Appearing in Skirt Magazine   By jennymaxwell,  Friday, July, 25, 2008  0 comments   “We grow flowers without chemicals, because we don't want to poison our land.”  The co-owner of Floral & Hardy, a farm in Lexington, Donna says most flowers you see are imported—some 97%.  They’re heavy on pesticides, to reduce the risk of bringing insects into the country.  Buying locally-grown lets you avoid the chemicals: “We keep pests at bay with horticultural oils and insecticidal soap.  Not spraying toxic chemicals keeps our good insect populations up, including ladybugs and pollinating bees.”  Work on a flower farm starts early, “at the crack of dawn when it’s hot, so that cutting can begin as early as possible.”  Donna’s blooms are sought by florists in Atlanta and Columbia.  She also sells fresh-cut flowers at the All-Local Farmers’ Market twice a month  “Sunflowers are always in demand.  And right now the biggest trend is green flowers.  I can sell anything green.”

More from Donna: On how she came up with the name “Floral & Hardy”: Floral & Hardy was overheard as a slip of the tongue years ago and I thought "that would be a great name for a flower business."  In 1996, I was working for Rosewood Florist and had been growing flowers for a few years for my personal use.  I began to sell flowers to Rosewood when I went in to work.  That inspired me to try my hand at a business. On the types of flowers they grow: The flower we grow the most of is sunflowers. My favorite flowers that we grow are delphinium and anemones.  They have short seasons because they like cool weather.  But i'm amazed that I can grow them at all in this climate.  The addition of coldframes to the farm allows us to grow flowers we normally would not be able to grow.  We have had a lot of trial and error with growing in this hot climate. Sometimes it's just a matter of timing, planting early or late in the season. If I have had a hard time growing something, sometimes i'll try it in a different season. On how to make a better bouquet: I can't say I have any secrets to creating bouquets.  I usually just look for pleasing colors to put together.   And I try to have something spiky with something round.  That sounds kind of silly but it creates depth and is pleasing to the eye.  I think a great floral arrangement is one with LOTS of MY flowers in it! There is an in-depth article on making flowers last on my website.

As seen in The Columbia Star Stopping to smell the flowers By Arlene Marturano marturanoa@yahoo.com       The state plate breakfast at the All- Local Farmer's Market has Columbian's getting up and out early Saturday mornings. The idea for the market comes from Emile DeFelice, farmer and advocate for sustainable agriculture. DeFelice wanted to create an authentic Farmer's Market good for local farmers, customers, and the community. The market ground rules are 1) Everything must be from South Carolina, 2) The market operates year round - rain or shine, and 3) All food categories are represented. Additionally, customers can eat a state plate of Anson Mills grits, Wilmoore Farm eggs, Caw Caw Creek pork sausage or bacon, and coffee for only $4. According to volunteer market manager Amanda McClain, two local restaurants provide a free venue for vendors and prepare the state plate. Gervais and Vine hosts the market on the second Saturday of the month. Rosewood Foods hosts on the fourth Saturday of the month. The market opens at 8 am and closes at noon. The variety of vendors is delightful, and the conversation is lively. Customers learn much from the growers who are willing and excited to talk about how their products are grown or made. Donna Mills br ings flower power to the market. Wil- Moore Farms of Lugoff sells chicken, quail, eggs, milk, sausage, and pet food. Owner Keith Willoughby sells out quickly on bobwhite quail. Busy Bee Apiaries with hives in Lexington, Saluda and Richland counties produces and packs non- pasteurized unfiltered honey. When asked if the honey is from any particular flowers, owner Tommy Thompson compared honeybees to women shoppers, "You can tell them what to bring back, but you never know what they will return with." Palmetto Pepper Potions owned by Mark Riffle, hot honcho, and his wife, Julie Riffle, potionologist, began experimenting with making hot sauce after being gifted with an abundance of chili peppers. Today, they have four fiery flavors. Judith Phipps of Private P.O. in Columbia creates handmade baby gifts, children's dresses and suits, and other personalized gifts, even dog scarves. David Derrick of Heritage Fields Farm in Irmo harvests a cornucopia of vegetables on 6.5 acres including a wide assortment of hot and sweet peppers, eggplant, onions, leeks, potatoes, and squash. Julie and Mark Riffle advertise their hot pepper sauce in their attire. Anson Mills in downtown Columbia produces organic heirloom grain flours for local and national distribution. Crooked Cedar Farm on Lawhorn Road in Blythewood is owned by Selvin and Edwina Harrell. They grow four acres of flowers, fruit, and vegetables using organic methods. Summer veggies are featured now and, in winter, they produce a salad mix. Backcountry Skin Care Products in Blythewood produces goat milk soaps, lotions, moisturizers, and body and skin products. Loretta McMahon raises Nubian dairy goats, producers of the sweetest and best tasting goat milk. Its alkalinity matches that of human skin. Floral and Hardy Farm in Lexington is a 2.5 acre cutting flower garden. Donna Mills sells wholesale to florists in Aiken, Augusta, Columbia, and Atlanta, and retails only at All- Local. Bouquets of sunflowers, yarrow, Rudbeckia, Queen Anne's lace, Sweet William, and Vitex were available. Beneficial bugs take care of her minimal pest problems, and she has not sprayed in 15 years of business. Caw Caw Creek in St. Matthews, home to Emile DeFelice's pasture raised pork, sells pork chops, ribs, sausage and bratwurst.