Unique Valley flowers from a sudden green thumb
Memories of her great-grandmother, ‘intoxicated’ by the Hardin Valley area beauty, inspired Henry’s farm
-
Becca Henry is all smiles among her Valley Flower Farm creation. - Photos submitted
-
A flower cart at the farm’s entrance, where Henry has pre-made bouquets ready and available for folks to pick up then pay the pink piggy bank. - Photos submitted
-
A cute little garden shed, pink door and all, can be found among what Valley Flower Farm has to offer. - Photos submitted
Tucked away back off the two narrow lanes of asphalt woven into the curves and hills of West Gallaher Ferry Road, off Hickory Creek Road in Hardin Valley, lies a blossoming gem that you’d never know existed were it not for a little sign stuck in the ground beside a big cedar tree at the junction.
It is a dead-end road where, before it dies, you’ll find “life in full bloom” just a few miles up on the right — the inspiration of which being fueled by fond memories of her great-grandmother.
The one bringing life to bloom is Becca Henry, owner of Valley Flower Farm, a microfarm specializing in “boutique-style” flowers — those varieties typically unavailable at most traditional flower shops, with varieties such as the Dream Touch Tulip, the Bridal Crown Narcissus and the Madame Butterfly Red Snapdragon among so many more.
Henry and her husband, Chris Henry, moved to Hardin Valley in June last year, having found the “hustle and bustle” of Memphis once and for all out of alignment with their family’s priorities. “It was about a lifestyle change,” she said, “one where I intended to live more presently instead of marking times.”
Along with the couple’s three youngest children of five — Jack, 16, Cash, 10 and Stella, 9 — Henry said, “Becoming a flower farmer was about showing my children the value of ownership, hard work and what the land could produce for the community.”
They found that slower-paced life they sought, “intoxicated” by their concept in Hardin Valley, 3104 W. Gallaher Ferry Road.
She put aside her various careers and pursuits, which included teaching at a university and in high school, two paralegal jobs, sampling the insurance business and starting her own marketing company before beginning a medical equipment company.
However, “I had never grown a thing until this year,” Henry remarkably admitted, given what she’s done with her piece of earth here in the Valley.
Her mother warned, upon being informed of this latest endeavor, “‘Rebecca, you kill your houseplants,’” Henry recalled.
But after much soul searching, thinking back on all those past career swings, she wound up discovering her thumb was green after all, which took just a little reminiscing to help, as it were, plant this seed that has blossomed.
Henry wasn’t always far from a field. She whiled away Mississippi summers growing up helping her grandparents harvest, can and prepare their produce.
What tipped the balance, however, was recalling how her great-grandmother, Gladys, “took up two rows of their vegetable field growing her favorite flower, the gladiola. Waiting for those flowers to bloom and to have the joy of harvesting them was the bright spot in the summer for our family.
“That single memory,” she added, “inspired my journey to become a flower farmer.”
A small part of the Henry family’s 15 acres along Melton Hill Lake, Valley Flower Farm’s footprint there is “Life in Full Bloom,” their slogan that “encapsulates my purpose for this new journey,” she said.
Henry sees flowers “as a luxury God provides as a source of comfort, celebration, gratitude and joy for humanity.”
Having just turned 45, “The land and the move forced me to decide what my goals for middle age were and my senior years should look like,” Henry said.
As for doing business, the Flower Farm is open to the public for “Farmshed Friday,” the day each week during the June-through-October growing season when customers can choose their own blooms or create their own bouquets.
“Sunday Funday at the Farm,” currently available (mid-August), allows for plenty of opportunities to book private events, such as a date night, group picking or just a chance to bring your camera and the family for your own private shoot on the farm.
A well-kept flower cart serves as the big arrow indicating “You made it” at the entrance, where Henry has pre-made bouquets ready and available for folks to pick up and pay the piggy bank, which helps financially facilitate the farm’s current non-traditional hours of operation.
“The sky is the limit for this little farm,” Henry said, “because there is plenty of fertile land to farm. We will be constantly adding opportunities to enjoy what we’re building for the community and always looking to improve.”
For additional information, bookings, etc., visit www.valleyflowerfarm.us.
