By: Gavyn Heitman
The scents and beautiful colors of fresh flowers grown locally are staples of the summer months across Champaign and Logan counties.
From family-owned florists that have served their communities for decades to newer flower farms inviting visitors to pick their own bouquets, local businesses continue to find new ways to connect people through flowers.
Across both Logan and Champaign counties, local flower farms, greenhouses, and U-Pick operations have served their communities for years.
Several local flower farms and florists spoke with the Peak of Ohio about what they grow, how customers shop, and what inspired them to turn their passion for flowers into a business.
Chateau Farms — Urbana
The Chateau family farm has served the Champaign and Logan County area since 1970. Craig Kuivinen of Chateau Farms said his family’s farm was originally a produce market run by his parents at Indian Lake before moving to Russells Point, Bellefontaine, and Kenton.
The family has operated Chateau Farms in Urbana since 2015.
The flower farm in Urbana opened in 1990 when Pam and Craig Kuivinen combined their love of agriculture and floral design, eventually growing to more than 20 greenhouses.
The farm has been selling fall mums for more than 20 years, and the flowers have quickly become one of the farm’s specialties.
Chateau Farms features two fields of mums across its property, totaling more than 70,000 flowers, with each plant receiving water through an individual hose to ensure it grows adequately.
The farm also sells seasonal hanging baskets, flowering kale, and an assortment of potted flowering plants.
The farm offers more than 30 different perennial flowers of varying sizes.
Chateau Farms supplies many schools and organizations for fundraisers, while its products can also be purchased at Seth’s Produce and Garden Center in Urbana. The farm also offers bulk delivery for large orders or group purchases.
Chateau Farms is located at 4670 OH-560 in Urbana and can be contacted at 937-776-2081.
Bell’s Flowers — Urbana
Bell’s Flowers is a family-run flower shop in Urbana that opened in 2022 and specializes in weddings and events.
Isabel Martin, co-founder of Bell’s Flowers, said flowers have always been a part of her life.
“Flowers have always been a part of my life. My great-grandfather, James Martin, bred and grew more than 500 varieties of gladiolus, so I grew up hearing stories and seeing the passion that flowers could bring to others,” Martin said.
Martin said she worked at a flower shop in high school and eventually became a manager. That experience helped her realize that floral design was what she wanted to pursue.
“At 18 years old, my mom and I took the leap and opened Bell’s Flowers in Urbana,” Martin said. “From the beginning, I knew I wanted to create designs that felt less traditional and more whimsical, romantic and garden inspired.”
The shop features an array of seasonal and classic blooms, sourcing flowers from local farmers as well as wholesalers from around the world.
Bell’s Flowers offers everything from classic roses and hydrangeas to specialty garden roses, ranunculus, anemones, sweet peas, dahlias, cosmos, lisianthus, and many other seasonal blooms, depending on the time of year.
Aside from weddings and events, Bell’s Flowers offers biweekly and monthly flower subscriptions that can be purchased directly through its website.
The shop has also recently added pressed flower preservation, allowing couples to preserve their wedding bouquets as keepsakes.
Martin said the shop focuses on creating arrangements that reflect each couple’s vision and personality.
“We love incorporating unique blooms, natural movement and a garden-inspired style to create designs that feel timeless and intentional,” she said. “At Bell’s Flowers, we believe flowers should feel personal. We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all designs or cookie-cutter weddings. More than anything, we want our flowers to become part of the memories our clients will cherish for years to come,” Martin said.
Bell’s Flowers is located at 113 N. Main St. in Urbana and can be contacted at 937-653-2355.
Ethel’s Flower Shop — Urbana
Ethel’s Flower Shop, the oldest active florist shop in Champaign County, has been operating since 1932. The shop remained in the family of its original owner, Ethel Botkin Redding, until 2004.
Dawn Bushu and her husband purchased the shop and operated it for more than 20 years.
Bushu had worked in the floral industry for 20 years before purchasing Ethel’s and maintained the shop’s high-quality floral artistry and customer service before retiring in December 2025.
As of this year, Michele Carnes and her family — Theresa Carnes, Sadie and Tyler Reasor, and Timmy and Adara Melvin — of Generations in Bloom LLC have taken over operations.
“We are honored to continue to provide the Urbana and Champaign County area with the tradition of creativity, care and customer service for which Ethel’s has always been known,” Carnes said.
