Meet Melanie Harrington

DAHLIA MAY FLOWER FARM

@dahliamayflowerfarm

Melanie Harrington is the owner of Dahlia May Flower Farm, founded in 2014. From beginning by selling her flowers off of a single pallet in her driveway, Dahlia May Flower Farm has gone on to be featured in Chatelaine magazine, Better Homes and Gardens, Canadian Florist Magazine, The Toronto Star; on CBC television and radio; and by PayPal, Google, and more. Melanie was awarded “Young Entrepreneur of the Year” in 2018 by the Quinte Business Achievement Awards, and Dahlia May was named “Agri-Business of the Year” by the same in 2019. 

Dahlia May specializes in growing and providing cut flowers on Melanie's family’s third generation farmstead. She combines her background in horticulture with her willingness to share her own story into her hard work; through her ability to persist and to risk, Melanie continues to build community while making her rural property a destination for flower-lovers and a hub for those seeking locally grown blooms.

1. What is your birth year's Chinese Zodiac? I was born in the Year of the Ox

2. What book(s) are on your bedside table right now? “Quiet” by Susan Cain, “The Poisonbood Bible” by Barbara Kingsolver, “You Better Be Lightening” poetry collection by Andrea Gibson, “Exculpatory Lilies” by Susan Musgraves, “On Animals” by Susan Orlean.

3. What do you want our guests to know about Canada's local flower/Slow Flowers or horticulture/garden scene? That it’s growing! Every year more small farms are popping up, providing new and exciting locally grown options. Home owners are also starting to understand the importance of biodiversity, slowly trading in manicured lawns for pollinator friendly gardens. There’s so much to look forward to as we all find new ways to bring more nature into our lives.

4. Share something that you're excited about exploring in your floral enterprise this year? We’re excited to open up our flower fields to more pick-your-own experiences and workshops this summer. Last year, we held a handful of pick-your-own experiences and it was just the most fun way to share our space. We’re excited to share more this summer!

5. What is the craziest or most clever thing you've done to pack flowers or plants for travel? We’re all about getting flowers out to anyone who needs them! We’ve managed to wrap a mason jar of mixed blooms to fit into a motorcycle saddlebag before.

MEET THE FARMER-FLORIST: Dahlia May Flower Farm

In Part One of our opening day programming, Melanie will present the story of Dahlia May Flower Farm and share her journey to flowers, floral entrepreneurship, and more. Melanie says she started Dahlia May Flower Farm to grow flowers for her own designs. "But that idea has turned into me running a flower shop. It's so rewarding to bring customers to the farm where they can actually see how flowers are grown. During Mother's Day, for example, shoppers saw tulips growing in all of the beds here at the farm; they walked through the greenhouses and saw even more tulips inside. It gives customers one more point of connection when they meet a real person who grows a real flower. It helps them value our flowers and know how special they are."

Monday, June 24th, Illustrated lecture and design demonstration, followed by a Q&A.

BONUS: Listen to Melanie Harrington on the Slow Flowers Podcast