Kris Grows Plants

I’ve said it before… I don’t do weddings. But it’s hard to turn down my own. Thankfully, our teeny micro wedding came with the expertise of a fab florist who’s taking care of my bridal bouquet. But tonight, I get to cut and style the bouquets that our daughters will carry, and I can’t think of a more love-filled way to calm my nerves and find my peace.

A reflection I had yesterday. I think the feeling of “impostor syndrome” is really common, and most of you can probably relate. I don’t like the word “expert”, to be honest. I’ve been described as a “garden expert” or a “flower expert”, but the truth is that I’m not sure such a thing exists. The thing I love most about my decision to pursue a career in horticulture is that it was a commitment to lifelong learning, and to being humbled again and again and again. I grow cut flowers because I can’t seem to imagine not doing it. I love growing them, I love choosing and changing and refining the things I grow every season. I love curating colour stories and combining them into unique bundles that smell as lovely as they look. Floral design? It’s just not in my comfort zone. It’s one of many reasons I don’t offer wedding florals. BUT! (And it’s a big but) I really love walking through the garden with a special arrangement in mind. When someone asks for a date night bouquet, or a birthday arrangement, it’s my absolute JOY to wander and snip the blooms that I know will be JUST RIGHT for that person. I love choosing every single flower and then doing my best to arrange them in a way that brings out their unique beauty. I love making people happy. So. If I allowed myself to believe that I had to be an EXPERT to be able to do that… look at what we both would miss out on. I’m so glad I don’t care about experts.

Mornings are busy, but the view sure is lovely. Need some tulips? I still have available bouquets for this weekend, send a DM! 🌷

I did this to myself. 🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷#krisgrowsplants #tulipmania #farmerflorist #tulipseason #workbeforework #bouquetsubscriptions #flowercsa #localflowers #localtulips #springbouquet #lindsayontario #kawarthlakes #kawarthalakesontario

On a day like this, where it’s warm and the soil is thawing and it smells HEAVENLY, it’s incredibly hard to resist the urge to get into the garden and start cleaning it up. But resist I do. 🌱 I keep garden practices pretty organic, and supporting insect diversity and a healthy ecosystem in my yard is important to me. Many of the beneficial insects that are overwintering in my gardens are burrowed into hollow stems, nestled into piles of leaf litter, or buried in the top few inches of mulch. Once the temperatures get steadily warm enough that most of those insects have emerged and started their work for the spring, that’s when I’ll get wild back there. Man… it’s really hard to wait! Trust me, though. It’s worth it. 🐝 #krisgrowsplants #gardentip #pollinatorgardening #lindsayontario #kawarthalakes #farmerflorist #ecofriendlygardening

Why I Grow Flowers

Everyone has a story. If you have 3 minutes, I’ll tell you a little part of mine. 2024 will be my 7th year of growing cut flowers in the Kawartha Lakes, and my 22nd year of being a working professional in the horticulture industry. Life brings many challenges and changes as we move through it, and the beautiful, life-altering experiences over the last 7 years shook me, but also shaped me. Finding myself again by going back to flowers has been both healing and transformative, and has connected me to a loving community that I needed. This is for anyone who has ever felt a little lost… I hope it helps.

Tulips aren’t a short-term relationship.In fact, when you’re a flower farmer, it takes an entire year to plan, plant, and produce a crop. 😳 They’re a heavy up-front investment in dollars, time, and labour. They’re demanding, and expensive, and usually a cold & miserable experience to plant. BUT JUST LOOK AT THEM. There’s just nothing like em, especially in early Spring when we’ve endured months of bleakness and they just SING with life, texture & colour. It’s almost their time again. Every day brings us closer to this feeling! 🌷#krisgrowsplants #farmerflorist #specialtycutflowers #specialtytulips #backyardflowerfarm #springtulips #springbouquet #bouquetsubscription #flowercsa

For me, there’s nothing like the beautiful madness of tulip season in May. After planting and waiting 7 months to see them, thousands of blooms push up from the ground, and when they’re ready, they’re ready NOW. Tulips wait for no one, which is why pre-selling them by subscription works so well for me… I have the assurance that the insane scramble of harvesting these gorgeous stems is worth the effort, and YOU get the guarantee of 4 weeks of the freshest, most gloriously gorgeous bouquets. It’s a win-win! 🌷🌷🌷Kris Grows Plants spring bouquet subscriptions go on sale this month. Want to drop a hint to someone? Tag them here!#krisgrowsplants #krisgrowsflowers #lindsayontario #backyardflowerfarm #specialtycutflowers #specialtytulips #springbouquet #bouquetsubscription #flowercsa #farmerflorist #kawarthalakes #kawarthaflowers

…not that I’m counting, or anything. 🌷