A backyard business is bursting with flowers in the middle of a Pittsburgh neighborhood
When you hear the word farm, you likely picture acres of land in the middle of the country.
Instead, this farm is an urban flower farm tucked into a tight-knit neighborhood in Pittsburgh that began as a labor of love for two women.
The women who own Armful of Flowers transformed an empty city lot into a backyard business bursting with beautiful blooms right behind Bigham Tavern in Mount Washington.
“When COVID hit and the restaurant hit a standstill, we didn't know what to do,” Jessica Rewis, the co-owner of Armful of Flowers and Bigham Tavern, said. “All of our busy lives and worlds just kind of shut down and stopped. We took COVID and birthed this beautiful plan.”
That's how Armful of Flowers was born.
“We're a full-service florist,” co-owner Kelly Glover said. “We do weddings and events, plus we run a full farm, a retail space and a vendor market. We're constantly working with other businesses and things like that.
In the summertime, they invite shoppers to build their own bouquets and learn how to grow their own gardens.
“We know a lot of people in the city don't have accessibility to a huge backyard, but that doesn't mean you can't farm or have a harvest of vegetables out of a pot or plant beautiful flowers,” Glover said.
Certain plants and flowers need to begin to grow indoors under a grow light, before moving outdoors. Due to the Pittsburgh climate, that can be tricky at times.
Through a delicate and dedicated approach, their garden and their dreams keep growing.