Your Journey

  1. What inspired you to start Farmstead Florals while still in college, and how has your vision evolved since those early days?
    My parents were vegetable farmers in South Louisiana, where I grew up, and they had a piece of property here in Oxford, now known as The Farmstead. While I was in college, as a way to explore what I was passionate about and decide if farming was for me, I started growing flowers. It did not take long for me to feel the immense satisfaction that comes from planting a seed, tending to it as it grows, and then ultimately picking a flower. After that first short summer I was hooked. I loved farming, loved the flowers and the joy they bring, and I loved Oxford.
    Over the years, the farm has grown and slowly changed. I feel it’s been a natural growth and progression. Each season we reflect on the past and make incremental changes for the better, trying to reach new audiences along the way. The Oxford community and the florists we sell to have really pushed and elevated us to keep striving and growing.
  2. Growing from less than an acre to eight is incredible! What was one of the biggest lessons you’ve learned along the way?
    Seeds in the ground! That is one of our unofficial mantras around here. In farming, there are so many things that are out of your control, but if you never start you will never get going anywhere. We continuously plant and even over-plant to try and stay ahead of all of Mother Nature’s curveballs. Seeds are cheap, not having enough flowers is expensive.
  3. You’ve created such a special space with the Self-Serve Honor Stand. What do you love most about that community connection?
    Not having grown up in Oxford or gone to Ole Miss, I will say I was skeptical when my dad, Sandy Sharp, suggested I try a self-serve flower stand on the Square. Since 2017, when we first introduced the homemade honor stand we made one rainy afternoon, the community has embraced it. I am proud to call Oxford home, a place where an honor stand in the middle of town can really work.

Growing Tips

  1. For someone who wants to try growing a small cutting garden this fall, what’s your best beginner tip?
    I would first start with assessing where you are going to plant. You need to make sure that spot has at least 8 hours of sunlight a day, access to water, and good drainage. Most cut flowers require full sun, plenty of water, and fertilizer, and they do not like sitting in water. Then I would take a cup of the dirt to your county extension agency to get a soil test. Lafayette County’s is behind the DMV on Buddy East Parkway. This is a wonderful resource that the state of Mississippi provides; for $10 they will run tests on your sample and give you a diagnosis and a recipe to follow to get your soil where it needs to be. Healthy soil means healthy plants! Some easy plants to start for the spring are snapdragons, bachelor buttons, calendula, and orlaya. For the summer I suggest zinnias, cosmos, sunflowers, and basil!
  2. When should home gardeners begin preparing their beds for fall planting?
    As soon as possible! We will be planting for spring 2026 during the month of September and in late winter. We will plant our first round of zinnias and other summer plants in April after our last frost date.
  3. What are some of your favorite flowers to plant in the fall early spring blooms?
    It is hard to choose a favorite! I have always loved snapdragons and peonies will forever be a showstopper, but what I love most about our spring flower offering is the diversity we can grow. Different varieties of ammi or Queen Anne’s lace, bachelor buttons, love-in-a-mist, bee balm, orlaya, salvia, and yarrow; they all make up different points of interest in our bouquets that I think really help set them apart and make them all the more interesting.
  4. Are there hardy varieties that do well in North Mississippi’s winter climate?
    Potomac snapdragons and Amazon dianthus are two of the first hardy annuals that I ever grew and they continue to be on the roster every year and have yet to let me down. We have really tried to expand what we grow in the spring and continue to research and find new flowers that work in our climate. Icelandic poppies, foxglove, and delphinium are a few new flowers we have grown and have now become staples of our April, May, and June offerings.
  5. How do you care for the soil between seasons to keep it healthy and productive?
    We try to take a soil sample every year to stay on top of the nutritional needs of our fields. We also add organic material to amend the soil. Some of the leaves the city collects every winter make their way out to our farm and then get tilled into our rows. Because our dirt can be heavy with a decent amount of clay in it, we will also mix in gin trash from the Delta. Both of which are fortunately very abundant.

Seasonal Offerings

  1. Are there certain flowers or foliage you grow in the fall that are especially great for holiday arrangements?
    For Christmas wreaths and arrangements we look to the beauty in our landscaping. Our wreath bases are made of elaeagnus and we harvest branches from pine, magnolia, and holly trees around our property. We grow eucalyptus to add in a hint of blue as well as fragrance and love incorporating dried flowers that we have put up throughout the growing season. We love the natural look we can achieve when we get creative and source from what’s in our own backyard.
  2. Tell us about your seasonal wreaths and arrangements. When and where can we find or order them?
    After our first frost, when our fresh flower season ends, we begin working with the flowers we have carefully dried over the past few months. In order to get the best quality and color retention we pick the flowers at their peak, hydrate them, strip the leaves, bundle, and hang them upside down to dry for 3–5 weeks. Then in the late fall and winter we use those flowers to make everlasting bouquets and wreaths that we sell through Instagram and Chicory Market. This winter we will also be at two Christmas markets with dried flowers and holiday wreaths: The Oxford Christmas Galleria on November 29 and the Plein Air Christmas Market December 5 and 6. You can also place orders through our website, www.farmsteadflorals.com.