Planting and nurturing seeds then watching them grow and flourish has always been part of Beth (Krause) Kendall’s life. Growing up on her family’s farm in Snohomish, Beth remembers welcoming the community to its pumpkin patch and corn maze. She can also trace her love of flowers back to time spent on the farm with her mom, Carol Krause. “My mom was always gardening and had a lot of flowers around,” shares Beth. “I remember having the joy of flowers - whether it was in the yard, putting them together for bouquets, or having a cut garden.”
Beth had her first experience selling flowers when she was about ten-years-old. While her brothers were selling corn at the family’s farm stand, Beth would sell sunflowers that her mom helped her plant and harvest.
Those experiences were no doubt on her mind in 2013, when Beth bought the original Krause family homestead about a mile from where she grew up. The land, which can be traced back to Beth’s great, great grandmother, inspired dreams of a flower farm - but it took some time for the vision to become a reality. “The first year I bought the farm, I planted peonies in my yard,” says Beth. “Then I’d add more every couple of years, and eventually I had a pretty large cut garden.”
Over time, Beth found herself planting more flowers as well as creating bouquets for brides and people celebrating special occasions using her flowers. She also felt increasingly drawn to leave her teaching career and spend more time at home with her children. So in 2018, Beth and her mom founded Flower Farmer Girls. “My mom and I are close and we like doing things together,” she says. “We get more done when we work together and it’s so much more enjoyable than doing it alone. My husband and kids are always around and helping as well. That’s something I really love about having a family farm.”
Peonies, which Beth has always loved, were among the first flowers planted on the farm and are the inspiration for the farm’s Peony Field Days held each June. “People can come out and walk through the field of peonies,” Beth says. “They can take pictures, have a picnic, and enjoy the day. It’s just beautiful and smells amazing when you get out of your car.”
Over fifty varieties of flowers have joined the peonies on the farm and customers enjoy beautiful blooms of all colors and shapes. With so many flowers to choose from, Beth has a hard time narrowing down which ones are her current favorites. “It’s so hard to pick a favorite because there are so many different flowers and so many of them are complementary to each other,” she says. “If I had to give a top five summer annuals, I’d say zinnias, basil, ageratum, amaranth, and celosia.”
Flower Farmer Girls offers bouquet subscriptions, allowing customers to enjoy the blooms at their peak. Bouquets can showcase a particular flower such as roses, sweet peas, and peonies, or be more diverse and include a variety of flowers. “Our original Summer Subscription is six weeks of summer bouquets that can include dahlias, sunflowers, and zinnias,” explains Beth. “The bouquets are packed with all kinds of different, really fun flowers and we love to add in things that smell good like herby foliage, amaranth, or celosia.”
Their new Sampler Subscription covers five months and provides the opportunity to experience a wide range of flowers over the growing season. Other ways to enjoy the flowers include ordering pre-made bouquets for any day or a special occasion, purchasing a DIY bucket of flowers that includes a focal flower, foliage, and filler, and ordering floral arrangements and bouquets for events.
To find out more about Flower Farmer Girls, located at 6131 Riverview Road, visit www.flowerfarmergirls.com, email info@flowerfarmergirls.com, and follow Flower Farmer Girls on Facebook and Instagram.
Peony Field Days
Every weekend from May 30 - June 14: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Come wander through the fields and enjoy the twenty plus different varieties of peonies that Beth and Carol grow. Guest can enjoy a sweet treat or beverage from a local coffee vendor while building their own bouquet at the bouquet bar, filled with spring flowers grown fresh on the farm, or bring goodies from home for an on-site picnic. Hand-tied peony bouquets will also be available for purchase, as well as a garden gift shop full of treasures.
See www.flowerfarmergirls.com/peonyfielddays for more information, including important notes about photography on the farm.