Recently, I caught up with Anna Sfyris to talk about all things flower farming. Anna is the co-owner of 302 Flowers, a family-run farm producing sustainably grown flowers for retailers and direct customers in Melbourne and regional Victoria. 

Over coffee and delicious homemade cake, Anna shared the story of 302 Flowers. Her floral adventures began in the mid-1990s when Anna and her husband Ray followed their dreams and moved to the beautiful Macedon Ranges. Back then, the couple had no plans to start a commercial venture. They were busy with full-time work and a young family, meaning their garden was very much a personal pursuit. It was something for them to enjoy in their downtime, but as the years progressed they began experimenting. They started expanding their gardening knowledge, choosing seeds and stock based on what appealed to them as they slowly learned what worked and what didn’t in their specific part of the world. Anna recalled how, in the days before internet searches were at our fingertips, her main sources of inspiration came from reading "Country Style" magazine, visiting local gardens and conversations with other gardeners.

Fast forward to today, and this shared love for plants and the natural environment sees Anna and Ray continuing to experiment. They are constantly adding to their ever-increasing selection of florals, shrubbery and the trees they grow for their blossoms and foliage. 302 Flower Farm is expanding every year and now supplies a wide variety of stunning blooms to a loyal and growing customer base.

When I first met Anna in 2020, she had already had a long and successful career before flower-farming. Starting out as a teacher, she later transitioned to psychology, becoming a registered psychologist and working closely with clients for over three decades. This experience and her passion for helping people have given her some unique insights into the positive impacts of the natural world and just how healing it can be.

We talked about the intrinsic value of spending time in nature. Simple things like feeling the textures of leaves and stalks, inhaling scents and being exposed to the microbial power embedded in the soil can have powerful and positive effects. The list of benefits for our physical and mental well-being is long, but as Anna explained, there is even more to it. For her, nature evokes feelings that, while less tangible and not always easy to explain, can be profound. 

One of these feelings is a sense of awe. Whether it’s a stunning sunset, watching wildlife or hearing the sound of a rushing river, experiencing awe can bring us into an awareness of nature’s majesty. It makes us realise we are a small part of everything around us and causes us to respond with respect and reverence. Anna told me that feeling awe always reminds her that she is primarily a custodian of her beautiful farm and she believes her main role is to care for it so she can share it with others and foster its well-being for future generations.

We also talked about the sensation of reverie, a feeling that's similar to daydreaming. Being in nature or occupied with routine garden tasks allows us to access a more free state of mind. One where we have space to reflect on different aspects of our lives without imposing the usual limitations on our thinking. This is so helpful because it allows us to access our subconscious and the solutions it often holds for us. This can be powerfully healing because, as Anna says, “You can’t think your way out of everything.”

Returning to the topic of flower farming, I asked Anna what personal strengths have helped her build her business. She nominated tenacity and the willingness to take risks that she first developed when she transitioned from teaching to psychology and later established her own practice.

As for challenges, there have been many! Being a farmer often means surrendering to forces you can’t control, and Anna and Ray have experienced their fair share of storms, droughts and more. Their response is to "be resilient, fix what needs fixing and keep going."

Another challenge has been learning to promote their business. Initially, understanding the best ways of marketing their farm and services was a skill that Anna and Ray had to invest time in. One example is that, although in reality 302 Flower Farm is filled with beauty and colour, capturing and sharing a true sense of the place through images or sharing this on social media can be difficult. Marketing the farm and blooms is an ongoing learning curve, but it also opens up opportunities for personal and business growth. Getting out and about to connect with florists and other growers, and engaging with flower lovers both in person and online has become a part of the business that Anna really enjoys.

As we finished our coffees, I asked Anna for her number one tip for new or aspiring flower farmers?

Her wise advice is “be yourself - follow your dreams, trust your decisions and share your authentic self."

CONTACT DETAILS: If you'd like to connect with Anna and Ray to find out how they can help with floral orders and wedding flowers or to hear more about their upcoming events including floristry workshops and garden tours, please visit their website at www.302flowers.com

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Nestled in the picturesque Macedon Ranges, Aga Jones has created a blooming business as a floral designer and flower grower. With a distinctive style and a commitment to sustainability, Aga's wedding flowers are uniquely beautiful, and her career journey has been as inspiring as her floral creations.

Aga's path to floristry began when, having qualified as a Bachelor of Industrial Design from RMIT and later completing a postgraduate degree in Environmental Management at the University of Tasmania, she decided to follow her passion for flowers and launched Aga Jones Flowers in 2017.

Her floral designs are highly sought after for weddings, events, and bespoke arrangements,. Especially by clients who value not only the beauty of her floral creations but also her environmentally conscious approach. This includes an unwavering commitment to a zero-waste philosophy, an emphasis on minimising flower miles by exclusively buying flowers within the Macedon Ranges, and always using seasonal blooms.

In 2019, Aga's dedication to her craft and the environment was recognised when she was awarded the George Alexander Fellowship from the International Specialised Skills Institute (ISSI). This prestigious fellowship enabled her to travel to New York, Rhode Island, and Utah in the USA to deepen her knowledge of sustainable floristry practices. While there, Aga participated in workshops and inter-studio experiences with some of the world's top designers. She gained invaluable insights into large-scale, foam-free installations, the use of local flowers and researched composting methods in dense urban settings like New York City.

Aga also holds wreath workshops where she teaches the skills to create decorative and festive wreaths using a variety of foliage in a sustainable manner. They are designed to dry beautifully, ensuring they last long after the workshop ends.

I've been very fortunate to have Aga as a participant in my Create Successful Workshops program, and I am thrilled that she will be continuing her popular Christmas Wreath Workshops again this year. I've been along to one myself, and it was a truly delightful, creative and nature-immersive experience. Highly recommended!

CONTACT DETAILS: If you'd like to know more about working with Aga, including wedding flowers and workshops, then you'll find all the details at agajones.com.au. You can also follow Aga's floral journey on Instagram at @agajonesflowers 

Photo Credit:  Angelica James Photography