The Story Behind Bloom Harvest Farm | East Lyme Flower Farm

Rachel, Florist-farmer at her Connecticut Flower Farm

For years, I grew vegetables—half-assed, if I’m being honest. It wasn’t until around 2016 that I started thinking about making our kitchen garden more than just functional. I began by tucking in edible flowers like calendula and nasturtium, eventually adding a pack of purple giant zinnias and sunflowers. That was the turning point.

kitchen garden at Bloom Harvest Farm

I bought my first floral design book and began learning about no-dig gardening. I convinced my husband to help me create a 2 2x20-foot cutting garden in the front yard. I planted zinnias, dahlias, celosia, cosmos, and a "cutting garden flowers mix"—and I was hooked. I saved seeds, watched countless YouTube videos, and collected all the flower books I could find. I lurked in flower farming groups online, where I came across a post from a flower farmer in a neighboring state offering free dahlias if you could come dig them up. I jumped on it! The day before Thanksgiving, I drove there to dig up dahlias, filled my trunk, and stored them for the winter.

Our first cottage style cutting garden

The following year, I expanded the garden dramatically, covering our front yard with a large, used tarp and transforming it into 10 rows, each measuring 3 by 30 feet. I filled these rows with flowers, laying the groundwork for something much bigger.

That summer, I decided to take the next step and explore the idea of starting a flower farm. It was an incredibly difficult season—my father passed away on Father’s Day after a long battle with cancer, leaving me in the depths of grief. To cope, I immersed myself in the garden, keeping my hands and mind busy. When I wasn’t tending to plants, I was taking a flower farming course, learning from some of the best in the field. Flowers became my solace, and each new bloom brought a spark of joy. It was in those moments that I realized I wanted to share that joy with others.

Dahlias in bloom at Bloom Harvest Flower Farm

The following summer, I doubled the size of the garden and spent the season experimenting with its potential. We set up a small farm stand at the end of our driveway, offering bouquets to passersby. When I wasn’t tending the rows, I was diving into a floral design course, honing my skills and practicing with blooms that didn’t quite make the cut for bouquets.

2024 Bloom Harvest Farm in bloom

That season, we expanded once more. By then, the garden had grown to include a cute little greenhouse, low tunnels, rows of hydrangeas, shrubs, perennials, peonies, and more. It was clear the time had come to turn my passion into a business—and that’s exactly what I set out to do.