Cutting fresh blooms and creating beautiful bouquets are things which come naturally to Liza McCrea Cooley.
As a young girl, the owner of White Barn Blooms in Vankleek Hill used to tag along with her mother on visits to a hobby farm located in her hometown of Munster Hamlet.
“I remember how amazed I was at the beauty of the flowers and I loved being able to pick out a beautiful bouquet,” Cooley recalls, adding the trips sparked a life-long love. “Growing a cut flower garden was something I’d always wanted to do for myself.”
“I love taking care of things and watching them grow.”
Cooley and her husband Sean purchased the seven-acre property at 4501 Pearl Road four years ago. The land included a century-old barn, which the couple has preserved by adding white siding to the exterior – hence the name of White Barn Blooms.
Spending more time at home in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cooley began working on her idea to start her own fresh-cut-flowers business. She began her seedlings under grow lights in the couple’s garage, before purchasing a greenhouse and moving them outdoors. A large garden was also created on the property to grow the blooms, which are grown naturally.
“I don’t use any pesticides, or chemicals or grow agents,” Cooley assures. “It’s completely organic.”
Among the flowers planted are zinnias, sunflowers, cosmos, wildflowers, lilies and many more varieties – which allows for different type of bouquets all through the summer and fall. Cooley has been doing custom orders, as well as hosting a roadside stand each Friday, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the entrance to the property.
Just a few months into her new business, the owner of White Barn Blooms says customers have been very positive about her creations. While a lot of work – she has derived great pleasure herself from the new venture.
“It’s been a really fun thing for me to take this on,” Cooley enthuses. “I’ve really enjoyed it.”
Anyone seeking more information on White Barn Blooms can visit the company’s Facebook page.
