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Idea blossomed into successful floral venture
Sarah Nixon will plant your garden in return for flowers
National Post, May 1, 2009
Sarah Nixon sells flowers that are so local, they might even come from your neighbour's backyard. Her company, My Luscious Backyard, operates by borrowing back and front yards from Toronto homeowners and turning them into a working farm, where Ms. Nixon produces more than 60 varieties of flowers and foliage. She arranges them into bouquets and sells them to people who use them for weddings or to decorate business entrances.
Ms. Nixon got the idea for her business while wandering around her South Riverdale neighbourhood seven years ago. Looking at the houses with massive lawns made her jealous: As an avid gardener, Ms. Nixon had a yard full of beautiful flowers, but she wanted more. Ms. Nixon decided to put some flyers in local mailboxes with an interesting proposition: She would plant a magnificent flower garden in the homeowner's yard and do all the work; in exchange, she would get the flowers.
A few neighbours agreed, and soon Ms. Nixon had a bumper crop of flowers to give to friends. She started selling bouquets at the Riverdale Farm Farmers' Market, and as her client base grew, she began making regular flower deliveries on her car or bike. Customers agree to buy a bouquet each week, for $35 and up. "I love growing flowers, and it kind of got out of control," said Ms. Nixon, who moonlights as a yoga teacher.
Ms. Nixon grew up on Vancouver Island with parents who she describes as ''maniacal gardeners.''
"I thought gardening was totally boring when I was a kid," she said. But after working in a plant nursery as an adult, Ms. Nixon discovered her own passion for gardening.
My Luscious Backyard's flowers are much more eco-friendly than conventional ones, as Ms. Nixon doesn't use any pesticides, simply relying on compost to build up healthy soil and putting up fencing to keep hungry squirrels from chomping on her sunflowers. The flowers consume fewer resources than standard ones as they aren't shipped long distances -- typically, flowers are grown in Holland or South America.
Ms. Nixon's flowers include many varieties, such as zinnias, that aren't sold in shops because they don't transport well. This year, Ms. Nixon is experimenting with a few unusual items to spruce up her bouquets, such as solanum, a type of mini-squash that grows off a stem, and cotton, which grows in small, white puffs. She also sells edible flowers to restaurants, which use them to garnish dishes.
A few weeks ago, Ms. Nixon starting planting seeds in her shed for this year's crop. Soon, she will distribute flyers in her new neighbourhood, Parkdale, with the hope of finding a dozen or so yards where she can garden. Ms. Nixon says she is confident she will get a good response, because the beauty of the gardens is a big attraction.
"People love it," she said. "Sometimes I have to turn them down. Who wouldn't want a free flower garden?"