by CLIFF AND NANCY HILL
Just color him “crazy”! Pictured here is Squire Photographer Cliff Hill high atop a relic of a silo in the farm country north of Coopersville. It was necessary to scale the silo to capture the pictures for this article. Photo by NANCY HILL
The Rockford Squire goes to great lengths (oftentimes foolhardy) to bring interesting stories along with great pictures to its readers. This article is yet but another one.
Last week your reporters traveled to “The Flower Garden”, the 10-acre beautiful slice of nature owned and farmed by flower grower and floral designer, Casey Lemieux. Located, on a dreaded gravel road, at the very northern edge of Ottawa County and due west of Rockford is what Lemieux describes as, “Heaven on earth”.
Lemieux is one of the original vendors at America’s Favorite Farmers Market in Rockford and had oftentimes invited us to visit her farm when her floral offerings were in bloom. Such was the case last week.
Spotting an aging and unused silo next to the barn the foolhardy photographer, Cliff, received permission to climb to the very top to get long shots of the vivid flower fields.
Wide-angle shot from the top of the farm’s silo, is one of the many flower gardens of floral designer and grower, Casey Lemieux. You can almost see her standing (more than a city block away) in the very center of the rows of colorful blooms. Photo by CLIFF HILL
Standing at the base of the silo all reporter Nancy could hear as Cliff climbed a rusty ladder attached to the exterior of the silo was, “The things we do for a story” – along with other expletives deleted! Never the less it was all worth it as you can tell from the accompanying photographs.
Lemieux, now 29, has had a love affair with flowers since childhood. Today she is a much sought after floral designer and arranger for weddings or any occasion for that matter. She also has a love affair with Rockford’s Farm Market and every Saturday morning, spring through fall, she can be found creating bouquets on the spot for legions of market goers.
Picture taken at full 35x optical zoom from top of the farm’s silo revealing a smiling Lemieux holding a beautiful, just-picked, bouquet of flowers. Photo by CLIFF HILL
This year’s growing season has been an extreme hardship for all farmers and Lemieux, a farmer of flowers, is no exception. Through frosts, high heat, and extreme drought, she has lovingly tended her flower fields and is “doing just fine thank-you”, says Casey.
If you’re not already a regular Flower Garden customer, now is the time to stop by her booth, see and smell the flowers, and ask her to arrange a bouquet to your specifications. Hear that guys, you could sneak over there and watch Casey’s flying fingers create a surprise bouquet for your sweetie!
It’s nice to know that her love for flowers has brought her to where she is now, a successful flower grower and floral designer. I love to hear stories of people who made it big because of their passion in their craft and their determination to succeed.
Hers is an inspiring story. Growing flowers is no easy feat as they are rather delicate and requires so much attention apart from the fact that the weather is strange these days. Lemieux is one astonishing person.