In Full Bloom

Though Mary Mae Gardens is fairly new in the flower growing industry, it’s rooted in tradition.

Emily Chivers Yochim grew up on her parents’ hobby farm, where her mother, Mary, practiced organic gardening long before it was trendy. They also had quite a menagerie of farm animals that included beef cattle, chicken, pigs and sheep. It was here that her love of growing things began.

As an adult, Emily chose a practical route for her career—as a professor of communications and media at Allegheny College in Meadville—married and started a family. But eventually she found herself living on the same farm that she loved as a child.

She wanted to garden, just as her mother had always done with her homegrown vegetables.

Through her interest in horticulture, Emily met Jordan Cirillo, who shared her love of gardening and whose mother worked in the floral industry, designing beautiful bouquets and arrangements. He learned the art of combining different flowers, textures and colors to create lovely displays.

Growing flowers is such a joyful thing to do—to be able to put your hands in the dirt and be really rooted in place.

Together, Emily and Jordan decided to plant a flower farm on Emily’s land in Fairview. They began on a small scale, only planting 1 acre of ground. But Emily noted, “You can plant a stunning amount of flowers on just 1 acre!”

They decided to name the farm after her mother, Mary, and Jordan’s grandmother, Mae, who was also an avid gardener, calling it Mary Mae Gardens.

One thing that was especially important to Emily and Jordan was the care of the land itself. “We really wanted to make sure we observed regenerative practices that restore the land and not deplete it.”

They use “no-till gardening,” where the soil is not dug up. Instead, organic materials are added to the top of the soil, such as mulch and compost, which help to improve the soil’s structure.

It’s also important to help pollinators, such as bees, that are vital to food production, and Mary Mae Gardens keeps bees and produces its own honey.

There seems to be a growing industry of local gardening—and flower gardening specifically—in the area. Emily feels this is due to the farmstand culture that is so important here. “There’s such a robust local food movement here in this area. Other places just don’t have that.”

Mary Mae Gardens has a flower cart; and new this year, a flower truck. The truck is a 1960s Ford F-150 that belonged to Jordan’s grandfather. Fresh flowers are sold from the cart and truck at locations around the area.

The farm offers flower subscriptions for people who would enjoy a monthly bouquet May through October. There is even a half-year subscription that could be given as a thoughtful gift. Mary Mae Gardens has also supplied and arranged flowers for several area weddings.

Emily describes her husband, Chris, as an unsung hero. “He’s there in the fields, helping to plant and weed. He does so many things around the farm. And he’s been a great source of emotional encouragement.”

She also enjoys sharing her love and knowledge of gardening with her teenage children and others in the community.

“Growing flowers is such a joyful thing to do—to be able to put your hands in the dirt and be really rooted in place.”

Mary Mae Gardens has events at the farm for the public and will likely be adding more events to the calendar this season. To stay up-to-date, visit the website at marymaegardens.com and follow on Facebook.

Owners of Mary Mae Gardens Emily Chivers Yochim and Jordan Cirillo