The Farm-her, Heather Carnocki
“Flowers remind us we are loved” - My flower mentor, an old-school Dutch florist, said this with a twinkle in her eye in the early days of working together. Letting me ponder it a bit… Loved by whom? How can they ‘remind us’? She taught me a lot about arranging flowers and even more about the power they bring to celebrations, times of mourning and everything in-between. Today it is my business motto.
I have always had a garden and at least a few stems in a vase usually on the windowsill next to the sink. The sink is one of my favorite locations in the house to enjoy flowers, while doing one of my least favorite task, washing dishes. The other is on the nightstand next to the bed.
I grew up in Washington State and moved away in 1990. My career as an oceanographer for the US Navy brought me back to the PNW in 2012 (thank you Navy). I made really fancy maps (think Google Maps, but for the world’s oceans). To this day I love maps, planning and voyages. It’s just that now they are maps of my flower fields, plans for farm retreats and floral services, and voyages to the Meditation Lawn.
We purchased our house in 2014, a dilapidated 1930’s farmhouse, in the hamlet of Seabeck, on the Kitsap Peninsula. It was completely gutted (no electrical, no plumbing, no insulation, no sheetrock, etc), but it did have the original hardwood floors, so I figured I could work with it. Old hardwood floors are a favorite feature in old homes.
Nice to meet you and I look forward to hearing about your interest, adventures and where you like to set a vase of flowers.