Growing up in South Florida, I was surrounded by lush flora and fauna. Everywhere I looked, there were thousands of shades of green, with shoots, streaks, and pops of bright, loud colors. Of course, I didn’t appreciate any of it—or at least, not at first.

The daily rainstorms would rush in midday on the tails of Florida winds, dousing everything with hydration therapy, followed by deep, nourishing sunshine soaking into the plants like vitamins from above. I learned the ebb and flow of two seasons: hot and hotter.

But the lesson wasn’t lost, because my grandparents, Hank and Glo, were living embodiments of green thumbs. My grandfather would spend hours in his orchid house, finding his happy place and trying to share his love of flowers with me. He’d tinker with phalaenopsis orchids that needed repotting or pollinate new Cattleya varieties he’d picked up at the local orchid show. Every week, Hank would head out to the yard and cut a bouquet of colorful gladiolus—Glo’s favorite—so she could proudly display the tall, rosette-spired flowers on our dining room table and smile.

These memories stayed with me as I tried to build a suburban Midwest life, so different from the South Florida life I had known. While I went on to get a traditional job and start a family, I always felt something was missing—until I decided to plant my very first crop of gladiolus. Growing my grandmother’s beloved flower and feeling the emotion it brought back was like stepping into history and experiencing her love all over again. And, as they say, the rest was history!

I was hooked. I wanted to grow it all—from the small, delicate hellebore in spring to the large, geometrically stunning sunflowers in the fall. I had found my passion! I dove in with so much energy. I convinced my husband that we needed more space in the backyard, so he lovingly built me a privacy fence, cleared out overgrowth and brush, and helped me turn our suburban yard into row crops of focal flowers, filler flowers, foliage—oh my! Just like that, my vision came to life, and Gem City Blooms was born.

As I shared this journey with friends and family, I realized that so many of us carry special memories tied to flowers—memories of our first ballet recital, being asked to a dance, graduations, weddings, births, and even memorials. We’ve watched our mothers, fathers, and grandparents lovingly tend to flowers, showing care and love in ways that stay with us forever. Flowers are like time machines, connecting us to cherished moments and carrying us through life.

I wanted to help others revisit that love, joy, and even the healing that flowers can bring. Through backbreaking hard work, blood, lots of sweat, and literal tears, Gem City Blooms became the embodiment of a lifetime of lessons and my journey of finding my way back home. My hope is that I can help my clients relive precious memories or create new moments with the treasures of the Gem City garden.

Thank you for joining me on this vibrant, blossoming journey.

Theresa Burchett