Carnes also highlighted the variety of blooms available at the shop.
“Ethel’s carries a wide variety of flowers including roses, carnations, sunflowers, lilies, daisy mums and many more — too many to mention,” Carnes said.
Ethel’s Flower Shop creates arrangements for funerals, weddings, birthdays, and other occasions.
The shop also features pre-arranged bouquets and custom arrangements.
Carnes and her family are committed to upholding the standards and customer service that Ethel’s has built its reputation on.
“Whether working with a family for the funeral of a loved one or planning the details of a wedding with a couple getting married, at Ethel’s, we truly enjoy getting to know our customers and serving them throughout the milestones of life,” Carnes said.
Ethel’s Flower Shop is located at 239 Scioto St. in Urbana and can be contacted at 937-653-5201.
Lone Oak Homestead — St. Paris
Lone Oak Homestead is a local flower farm outside of St. Paris. The farm began selling its products in 2023, but owner Myra Bowermiester explained that flowers have been a huge part of her family for generations and that the work has been rewarding for her.
“Selling flowers allowed us to grow more varieties and share what we love with the community,” Bowermiester said. “The most rewarding part of the business has been watching our community grow. We get to be a part of people’s ordinary lives. I think people are starting to value the little things in life more, such as fresh-baked bread from a roadside stand or fresh flowers on your table. It has been very encouraging seeing people support these small businesses more and more nowadays,” she said.
The variety of flowers at the farm is ever-changing, with seasonal favorites as well as new blooms.
“We are constantly experimenting with new flowers to grow, but some of the flowers you will find on our farm year after year include peonies, snapdragons, larkspur, stock, feverfew, zinnias, celosia, sweet Annie, statice, lisianthus, amaranth, tansy, cosmos, sunflowers and so much more!” Bowermiester said.
The farm offers a variety of purchasing options, including subscriptions, roadside pickup, and an intimate U-Pick experience, where customers have the freedom to walk through the field and create their own personalized bouquet.
Lone Oak Homestead is also frequently present at the Sidney Farmers Market.
Aside from its typical flower arrangements, Lone Oak also offers dried floral creations in the form of wreaths, garlands, magnets, letters and more.
The farm also invites photographers to enjoy the scenery around the homestead and asks those interested to reach out for booking information.
Lone Oak Homestead is located at 952 Apple Road in St. Paris and can be contacted at (216) 509-8245.
Plant Kindness Project — Mechanicsburg
The Plant Kindness Project is a local flower and produce farm outside of Mechanicsburg. The project, as its name suggests, is aimed specifically at promoting kindness and togetherness through floral design.
Owner Amanda Rutan said this aspect of the project is especially important to her.
“For me, the most rewarding part of The PKP is seeing how many people this little place brings together. I get to meet and visit with so many people! It also brings together old friends, and builds lifelong new ones, too. Visitors come from far and wide, and it’s a constant flow of smiles, hugs, friendly conversation, and an overall common appreciation for gardening and spreading love and kindness.”
The Plant Kindness Project is known for its vast, blooming sunflower patches, grown for visual appeal and offered at the farm stand in pre-arranged bouquets. These tall blooms come in shades of yellow, red, orange, and multicolored combinations.
Other flowers found at the farm include zinnias, cosmos, celosia, aster, statice, amaranth, craspedia, rudbeckia, lavender, eucalyptus, and dahlias, which are a fan favorite at the farm.
The Plant Kindness Project offers fresh bouquets at its stand every week.
The farm also offers special event orders for anyone requesting specific arrangements.
The project recently partnered with Simple Coffee Co. in Mechanicsburg to offer its arrangements to customers there as well.
The Plant Kindness Project relies solely on donations, setting it apart from many other local farms and florists.
When discussing some of the driving forces behind the project, Rutan detailed a mission driven solely by compassion.
“The PKP is especially unique because it has ultimately become a nonprofit community garden, which is truly a labor of love. The mission behind The PKP has always been about spreading kindness, not making money. The joy that this little slice of heaven brings me, and so many others, is priceless.”
The farm can be found at 2075 Bullard Rutan Rd., Mechanicsburg, Ohio, and can be contacted at [email protected].
