The Spears Family Farm, Hillcrest, has been in our family since 1843. It’s a meeting spot full of memories. It’s a feeling of summertime. It’s Midwest grit.

I’ve taken what is at the heart of this historic farm in Illinois and brought it to my backyard here in Georgia. It’s my hope that the flowers I grow bring you the same feelings I had when I was at Hillcrest.

2021 was Hillcrest's first flower season. It was a wild ride, and regardless of the many missteps, do-overs, and "never doing that again"... I got back up and kept going. In the peak heat of August, I wanted to quit. I was tired of working a full-time job, being a single mom, and running the flower business in all my "extra hours." But the difference between those who succeed and those who don't is not related to money or time. It is a simple thing: persistence and determination. I dug deep and was rewarded with a final flush of show-stopping dahlias in October.

What a dream this has been. And I couldn't ask for anything more than the support, kindness, and enthusiasm that I have received from family, friends, and new flower customers. Thank you for embracing local flowers.

- Caitlin