well-being naturally transformed into something I wanted to share but doing so as more than just a hobby didn’t register until a young friend (thanks Abby!) asked me to grow flowers for her wedding. This was a different kind of garden planning, and I loved it! I began “what iff’ing” in earnest and in 2021, left the university and took the plunge. Today, I’m cultivating happiness through beauty and generosity.