Hometown Living At Its Best 57
“She’s been growing flowers for over twenty years and is a
wealth of knowledge. Her farm is called Cuts of Color. We
can grow the same flowers here as she grows in Texas, so we
shamelessly do everything she does. She keeps me on track
to make sure I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing.”
“Does the guy on the tractor work for you?” I asked
above the noise of the tractor.
“No.” Rita smiled. “That’s Jacques. He’s a truck driver
and a good family friend. He’s in between work and just
wanted to help us out.” She waved at Jacques as he
continued cutting stalks from old flowers with a bush-hog.
“Our family and friends are amazing. Mike’s mother Renée
lives just through the woods and helps us with everything.
She’s awesome.”
After the soil is tilled, netting is placed on top of the soil
for plant support and placement. It’s the children’s job to
clean the buckets, which is no small thing. “They have to be
meticulous because of disease. Any bacteria can get into the
flower stems, and that will kill your flowers.”
With supplies they already had on hand, Rita and Mike