The Little White Farmhouse Flowers — West Liberty
The Little White Farmhouse Flowers serves both Logan and Champaign counties, something owner Christina Yoder takes great pride in.
“I think every flower farmer has something special and unique about their farm. For me, it’s being nestled in the countryside of Logan and Champaign County,” Yoder said. The Little White Farmhouse Flowers is a place to slow down, breathe deep and surround yourself with the beauty of homegrown blooms. Whether you’re visiting for a peaceful U-Pick experience or planning your next celebration with farm-fresh flowers, you’ll find joy, color and charm in every stem.”
The Little White Farmhouse Flowers grows more than 300 varieties of dahlias, as well as more than 400 each of snapdragons, lisianthus, and eucalyptus.
The farm offers a half-acre of blooms for customers to walk through during its U-Pick experience.
It also takes orders for weddings, events, and special occasions, with customers able to reach out by email, text, phone, or social media.
Yoder’s commitment to variety is intentional.
“I have always had a love for flowers since being a little girl. I’m not sure you can have enough, and I think that’s where it all started,” Yoder said.
Her business is driven by a passion for the craft.
“There is nothing better than walking out of my house and seeing the flowers. The feeling of nature, the uniqueness of every single flower, the butterflies and bees is something indescribable to the mind and body,” Yoder said.
The Little White Farmhouse also invites customers to watch for its annual pumpkin arranging class, girls’ night out, and evening of Bible fellowship.
The farm is located at 2071 Sinkhole Road in West Liberty and can be contacted at (937) 309-8247.
IvyGate Flower Farm — Lakeview
Catherine Allen of IvyGate Flower Farm in Lakeview has operated her local flower farm since 2022, but she has been working with flowers for most of her life.
“I’ve dreamed of having a flower farm for many years,” Allen said. “My first job at age 12 was working with a greenhouse owner who supplied tomato and pepper plants to the local farmers in Hardin County. I’ve been growing ever since and finally decided to go for it, making my unique designs available to the public starting in 2022.”
Allen said the name IvyGate was chosen to create an image of a beautiful, somewhat unruly and creative garden packed with flowers, berries, twigs and vines.
“I am a floral designer and grow primarily for my own designs,” Allen said. “I trained at the Floral Design Institute and Brooklyn Botanic Garden. I love sharing flowers with the world and want everyone to have the luxury of beautiful blooms. I will always grow flowers and it is a joy to share both the flowers and my passion for growing flowers with anyone and everyone. Happiness blooms at IvyGate Flower Farm!”
The farm grows a vast variety of plants, including Queen Anne’s lace, goldenrod, teasel, asters, pokeweed, grasses, American dogwood, zinnias, lisianthus, snapdragons, and sunflowers. IvyGate also has a strong focus on herbs, perennial flowers, shrubs and trees.
The farm takes orders for weddings, birthdays, funerals, table centerpieces, farmers’ markets, and other occasions.
One of its latest additions is the Bloom Box, a cooled shed where fresh flowers are available for self-service. Seven days a week, from dawn to dusk, customers can purchase flowers either by ordering ahead or by visiting the Bloom Box.
The farm also hopes to offer “Build Your Own Bouquet” events, where attendees can learn about the flowers, their needs and upkeep, as well as floral design. IvyGate also hopes to offer workshops for interested floral designers.
Allen said the uniqueness of IvyGate is driven by its focus on design and specialty flowers.
“IvyGate Flower Farm is unique in that we focus on the design work and creating truly one-of-a-kind arrangements,” Allen said. “We plan to stay small and consider ourselves a boutique flower farm where we specialize in specialty items not commonly found everywhere else. We are your flower destination if you love imaginative, cottage garden, natural design work. Watch for classes and workshops and build-your-own-bouquet opportunities. Mostly, I love growing and love sharing that passion with others.”
IvyGate Flower Farm is located at 8810 Township Hwy 239 in Lakeview and can be contacted at (586) 808-0592.
Local flowers continue to bring communities together
As summer winds down across Logan and Champaign counties, local farms and florists remain colorful staples of the community.
Whether customers are looking for a U-Pick experience or a pre-arranged bouquet, residents have plenty of opportunities to celebrate summer with beautiful blooms from locally grown businesses.
For these farms and florists, the summer season is also an opportunity to bring local customers together and share their passion for flowers with their communities.
