Marisa Mender-Franklin transformed her dream of becoming an urban flower farmer and owning a flower shop into reality through a unique community-driven initiative in Memphis, Tennessee. She established nine flower farms by utilizing unused land offered by her neighbors, facilitated by a local Buy Nothing group on social media. Mender-Franklin credits the success of her business, Midtown Bramble and Bloom, to this strong community support.
The journey began in 2020 when Mender-Franklin, then a teacher planning her wedding, decided to grow her own flowers. After successfully cultivating blooms in her small rental property's yard and on her porch, she aspired to pursue floriculture professionally but lacked land ownership.
Inspired by her participation in a Buy Nothing group, where members freely shared goods, Mender-Franklin posted her desire to grow flowers on unused land, promising weekly bouquets to landowners. Within minutes, she received numerous offers, and within a week, she had secured 40 potential plots. In her first year, 2021, she began cultivating four plots, with community members offering further assistance by donating materials and even volunteering their time for planting and weeding.
Today, Mender-Franklin's business operates full-time, encompassing the Midtown Bramble and Bloom shop and the nine farm plots. The enterprise employs 10 people and, in the past year, hosted 57 workshops and provided arrangements for 44 weddings and large events. Mender-Franklin's model is reminiscent of Sarah Nixon, who cultivated flowers in neighbors' yards in Toronto for two decades, offering subscriptions and selling at markets.
In Memphis, Mender-Franklin's team converts lawns and neglected gardens into vibrant flower beds. Homeowners benefit from beautiful floral displays without the burden of maintenance, while also receiving weekly bouquets. The agreements are formalized with leases that detail boundaries and shared costs, such as water.
Karen Golightly, an original plot owner, highlighted the social benefits, stating that the arrangement fostered a sense of community and led to new neighborly connections. Mender-Franklin also shared an instance where a neighbor, also a gardener, helped establish a water source for a plot that initially lacked one, demonstrating the collaborative spirit that fuels the business.
Mender-Franklin has also initiated the Flowers for Good program, donating flowers to local organizations and charities. Her shop also features a free seed library for vegetables and native wildflowers, further embedding the business within the community. The practice of transforming underutilized land into productive gardens benefits not only the business and landowners but also supports local pollinators and wildlife.