Reflecting On 10 years of Growing Flowers

When I started growing flowers at Cliff’s Garden, I literally had no idea why. One day, while I was volunteering out at a small, private farm on the edge of Elk Grove, God gently nudged me to ask Cliff if I could try planting a small row of flowers. He immediately responded, “Sure, kid” and it was decided. I would attempt to be a flower farmer. I had been drawn to the farm a couple of years earlier, when my kids were in school. I helped Cliff with weeding, planting seeds for his veggies, harvesting and even fixing/building whatever he needed for the farm. It felt like home. At the time, it was called Stone Lake Farms and that name alone was fitting enough for me. You see, my maiden name was Stone, and I’m a farmer’s daughter. In what seems like another lifetime is something so deeply rooted that its taken my entire life to unravel. My biological father died while he was flying his plane over our family’s ranch in 1976.

I never intended on farming…in fact, it was the last thing on my mind when I left for college. I was never going back to that town. My uncle told me in so many words that I wasn’t enough to be a part of that family business and I didn’t deserve anything. (I’ve never shared openly about this part of my life for many reasons.)

Fast forward to 2016, when I planted my first crop of zinnias, marigolds and sunflowers down a 300 foot row with a garden hose at Stone Lake Farms; God does have a way of redirecting our plans. I didn’t know how he was going to use these flowers and how good it was going to be.

Our 10th year of growing flowers for our Jars of Joy is here and we can’t wait to give them away!!! We are team of volunteers who relish in walking the rows, surrounded by the sights and sounds of the farm; birds, bees, lizards, butterflies, breeze, and of course, Cliff’s tractor. An what I know now with absolute certainty, is that we are, indeed, flower farmers.

If this grips any part of your heart, we’d love to have you. We will work Wednesday evenings and Friday mornings; cutting, arranging and delivering Jars of Joy in Elk Grove. You’ll find them at Elk Grove Vitamins and Rescaté Coffee on Thursdays and The Discovery Shop and Tule Coffee on Fridays. If you see them there, you can take them. We encourage you to take them and give them to someone you know who is needing to feel seen and heard. And if that someone is you, take them for yourself.

Fill out our VOLUNTEER FORM if you’re interested in helping.

*If you need to request flowers fill out our REQUEST FORM.

“Everything grows here…flowers, weeds, relationships, music and laughter, compassion and joy. We get on our knees to weed and tend. We relish in the double rows of petals and heart-shaped centers. We cherish the combinations of colors that are built with each bouquet and are awed by how every single one of them is their own masterpiece. We proudly deliver them, knowing they won’t take away the sting of grief, but they might make a small difference in someone’s day.”