The Faces of Rosie's Seeds

 "Are you Rosie? Do you sell seeds?" No and nope! 🙂 But here's the story of how Rosie’s Seeds came to life...

Fourteen years ago my husband and I ventured into our first rental property as newlyweds. Although not my property, this duplex become the beginning of my gardening journey as I started enhancing the front area’s aesthetic appeal. I distinctly remember the feeling of being a novice gardener when I asked the nursery staff for guidance on differentiating between annuals and perennials. However, I drew on my job as a middle school science teacher and approached gardening with a thirst for knowledge and experimentation! For the past 14 years, I've been self-taught, learning through trial, error, and extensive reading. I’ve found immense joy in the process of nurturing flowers and seeing the growth process, often more than the eventual bloom. Understanding plants and caring for their individual needs has fascinated me and resonates with my family's history in farming, despite not having grown up on a farm myself.

 As I continued my gardening journey, 2015 brought heartbreaking news: my best friend Rosemary Smith was diagnosed with Glioblastoma, a rare and severe form of brain cancer.  Rosemary and I were inseparable colleagues, teaching middle school science together for years. Rosemary radiated love, leaving a profound impact on all she met. She was spirited and prioritized her family and having FUN. As an introvert, her extroverted nature embraced me, drawing me out of my shell. We led students on science trips to Costa Rica, had countless happy hours, traveled together, and cherished moments with each other's families, especially her two incredible daughters.

I was by her side through surgery, treatments, and countless visits to Duke. Her community cherished her, often sending cards and flowers, especially sunflowers, which were her and her daughter's favorite. The sunflowers truly brought an energy of joy and hope into the room. During this time, I was also navigating infertility. I vividly recall taking a pregnancy test at her home. Despite her difficulty with speaking, she was thrilled that I took a test with her. Though the result was negative for the hundredth time, I'll never forget her reassuring words as she held my hand and managed to get the words out, "It will happen. I know it will." As tears streamed down my cheek, she gave my hand the most comforting squeeze. Rosemary, affectionately known as Rosie, passed away after bravely battling cancer for 19 months. 

It was difficult to navigate grief while undergoing infertility treatments, working full time as a teacher, and attending graduate school. Amidst this trying period, my garden became my refuge. While it had always been a source of joy, it evolved into a sanctuary where I processed the tumultuous emotions of grief. Here, I meditated, released my anger, and wept. The garden is nonjudgmental and doesn't demand anything from me; it simply exists and invites me to exist just as I am. A safe haven that could hold the intricate complexity of overwhelming grief. It was also where my fascination with sunflowers began. Every year, I grow them in honor of Rosemary and share photos with her husband and daughters of the vibrant blooms. A fact I love about sunflowers is their ability to track the sun throughout the day, with the entire plant facing east in the morning and west by evening. Rosemary was a radiant, vibrant soul, bringing light to every room much like the sunflower.

A little over a year after Rosemary passed away, our little miracle Nora Rosie entered the world! Gardening took a back seat as we embraced life with a newborn. I eagerly awaited the day she would join me in the garden. And it didn't take long! As a curious toddler, she took to the dirt, relishing in watering and pulling apart every flower she could get her hands on. She now tends to her own garden, adamantly guarding it against my attempts to harvest flowers for bouquets or pressed art. Nora adores her tree, lovingly named Ron, and delights in making mud pies. She's my constant companion outdoors and although she often doubles my clean up time, I cherish every moment by my side.

If you've ever delved into gardening, you're aware of its cost. That's why I made the switch to seeds. Nora and I embarked on the journey of learning how to harvest seeds together. One of my most cherished flowers is Nigella, Love-In-A-Mist, because I have so many memories of Nora bursting the Nigella seed pods and joyously scattering them everywhere while I try to collect them to save. Watching flowers sprout from seeds fills me with great joy and so I began converting our basement bathroom into a grow room and learning soil blocking. When contemplating a name for my business, "seeds" holds profound significance. It embodies my cherished moments with Nora, dedication to nurturing tiny seeds into magnificent blooms, the cycle of life, and how I utilize the seeds of Rosemary's love to pay tribute to her and spread love. I hope my flowers hold space for you, as the garden has for me, be it in moments of joy or great sorrow. 

And there you have it – the full circle of Rosie’s Seeds. In the Fall of 2022, we transformed our side yard with ample sunlight, into a trial field with around 200 sunflowers unsure if there would be any demand. I took the leap anyway, and they sold out immediately! In Spring of 2023, we officially began converting our landscaping, turning perennial spaces into annual cut flower rows. While I've gardened for 14 years, nothing compared to this scale. It was a significant financial investment and a steep learning curve as we embarked on farming without traditional farm equipment or a truck. We're still learning as we go, recently having transitioned to raised beds after losing a battle to invasive Wild Violet. Our micro farm is nestled in our neighborhood backyard in Jonesborough.

My family has leapt into this journey altogether while my husband and I both work full time as educators. I am a school counselor at my daughter's elementary school and also teach yoga as a certified 500-hr RYT instructor at Vidya Yoga & Fitness, Serenity Knoll Farm and Aunt Willies Farm. We fit in farming as we can, particularly during the warm summer season. We're truly grateful for your support and for everyone who's followed our journey. Our hope is that our flowers hold space for you and serve as messengers of the profound love and joy with which they are cultivated. We'd love to connect and hear about your experiences with flowers and the significance they hold in your lives.