A quick 15-minute drive from downtown Parker is where you will find the aptly named Prairie Hill Flower Company at the top of a hill overlooking the beautiful Douglas County countryside with a view of the Rocky Mountains. Owner, Lisa Frahm, started Prairie Hill Flower Company in the spring of 2020 and is the only florist in the Denver metro area that grows its own flowers. "We get comments all the time about how long our flowers last," Lisa says. "We cut them one day and they are out the door the next day."
Lisa’s background is in architecture, but she always wanted to be a florist and to do something that could incorporate being with her kids, Morgan (age 9) and Mason (age 6). Her mom ran a landscaping business and her grandfather was a farmer in Nebraska. Her grandfather used to visit her in Colorado every mother’s day and make her go outside to plant her garden. “You could say this business is in my blood,” laughs Lisa.
Lisa’s passion for flowers is obvious as we walk through the brightly colored rows and she talks through the growing process. Prairie Hill uses a seed starting method called soil blocking, where up to 20 starter plants are grown in 4”x4” squares of soil under lights in Lisa’s basement prior to being transplanted outside. The farm uses all sustainable practices, with no pesticides or chemicals to ensure that our pollinator friends are safe and healthy. The resident goats eat the remains of spent flower beds and chickens keep the pests at bay. The goat and chicken waste is then composted and that compost is used to feed the new flowers, creating a closed-loop cycle!
Prairie Hill, a member of the American Society for Cut Flower Growers (ASCFG), is gearing up for agritourism on a small scale. "There is a resurgence of people wanting to know how to garden," Lisa says. People were so tired and lonely during the pandemic. Post COVID, people want to come out and be part of a community. "I love just sharing joy with others.”
The farm creates space for just that and continues to grow new opportunities to share with the community. Lisa and her husband are in the process of completing their barn, which will serve as a flower studio and have an indoor/outdoor event space for flower arranging classes as well as bridal and baby showers.
In the meantime, Lisa hosts events on the porch of her home, looking out over the garden and rolling hills. She currently has You-Pick flower events at the end of each month through October where you can learn about the flowers that are in season, cut your own flowers, arrange them, and take them home to enjoy. Prairie Hill Flower Co. is a full-service floral company, delivering flower arrangements to Parker and the surrounding areas. Lisa is also booking weddings through 2023. She works with brides to curate and grow flowers to match their wedding color palette and then creates beautiful arrangements for the big day.
To learn more about Prairie Hill Flower Co., order flowers, or find out about their upcoming events, visit their website at prairiehillflowerco.com.