Farmers market feature: The Gathering Garden

Stephanie Kellum of The Gathering Garden offers "build-your-own" bouquets at the Waxahachie Farmers Market on Saturdays. Photo by Jo Ann Livingston/In The Know Ellis.

Looking for that extra special floral bouquet for Mom for Mother’s Day? How about one you put together yourself, with each stem a flower you’ve personally selected?

You can do just that at The Gathering Garden on Saturdays at the Waxahachie Farmers Market.

New vendors Stephanie and Matthew Kellum are excited to be serving the community in this manner. Their small business began as an event-focused activity, and now they’re bringing the beauty of their blooms to the market’s summer season.

“I’ve just always loved flowers,” Stephanie shared with In The Know Ellis. “I was working a corporate tech job and wasn’t happy. I wanted to do something more fulfilling.”

The Gathering Garden’s floral offerings include zinnias, sunflowers, cosmos, celosia, craspedia, feverfew, and more, with pricing from $1 to $4 a stem.

“It’s just a lot of varieties,” Stephanie said, noting how more and more of the flowers, including native plants, will come from their own garden as the season progresses. Plans are to switch up the varieties being offered each week to allow for different color schemes.

“It’s a build-your-own bouquet,” she said. “I’m there to help guide people if they want.”

The Kellums are enjoying the creativity behind what they do, as well as the community with which The Gathering Garden engages.

“It’s rewarding to be face-to-face with people,” said Stephanie, whose favorite flower is the peony.

The couple will still be offering The Gathering Garden as a rentable event for activities such as baby and bridal showers.

“That (flower bouquet picking as an event activity) was the original idea. We will still do that while also expanding to be a part of the farmers market,” Stephanie said.

For more information, visit The Gathering Garden’s Facebook page.

The Waxahachie Farmers Market is located at 701 Howard Road. Hours are from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays.

Written by Jo Ann Livingston/In The Know Ellis.

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