Our Story: Gardening through Grief

"Gardening through Grief" is a tagline often used with 21 Bees and this is exactly how our story begins.

21 Bees Flower Farm is a sister owned flower business and in 2023 we lost our dad to cancer. This journey, as it does for many, came on with an unforeseen diagnosis and a complex and difficult short six months in facing the pain, fear, the fight, and ultimately the acceptance of what cancer undetected does.  Yes, we were blessed to be at our dads side with every step on his end of life journey and we place our gratitude in our role within something out of our control, and yet the complexities, the emotions, and the wild, and unapologetic grief.... 

"Grief is alive, wild, untamed and cannot be domesticated." - A quote from author Francis Weller and a quote that resonates profoundly with both us sisters. After the passing of our dad, we found ourselves on our own personal raw journey with grief.

Stephanie's grief showed up in the form of the ocean, salt and in waves. She was able to bravely enter her world of grief and allow those salty tears to flow, as difficult and heartbreaking and raw.

Stacy Kay took her hands to the earth and unable to release many salty tears, found herself digging, planting seeds, and pulling weeds. Stephanie, a witness to it started stating, "Stacy is gardening through grief".

The winter came and the pull to plant flower seeds kept at Stacy and this quiet whisper to start a flower farm kept growing louder. 

She reached out to her sister Stephanie and said, "I think we should start a flower farm"!  After one "sister-fight" Stephanie was on board.  It was when Stacy said, "Stephanie, I NEED to do this",.. is where Stephanie says she HEARD her sister.  

Shortly thereafter, Stephanie came up with the name 21 Bees Flower Farm in honor of their dad, who was a prolific sprint car driver and who's number was 21B. 

In 2024 the girls took on the flower season as a trial year and Stacy took her deep dive in research to the test.  The growing seedlings in their soil blocks from her basement were soon hardened off. The growing flowers were transplanted to a garden space lightly tilled, drip-taped and protected with weed fabric.  Stacy worked into the middle of the night planting those seeds and soon enough, the blooms started coming.

It was Stephanie who strongly encouraged Stacy to bring in the flowers to sell,... Perhaps it was more of a demand. 

After a very warm welcoming and support from our amazing community, 21 Bees is expanding in garden size and adding a summer CSA to their available blooms, as well as a grave blanket offering for the winter months. 

As Stephanie says, " Join us as we garden through grief in loving memory of our Dad who we lost to cancer, by finding beauty through pain & allowing love to bloom again."