Hello! My name is Nicole Morouse, owner and grower of Farm to City Flowers.
I am a wife to my incredible husband Jimmy, and a mom to our three (very loud and very happy) children, Jacob 14yrs, Caroline 10yrs, and Noah 8yrs. I am a nationally certified sign language interpreter of nearly 20 years, and most recently, a small scale flower farmer!
From a very early age, I have loved all flowers. My mom loves to tell the story of one Mother’s Day, when I was 4 or 5 years old, I rang our doorbell and proudly handed her a bouquet of freshly cut tulips. The only problem? My mom wasn’t growing tulips…but our neighbor was! Hey, it’s the thought that counts, right?
Growing up, our neighbor Eileen was the embodiment of Martha Stewart, long before I was old enough to know who Martha Stewart was. Eileen taught me how to sew, and would let me follow her through her gorgeous garden full of peonies, lavender and fragrant herbs. We would drink red raspberry tea together (I felt so grown up), and I would relentlessly follow her anytime she stepped outside to work in her garden. Looking back now, I am 100% certain I was a huge pest. Thankfully, she never let on that I was! Instead, she always welcomed me to be her curious, and very talkative, little shadow.
When Jimmy and I began our family years ago, we had just built a new home in picturesque South Central York County, PA. Our lack of landscaping provided me a blank slate to begin experimenting growing perennials, and I instantly became enchanted with cottage floral design.
I fell in love with growing peonies and roses because I could easily cut them, and enjoy them inside our home. I was, however, growing frustrated with how short the peony growing season was. As I complained about this to my dear friend Dana, she suggested that I try growing dahlias, to which I replied, “What is a dahlia?”
Looking back, that was the beginning of Farm to City Flowers.
Before long, I was growing a handful of different varieties of dahlias, and I quickly grew head over heels in love with them. Not more than my husband and kiddos of course…but boy, was it getting close!
My dahlia garden began doubling in size each year. I researched the best possible support methods for their bulk, and the most prolific varieties for cutting to make bouquets for our home. Soon, I had so many flowers, that I began giving them as gifts to friends and neighbors, and selling the occasional bouquet here and there.
Last season, I took the giant step of launching Farm to City Flowers! Starting with just a Facebook page and a marketplace ad for custom bouquets to order, the response I received was incredibly exciting! As I dreamt about my future in flower farming, I realized I needed to find a larger plot of land if I wanted to truly see what could come of my love of flowers and sharing them with others.
I knew of a very sweet couple who owned a farm close to our home. They had farmed the land for years, but were no longer using the majority of it. For more than six months, I prayed, questioning whether to ask if they would consider renting some of their property to expand my fledgling little flower farm. Finally, one day I felt the time was right, and I got up the courage to knock on their door. They almost immediately said yes, and were so excited for a new chapter at their farm. Farm to City Flowers had a new home to grow and grow!
My focus with Farm to City is to sell gorgeous, unique, seasonal blooms in my community. This season, I am growing over a hundred peonies, thousands of tulips and daffodils, hundreds of several varieties of Allium in addition to dozens of annual cut flower varieties. The focal point of my harvest will always be dahlias. This year, I will be growing over 1100 dahlia plants. More than 100 different varieties. Each one incredibly unique in size, shape, color, shade, and texture.
I have begun a CSA share program for partial or full season bouquet delivery or pick up, as well as custom order bouquets. The bulk of my crop is tailored to meet the needs of wedding floral designers, who prefer to source locally whenever possible. I am growing multiple varieties of dahlias in shades of white, buff, peach, and every shade of pink and purple imaginable, as well as gorgeous rich autumn shades.
Farm to City Flowers is my cherished hobby come to life. I love bringing joy to others by sharing the unmistakable beauty that God has created all around us. I am humbled by the comfort and happiness the flowers I grow can give.
I work to embrace this reality each day in my gardens, and I am so thankful to share that gift with you!
Nicole
