Many people don’t realize that 70-80% of the flowers in U.S. stores and florists are imported from South America, the Netherlands and Asia, usually cut 1-2 weeks before becoming available for purchase. Some flowers, grown in the U.S., are too sensitive to be shipped.
Ashleigh Kritzberger and her mother, Melina Marshall, decided in 2017 to expand their flower-growing hobby to offer an alternative: fresh and recently cut (1-2 days) flowers, grown on their Buchanan farm, available through their distributors in Buchanan and Daleville and by appointment at their farm, where they offer do-it-yourself buckets.
“The idea of Flower Farming was such a dream for me, to be able to produce something that brings joy to many and also helps to support my family, seemed like a win-win,” said Ashleigh. “We were looking for a way to diversify our families agricultural background. continued. Small farmers are struggling these days and looking for ways to adapt.”
Petal and Pail, open seasonally from March to October, has seen the demand for their services grow annually. Weddings and bouquet subscriptions are a big part of their business.
They offer wedding floral services for any budget or size and have been doing an excellent job. A recent customer said the following: “Ashleigh and her team made our wedding day beautiful with their amazing florals. They grasped the vision we had for our day and made it happen; we couldn’t have been happier.
Their bouquet subscription service is especially popular for homeowners who really appreciate their beauty on a weekly basis. A customer will pay an up-front fee to come by one of their distributors, either the Witt Stop in Buchanan or Nature’s Cool Coffee Co. in Daleville, every Friday for a pre-determined number of weeks, to pick-up their seasonal bouquet.
In addition to the subscriptions, they offer delivery, by request, of custom arrangements for birthday gifts, sympathy or get-well occasions, anniversaries and other events.
For more information, see the ad on page 23 of the Guidebook.
