TCM Classics – This interview with the founder of Floret Farm originally ran on the site in 2017, but we loved it so much we’ve decided to bring it back…
The only thing better than waking up to a bedside bouquet is waking up to an entire backyard field of fresh, rainbow florals. For Washington-based flower farmer, Erin Benzakein of Floret Farm, every day starts surrounded by earth-bloomed beauty, and we can’t help but be a little jealous! While having one of the most Instagrammable jobs out there comes at a cost — namely, a 4am wakeup call from the local rooster — we’d gladly guzzle an extra coffee to get in on the gorgeousness.
Join Erin for an early morning on the farm, we love every inch of her routine, including a dawn meditation and coffee-powered brainstorm for her floral workshops and stunning Instagram. Take a mini-tour of Floret Farm with Erin’s brand new book, Floret Farm’s Cut Flower Garden, and explore her morning musts below…
My alarm is set for…
4:30 a.m. before the rooster crows!
I can’t start my morning without…
Lots of strong coffee with loads of cream.
Breakfast is normally…
Fresh eggs from the chickens.
Favorite morning beverage is…
Oh, most definitely coffee.
Daily uniform this spring…
Jeans, a button-down shirt and an apron.
My favorite moment in the morning is…
When my office manager, Jill, and I check in first thing in the morning and prioritize the tasks of the day ahead.
I start working by…
6 a.m. and start with email before hopping on the phone with Jill.
Mornings are normally filled with…
Planning and strategizing and then a stroll around the farm to check on all of the baby plants and field crops.
I get my creative juices flowing by…
Walking the farm to see what’s blooming. A lot can happen in a few days time. For example, sweet peas grow over a foot a week and daffodils can go from tight bud to full bloom over night. No farm walk is ever the same because things are changing at such a rapid pace.
Healthiest daily habit…
Meditation for sure. Running a business can be overwhelming and downright stressful. Taking some time in the morning to be mindful is how I try to be in the calm when things feel like a storm.
I’m most obsessed with this currently…
Sweet peas! This season, our big farm goal is to grow out and save our own sweet pea seed. We have over 10,000 plants in the ground, both in our greenhouses and the field. It’s all I can do to be patient while they climb their trellises. I can’t wait for June and July when they will be in their full blooming glory.
I’m usually listening to…
Anything with a beat! And something fast helps with farm tasks or when we’re trying to power through a big project.
My favorite morning distraction…
Instagram. While it can sometimes feel like a time suck, I do love that I can get an instant dose of beauty any time I need it.
Always thinking about lunch at…
Around 10 a.m., or at least time for a snack.
My current mantra:
I have this Lara Casey quote above my kitchen sink: “You know all those things you’ve always wanted to do? You should go do them!”
The recipe I’m making:
I just made Tasha Tudor’s blueberry muffins.
