05/28/2026
“We want our bouquets to feel like you’ve walked around the farm with us. At first, I found myself trying to copy what I was seeing on Instagram, but realized there are already lots of places to buy those kinds of bouquets. What we really want to offer is something that feels unique to the farm.”
It's my third time visiting Annie's Family Farm and somehow sitting with Telia and John always feels more personal than business. They are warm, thoughtful, and full of joy - the type of people that can connect with anyone in a heartbeat.
I was last here in February when the hens were laying and the behind-the-scenes work was happening, but most of the farm was brown and fallow.
Now, it's beginning to come into its own: it's green and on the verge of exploding into abundance. The farm stand has eggs, salad greens and potatoes in the fridge, and the first of the season's flower bouquets are beside it. And, as we walk out to the field of peonies, it's easy to see that the busy season of farming is just a short moment away.
There’s been a learning curve with flowers, since most of their experience coming into farming was with vegetables rather than cut flowers. Unlike a lot of vegetables, flower harvests need to happen daily to ensure the best quality and vase life. As Telia jokes, flowers are “definitely no broccoli.” 😂
But that's maybe the story of Annie's Family Farm, embracing the opportunity and the moment, learning along the way, and doing it together.
Telia tells me that John is the more intuitive one when it comes to arranging the bouquets and, as he grabs this and that from his 'flower bar', he explains that he has been enjoying the creative process, that it's been joyful and meditative to let himself explore and create.
And the bouquet is beautiful: weaving this way and that, colors in harmony, and lush with spring colors. It's joyful and inviting just like the farm and the people who run it. The bouquets are not just an expression of the place they were grown but the people who grew and arranged them.
You can get their bouquets fresh daily from their farm stand on Drinkwater Road, and there will be seasonal bouquets available through Cow-Op.
- Cowichan Valley Snaps: https://www.instagram.com/cowichanvalleysnaps?igsh=MXV1Mnd5c3M1cHo4Zw==
