My story begins in a greenhouse…

Not just any greenhouse. This one was owned by my aunts and uncle, surrounded by endless beauty at the most magical garden center located in the small town of Keavy, Kentucky. It’s the turn of the millennium and I am 12 or 13 years old. Country music plays on the radio. I don’t remember what specifically, but it was probably Kenny Chesney. I am hot, tired, and happy. Each summer from middle school on, I left my hometown of Lexington for a few weeks to work at my family’s garden center. It was during those summers that I fell in love with plants, flowers and design and decided that I wanted my career to involve those three elements. Somewhere along the way, my path took a turn and I ended up going to nursing school out of high school. I spent the next 14 years focusing on my medical career, which took me around the world and ultimately landed me in Denver, Colorado. During this 14 year span, I continued to meddle in floral design on the side and tended a garden each summer. Despite have a great job as a pediatric nurse practitioner, I could not escape my desire to farm and design with flowers…and I didn’t know what to do about it.

Once pregnant with my second child, I knew I wanted to stay home full time with my children, but I also wanted a creative outlet that could contribute financially to our family.

Breakthrough came in fall of 2018 when I signed up for a 6 week intensive flower farming course put on by Floret Flower Farm. This gave me the confidence and final touch of inspiration I needed to pursue this dream once and for all. Thus, Eden Roots was born. I had decided on the name years ago, back before I knew if Eden Roots would ever actually exist. The name pays homage to the belief that our original design as human beings was to live peacefully in community with one another and with God, and that our work was intended to be both meaningful and beautiful. My vision for Eden Roots is to make the little piece of the world we’ve been given a vessel of peace, community, beauty and meaningful work.

And now, we get to pursue that vision in Kentucky. Right after our first growing season in Colorado ended, we learned that my husband had been transferred to Louisville. So, at the beginning of the year, we moved to our new small farm in Simpsonville and are re-started Eden Roots on my native soil. We had an incredible -and exhausting- 4 years there. We got to know countless growers and designers and flower lovers. We also legitimately learned out how flower farm. Chase learned that he did not particularly like to flower farm at all. We went through a pandemic. We had another baby. We started another business or two. We designed countless weddings (I could count them, maybe 20? 25?)… And then? Our time in Simpsonville came to an end.

In February 2024, we got to move home to the Lexington/Nicholasville area for Chase’s work and to be closer to my family. That move entailed consolidating the farm and moving once again. 2024 was a stretching year in many ways. It was physically demanding to take down the farm and move hundreds of plants. Personally, it was emotionally demanding. We let go of a business or two. BUT, it was worth it. We continue to resettle here and refine and redefine the vision for Eden Roots. Always flowers, always growing, always learning, always family, always beauty. Always.

Thanks for following along,

Sarah

Founder of Eden Roots