Meet the farmer behind the flowers
Need more magic in your life? Want that unicorn dahlia that you just can’t seem to find? Or do you want to plant that iris and let it do its thing without the hassle some other flowers require? Fear not, I got you!
Hi! My name is Abby and I’m so glad you are here! I am an oncology nurse of eleven years, and a flower farmer as of early 2025. My journey in the garden started during a dark period in our collective history (covid). Life was incredibly difficult with two young kids at home, one in second grade, and the other only nine months old. My depression deepened and as a last resort, I started growing flowers. It was the irises that got me initially, followed by wildflowers and then the dahlias. Witnessing the incredible beauty they brought to my world gave me hope and purpose and paved the way for my future as a flower farmer. Before we became official, we lovingly called our farm Sleeping Bees, and then life took a turn and I moved to a new space that would become the place where Monarch Dreams began. Having grown up in the Midwest, I loved being surrounded by Monarchs and would bring that love to the west coast in hopes of witnessing their magic out here. Despite the hope, I have yet to witness a Monarch butterfly in eleven years of living in the PNW. That isn’t stopping me however; I know they are here as I’ve witnessed Monarch cats in my own patch of milkweed. Wouldn’t you know though, my entire family has seen the incredible winged creatures in our yard except me. I like to think they are teasing me and will eventually reveal themselves!
It is my sincere hope that these flowers spark joy and give life to all those lucky enough to witness to their beauty. If you are seeking more beauty, more joy, and more aliveness, you are in the right place! Stay awhile and browse our tuber and rhizome selection or order a bouquet for yourself or someone you love. We all deserve to feel the magic flowers bring.
About the Farm
What We Do
Here at Sleeping Bees & Monarch Dreams, we practice no till, pesticide free, regenerative farming methods with an emphasis on building community and sharing our love of flowers. We care about the planet and how we navigate ourselves and our farm through this life. When you purchase from our farm, you can be confident that your purchase supports these goals, keeps your money in the hands of small businesses, and gives back to the people of this community.
Sanitation Practices
We take sanitation practices very seriously here at the farm. All flowers and tubers are cut/divided by Abby and snips are switched and sanitized with a bleach solution between every single cut, all season long to help prevent disease spread. All suspicious plants are culled immediately, and we only purchase dahlia tubers from sources that adhere to the same practices we uphold. We only purchase from farms that do not import dahlia tubers. We do not allow any u-pick here at the farm to ensure quality is maintained.
Viruses, Gall, oh No!
It is widely known in the dahlia community that tubers harbor viruses and bacteria that infects a high percentage of dahlias. There may be times that a tuber looks perfectly healthy but may in fact be infected with a disease or a virus. Crown gall for example, is caused by a bacterium that feeds on roots in the soil and it can live on tubers for years without showing signs of infection and only when the right conditions are met, do symptoms appear. For this reason, we recommend planting all tubers that are new to you in pots for the first year or two before planting in the ground. This can save you lots of headaches down the road if you discover a dreaded disease. Ask us how we know… Some big mistakes along the way have guided us on this flower farming journey and we are committed to continued learning as well as open and honest communication with our community.
With all of this said, dahlias are still magical flowers that bring immense joy and beauty to the world. We think they are worth the risk, we just take a more calculated approach these days to help prevent the spread of viruses and diseases. Who knew my RN skills would come in handy as a farmer!?
SAY WHAT???
We are anti-racist, anti-capitalist, anti-zionist, and anti-colonialist. We believe all humans have equal value and NO ONE IS ILLEGAL. With that in mind, we very much prefer moving away from cash sales and towards a bartering system. If you have something you would like to offer in exchange, please reach out. Also, if you can’t afford flowers, but you NEED them (you do) and are local, please message me and let’s get you some pretties.