LONGVIEW COTTAGEabout the farm
and a little bit about me
I’m Anna, enchantress of dirt here at the farm. Longview Cottage is what I named my 100+ year old Craftsman bungalow home in Birmingham, Alabama. The plot is just under ¾ acre, and is a rectangle shaped longer than it is wide. Hence the name Longview (and also from my love for early 90s punk).
FLOWER FARM&
DESIGN STUDIOThis land, my home, is where I focus on growing fragrant, heirloom, and unique luxury flowers. I use organic methods that harmonize with nature, not chemicals, to cultivate and arrange seasonal floral arrangements.
My specialties are dreamy fragrances, rare heirloom varieties, and hard-to-find designer flora.
I’m inspired by the past to be grounded in the present. Taking a nod from whimsical English cottage gardens, as well as mono no aware and memento mori philosophies – I weave each stem into layered, textural art that looks dreamy and smells divine.
ABOUT MYgrowing
METHODSMy goal is to create a healthy and safe environment for the flowers (as well as ourselves) by using natural practices. This helps the plants resist pests and diseases on their own, resulting in naturally healthy, strong plants. I do this through organic horticulture, companion planting, regenerative agriculture, and attracting beneficial insects to the garden.
I only treat my plants with items you can find in a kitchen pantry, and things that are safe for consumption. You can rest assured my flowers aren't covered with toxic chemicals.
I believe in growing a strong and vibrant ecosystem, both for fauna's and our benefit. On my urban micro farm, I leave about ⅓ of my potential farming space wild. I grow as many multipurpose, edible, and native flora as possible including fruit, flowers, and herbs.
BEFORE THE FARMi was a product designer
specializing in user experience
EDUCATION🐅 B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Pre-Law from Auburn University
🐉 B.A. in Graphic Design with a minor in Painting from UAB
CAREER🕸️ My first 6 years were in Web & Graphic Design
👩💻 My last 6 were Product & User eXperience (UX) design
PIVOT😷 After declining health, I was diagnosed with autoimmune disease
🧑🌾 I left my career to start flower farming & improve my quality of life
FROM SEEDSeveral years ago, I started gardening to help manage chronic health issues. As I found healing through a connection with nature, I started to share the flowers of my endeavors with loved ones. While making that connection with people and flowers was immensely enjoyable, there was just something else about it that I couldn’t put my finger on.
to blossom
Eventually, I realized what that something else is. As a society, we often celebrate with flowers: holidays, birthdays, special events... but we also mourn with flowers: apologies, get-well wishes, condolences. I realized that the through-line for all of these reasons to share flowers is hope. We hope to enjoy a celebration, or we hope to heal through difficult times. That’s what growing & sharing flowers is for me: hope.
AND HARVESTWith our busy lives in a fast-paced world, I hope my flowers find their way to you. I hope you can take a moment away from the chaos to enjoy their beauty, their scent, their ethereal nature. Whether you’re celebrating or mourning or just because, I want to share hope with you.