Birmingham AL — Kelly Wood, owner/operator of Grace Gardens, and her pet chicken, Pecks.

You’ve heard of farm to table food. How about farm to table flowers? In this week’s small business post, Kelly Wood tells us how she’s making her vision for locally sourced flowers come true with Grace Gardens.

My name is Kelly Mason Wood and I grew up in Birmingham. I am the owner of Grace Gardens Floral Design which is a small, urban flower farm and floral design studio located in the historic Roebuck Springs neighborhood of Birmingham.

I work with garden manager, Gary Rosenow, to bring the best of our garden to you; be that in personal flowers for you or someone special (delivered of course ) or flowers and floral design service for events. Our goal is much like the “farm to table” food movement but with flowers!

“Farm to Vase ” is a very well established concept in many parts of the country and there is a growing awareness here in Birmingham that locally grown flowers, like locally grown food, are best! Like a homegrown tomato, picked and eaten in season is delicious, a rose, grown locally and cut in season, has a luscious smell and ephemeral beauty that just can’t be beat!

I have been in business for about 6 years. A garden takes time to develop and we have expanded and taken on new clients as the garden has grown. Every year we are able to offer more flowers and are constantly “tweaking” the varieties and timing of planting to bring our clients the very best! We are blessed to have great relationships with local wholesalers, who help us source the products we are still developing so that we can offer something beautiful year round. Their knowledge and enthusiastic support cannot be appreciated enough!

Being a floral designer is all about building relationships. Every client, every shop keeper, every farmer’s market manager, and every gardener that we have had the privilege of knowing has helped our little business along. These relationships have turned into friendships and that makes working a joy! Without that joy, your flowers just won’t grow. If you ask me what I like best about what I do, the answer is simple: Flowers make people happy! Delivering a beautiful bouquet and seeing the recipient smile makes all the long hours in the garden and in the studio worth their weight in gold (or sunflowers, or peonies, or lilies!)

This is a dynamic time for the city of Birmingham. It has been incredible to watch people move back into the city to work and live and play. Of course, as a garden lover, I am especially proud of all the gorgeous parks and “green space” that have really given the city momentum and definition. I live and garden at the foot of Ruffner Mountain in Roebuck Springs. Roebuck Springs was developed by Robert Jemison in the early 20th century to provide a green refuge from all the hustle and bustle of city life. It is has been the perfect place to build our business and develop our gardens. Our flowers reflect our place and in that reflect the beauty of Birmingham. Someone once said, “Show me your garden and you will show me your soul.” I hope that our flowers do just that!

You can reach us on our website : gracegardensbham.com or on FaceBook at Grace Gardens or on Instagram @ kelly_mason_wood

Look for the Grace Gardens flower bike around town this summer or visit us at your favorite farmer’s markets!