Today we’d like to introduce you to Robin Yeary.
Hi Robin, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Making things grow has always been important to me. Some of my earliest and most treasured memories start the summer my grandfather took me to buy my first seeds.
We went home, and he showed me how to hoe the earth and plant and water and care for the seedlings. I took care of those plants all summer long and at the end of the season, enjoyed the bounty. That summer and my time in the garden with my grandfather instilled in me an appreciation of hard work and a love of making things grow.
I never really thought about being a flower farmer. Whitney, my wife, planted the seed when her face lit up at the sight of the bouquet I grew and arranged for her on our wedding day. After that, everything fell into place. Kati, my business partner, owned a beautiful piece of property in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains and had always wanted to do something with it. The idea of a flower farm appealed to her and together we got busy. Sevier Blumen was born and it has taken off at an unimaginable pace thanks to our wonderful community of local florists, lovely brides, and our market customers who keep coming back for more flowers!
Between the three of us (Kati, Whitney, and I) we boast four degrees in horticulture, but we continue to learn and improve what we do. Every day we strive to provide fresh, unique, and beautiful flowers. Our favorite part of any day is to see the smiles our flowers encourage in people at the farmer’s market, florists when we drive up with a delivery or a bride on her wedding day.
Whitney and I love watching our kids run through the fields of flowers. They help us harvest (sort of) and make us laugh (always). We are very blessed. We love what we do and can’t imagine doing anything else.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Farming is never easy. It’s always a gamble and every year is different. You have to deal with the weather; rain shortages, too much rain, heat that slows down flowering time, random cold snaps that ruin whole rows of flowers. A lot also has to do with timing, predicting market desires, and planting the right colors for the right times. Is this year’s wedding color going to finally be that lavender everyone’s been predicting or are we still in white, burgundy, and blush for the fourth year in a row? We have to be prepared for both.
The biggest struggle, though, was realizing what all it takes to do this. We’re surrounded by so much beauty, yes, and we get to spend most of our time outside (which can be nice), but it’s not a job. It’s a lifestyle. One that requires hard work and long hours. For example, in May it’s not odd to find Whitney and me out in the fields at 10 pm with headlamps on, harvesting peonies.
When they reach that perfect stage, you have to get them out of the field or else lose them even if it’s well after dark. It’s got to be done and we are the ones to do it. It’s a seven days week 365 days a year operation. Plants don’t know it’s the weekend. Plants don’t know it’s a holiday and there’s always work to be done.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a flower farmer who grows specialty cut flowers and foliages. I strive to produce a high-quality product sustainably and provide the best customer service. I really like to solve problems for people, like when our florists call with a flower emergency we do whatever we can to help solve the problem. They support us by choosing to buy locally so we support them.
Whitney would say my bridal bouquets and greenery wreaths really set me apart. We grow such a wide range of things and also forage interesting materials from our surrounding forest that I’m able to create really unique pieces for people.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was very artistic and creative and enjoyed playing music. I started playing the harp at age 6 but I was not a little angel. I was somewhat adventurist and had several trips to the ER due to my shenanigans. I loved playing outside.
When people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, most of the time I would say a banker because I love counting money which is ironic because Whitney is more of the money handler for the business.
Contact Info:
- Email: Sevierblumen@gmail.com
- Website: SevierBlumen.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sevierblumen/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sevierblumen/
Image Credits
Abigail Malone Photography
