Love ‘n Fresh Flowers presently farms nearly five acres of lush, rich land located in the Andorra/Upper Roxborough neighborhood in Philadelphia. While well within the city’s limits, this section of Philadelphia has a long standing agrarian tradition and remains surprisingly “rural”, sitting on bluffs above the Schuylkill River and boasting a silty clay loam that supports abundant growth. Our exuberant flower fields, which have been Certified Naturally Grown, play host to countless wild birds, bees, butterflies, lady bugs, four-legged furry friends and, by times, a badelynge of ducks who are on slug and grasshopper patrol. Large plantings of perennials and shrubs, especially native varieties, provide unusual cutting material and boost biodiversity.  The fields are organically-managed, meaning lots of compost and natural fertilizers like kelp and cotton meal are used to nourish the plants. No toxic chemicals are ever applied anywhere in the fields or growing houses. An extensive drip irrigation system waters the field at the most effective moment (early dawn) with just the right amount so there is no waste or runoff. Cover crops are used to manage weeds, support soil biology, and stop any erosion when the flower beds are fallow. A greenhouse for starting seeds in winter and two unheated hoop houses for growing in early spring and late fall keep the farm busy 11 months of the year.  Each individual plant is lovingly nurtured and every bloom is harvested at the peak of perfection.

The flower farm is not open to the general public.  On-farm floral design workshops are a great opportunity to see our flower fields!

History

Love ‘n Fresh Flowers started out as more of a “market garden” than a farm when Jennie rented several plots – about 6400 square feet in total – at the Schuylkill Center Community Garden in 2008. The fallow plots had to be cleared by hand, digging out the deep and stubborn roots of invasive wild roses and sassafras trees. Fencing and gates to keep out the deer had to be built. A few neighbors needed to be won over with bunches of free flowers and surplus plants. What emerged from a thicket of waist-high weeds was an extremely efficient and productive cutting garden that churned out enough blooms to start a business.

After two years in the market garden, it was evident that Love ‘n Fresh needed more land to produce even more flowers to keep up with demand. An invaluable connection was made through a friend, and Love ‘n Fresh was granted the use of a flat, sunny acre+ field less than a quarter mile from the original garden. This privately owned land had been previously used to grow potatoes and came with use of a tractor and a strong well! Even with its perennial crop of large rocks, it was an incredible match made in heaven. This field sits high on a plateau where, when the trees are bare, you can see the I-76 expressway down below. Surrounded by mature dogwood trees that bloom prolifically in the spring, the field was dubbed Dogwood Hill and has been the main hub of Love ‘n Fresh farming operations ever since. Two large hoop houses were constructed at this field and our popular floral design workshops are hosted at this site.

In 2018, Love ‘n Fresh took a big leap of faith and purchased four adjoining acres to our Dogwood Hill field, creating a cohesive five acre farm where there had once only been one acre. Originally a cow pasture in colonial times, this new land has rich, well-draining soil, but overrun with wild, weedy growth after being left unattended for more than two decades. We took great care in bring it back to a productive, healthy state, including clearing chocking vines from the two wooded acres and removing invasive multiflora rose and thistle from the open meadow/field. The two wooded sloped acres are now planted with shade-loving perennials, such as ferns, solomon’s seal, bleeding hearts, astilbe, hellebores, huechera and more. Another acre of flat sunny land is now planted with hundreds of shrubs good for cutting, such as hydrangeas, viburnums, willows, quince, mock orange, and more.  We use native plants as much as possible so the ecosystem regenerates and thrives.  

We built a large greenhouse in 2022 that showcases several forward-thinking systems for small scale flower farms.  Our big beautiful barn hosts dozens of workshops and other events each season.  The flowers we harvest are used in these workshops as well as weddings and our flower subscription service.  We also sell wholesale to other florist through the Philadelphia Floral Guild.