How one gardener’s neighbors shared their land to help her start a flower business
When Marisa Mender-Franklin walks through any of the nine flower farms she runs in Memphis, Tennessee, her first thoughts are of gratitude. Partly for the flowers and…
Marisa Mender-Franklin, a lifelong gardener, found herself dreaming of owning a flower shop and working as an urban flower farmer. In 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mender-Franklin was a teacher planning her wedding when she decided to grow her own wedding flowers. This experience reaffirmed her lifelong passion for flowers, but she soon realized she lacked the land and resources to make her dreams a reality.
Mender-Franklin is a member of the Buy Nothing group, a community that offers unwanted items for free to those in need. Inspired by this supportive network, she turned to the group in hopes of finding a place to grow flowers. Her post, simply titled "Flowers in need of a garden," was met with an overwhelming response. Within minutes, her phone began to ring with offers of free land for her flowers.
Within a week, Mender-Franklin had received 40 offers from her neighbors to use their vacant gardens and yards for free. She expressed her desire to grow and sell flowers, promising to provide weekly bouquets to the owners. Mender-Franklin credits her neighbors for the support that made her dream of owning a flower shop possible. "None of this would be possible without an immensely supportive community," she said.
Written by urgent.news from Associated Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
