Daily Inspiration: Meet Brigitte Weller

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brigitte Weller.  

Hi Brigitte, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a flower farmer florist currently living in Lake Orion, Michigan.  I grow specialty cut flowers from seed for all my floral arrangements, designs & installations.  I am moving to the Upper Peninsula near Iron Mountain fall of 2022 to farm on a larger scale and have the property to host garden parties and weddings.

 Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to do with my life professionally. This was very difficult for me because I have a lot of hobbies.  One thing that I have learned is that personal happiness is priceless and loving what you do is very important. Working a 9-5 while daydreaming about what I really wanted to be doing or should be doing was depressing to me.  Giving up a great paying job with benefits to work different odd jobs in the flower field or what I call “paid education” was a struggle at first, but it got me to where I am at today, so it was worth all of it. 

 Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I grow annual flowers from seed starting the week after Christmas and continue until the frost is gone.  I cultivate over 15 species of cosmos, double and semi double flowering zinnias, sweet peas, forget me nots, branching sunflowers, scabiosa and more.  Along with annuals I grow multiple varieties of dahlias, heirloom roses, and huge list or perennials.  I also like to grow different herbs such as basil and amaranth for foliage and like to forge in branches of wild honeysuckle I find on my hikes into my arrangements.  While seedlings are growing, I install seasonal porch pots in late spring early summer with flowers from the local greenhouse.  Once summer is here and I have fresh blooms available I offer a bouquet subscription for 4 & 8 weeks long priced at $25.00 per arrangement.  I deliver flowers to 3 specific locations once a week and my subscribers can pick up their flowers on that day. I also offer flowers on a bigger scale for any type of occasion whether it is someone’s birthday or a graduation party.  Once fall hits and all my flowers are harvested, I install my fall porch pots and start taking orders for my holiday wreaths.  One of my favorites to make are my pony wreaths which are great for any horse loving person like myself.  I use fresh cut greenery from a local tree farm for all my wreaths, holiday porch pot installations, and custom grave blankets. 

 Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I learned the love for flowers from my mom.  She is a master gardener and has taught me everything about perennial gardening from the importance of pulling weeds to deadheading flowers and hedging boxwoods.

Pricing:

• $25.00 for a local fresh cut bouquet
• $175.00 for 25lb horse wreath
• $85.00 grave blankets

Contact Info:

• Website: www.farmhousefloralco.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farmhousefloralco/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/farmhousefloralco