Cultivating land + community — how this family-owned flower farm spreads joy through their love for nature

flower child maysville leann and gillian — Meet LeAnn and Gillian, the owners of Flower Child Maysville. (Curtis Venetta / Hville Blast)

One day, in the height of quarantine from COVID-19 in 2020, Gillian Kelley was simply flipping through a magazine on her front porch. She came across an article that piqued her interest about the family-owned Floret Flower Farm, and the seeds of inspiration were planted.

After a quick text conversation with LeAnn Richard, her mom, the mother-daughter duo began their journey toward what is known today as Flower Child Maysville.

“I thought to myself — we could do that, and we should. We’re not doing anything else right now, so why not?”
Gillian Kelley, Owner

Farming has always been in their lineage

flower child maysville prices chalkboard — Serving up fresh, homegrown flowers in whichever display you choose. (Curtis Venetta / Hville Blast)

Within weeks, Gillian and LeAnn took online flower farming classes via Floret Flower Farm, and soon enough, they started ordering seeds. Fortunately, their old family farm was close enough and just the right size for the small business to bloom. By 2021, they were ready to share their products with local customers.

Although they have a Huntsville address, their cozy neck of the woods is known as Maysville, where both Gillian and LeAnn have lived their whole lives. LeAnn remembers loving her grandmother’s garden when she was a child, and she finds joy in this opportunity to expand upon that special connection with her community.

They love giving back to their community

flower child maysville flower farm — The flower farm is tended to daily, so you can be sure you’re getting the best quality flora. (Curtis Venetta / Hville Blast)

Gillian and LeAnn are always trying to foster community — one way they do that is by partnering with small local businesses. For example, they have hosted Magnolia Cottage Bakehouse several times, which is a tasty bakery based in New Market.

Although Flower Child Maysville is involved in wholesale, they continuously prioritize a one-to-one relationship with their customers. Their main sales outlet is the flower stand itself, open every Friday-Sunday during the season. You can order fresh bouquets and mason jar arrangements, all composed of fresh-cut flowers grown right in the field behind the stand.

It can be a challenge, but they stay motivated

community library — Don’t miss out on their Little Free Library next to the stand. (Curtis Venetta / Hville Blast)

It can be challenging for two people to manage a high-maintenance small business like Flower Child Maysville. Luckily, they have always relied on one another to get things done.

While Gillian takes care of the planning and ordering, LeAnn does most of the field work. However, both women harvest and organize the flowers in bouquets and jars. Gillian says this isn’t her full-time job, and LeAnn, while retired, has “a thousand other things going on, too” — but through their constant teamwork and inspiring passion, Flower Child Maysville continues to flourish.

“I just stop in the field sometimes, look around and just go, Wow, God created all this. Look how cool this is, you know — I get to do this.“
LeAnn Richard, Owner

They have big plans for the future

flower child maysville inside stand — These adorable decorations make Flower Child Maysville all the more cozy. (Curtis Venetta / Hville Blast)

Although it’s already a lot of work, Gillian and LeAnn plan to be more than just a flower farm. They’ve started to make use of their beehives and incorporate pollinator gardens, hoping to sell honey and beeswax in an extension of the flower stand.

Next summer, they plan on introducing family-friendly classes you won’t find in many other spots around town, like how to make bug hotels and learning about local butterflies.

If you’d like to learn more about Flower Child Maysville, reach out via email or any of their social channels, linked below!