About

 

Welcome! I am Abby; the grower, designer, and maker behind Fernwood & Co.

 

I am a creative at heart, happiest when I am making beautiful things or working hard outside. I grew up figure skating competitively and then transitioned into coaching which I did for 10 years. Being a competitive athlete has taught me many life skills that I have been able to carry throughout life so far; multi-tasking being one of them!

 

I always dreamt of owning my own business. When the opportunity came up to move back to my childhood acreage in 2019, I decided what better way to enjoy the place I love most than to grow thousands of flowers! I didn't always have a green thumb. In fact I couldn’t even keep 1 houseplant alive at a time, but gardening is in my blood from both of my parents and a long line of farmers. My grandparents are both in their 80’s, but still help me in my garden regularly. Having your hands in the dirt is good for the soul and doing it with family is even better. I am so thankful to have the added help, but spending time with my mother and grandparents in the garden is even more special.

 

2021 was my first official growing season as a flower farmer. It was a great success and I learnt more than I ever could have imagined. In the spring of 2021, I started approximately 3,500 seedlings in my house. I soon realized that this was not going to be easy! But watching the seeds sprout, grow, flower, and then harvesting and arranging the flowers has been an amazing journey. This past year there were many obstacles to face including a drought and heat wave, but I always love a good challenge! Having to surrender to what nature has planned can be tough especially when your business depends on it, but the beauty that also comes from nature is nothing short of amazing.

 

There are additional challenges of living in Zone 3. The window for growing is only about 3 months long. A lot of time and organizing goes on behind the scenes so that every day of that growing season is utilized. When it isn’t growing season, I am working with the flowers I dried making handmade products, woodworking, and planning for the next season.