From meeting on the first day of school at the Culinary Institute of America in New York to launching Quince Blossom Ridge in 2021, Alex Mudry-Till and Dan Till forged a life in food that led them to flowers. Alex first became fascinated with flowers as a child, then found her interest piqued again when she became a partner in Buttercream Bakeshop.
“While making wedding cakes and creating sugar flowers to decorate them, I did a lot of research and studying of different flower types and styles,” she said. “That was sort of the gateway. And then once we became friends with florists in the industry, I got to see a much broader spectrum of flowers and foliage and was pretty much hooked from there. Once I found out that so many things could be grown in our region, I became determined to try them out!”
Located in Southern Maryland, Quince Blossom Ridge is a flower farm and wedding venue. The name came organically after a ridge on their farm and the “mystery plant” they found in their garden that turned out to be quince – a “mystery item” Alex also once had to cook in restaurants. “When I researched the quince itself, I found how it was an ancient symbol of love and was commonly part of the marriage ritual as it was considered sacred,” Alex explained. “We also loved that it had both flower and fruit – showing a little of our past and our present in one symbol.”
Alex trained with Eco City Farms growing produce as well as growing as many flowers as she could at home. They have chosen to be no spray, so they focus on beneficial insects to keep bugs such as thrips at bay. And, since they are also an event venue, they have no permanent growing structures, just a beautiful view of the flower fields and garden rooms. While Alex handles the planting plan and seed starting, Dan has spent the majority of the last two years building out their farm fields and creating their first garden room - complete with hand built pergolas for climbing roses and a fountain he built from scratch.
They grow a wide variety of flowers, including ranunculus, anemone, peonies, and other cool flowers for spring, and dahlias, celosia, and herbs for fall. They forage branching shrub and tree foliage from their farm. Given their culinary background, they plan to offer an edible flower option in 2024. Florists will be delighted to learn that they also have a cut rose program. “We have almost 400 roses and continue to expand our collection. These are for both spring and fall cuts.”
As many growers have found, summer is a slow time for sales to florists. “I think one thing that is hard – like any sales focused business – is the sound of crickets during certain seasons,” Alex said. “This year we changed our availability list from a spreadsheet to click and purchase online store with password protection. We had been told by numerous florists how it was so much easier and a preferred way for them to purchase. Once we launched it we heard . . . nothing. So I reached back out to some of the designers to confirm they even received it - and they loved it, but just weren’t buying or we didn’t quite have things they were looking for at the time. Mainly I’m trying to say – it would be amazing if florists could occasionally respond back to an availability request and just let us know if they are off or don’t have events for a few weeks or are looking for something different. We completely appreciate and respect the time and work that goes into florists incorporating local flowers into their recipes. Knowing that someone has at least seen it and it hasn’t just floated into the ether makes us who put those lists together feel a little more sane.”
For Alex and Dan, flowers provide a chance to witness the cycle of life. “But it’s that surprise when you see a growth spurt, the joy when you see the first little buds coming on a new plant,” Alex explains. “It’s still like magic every time. It still surprises me how I can come back to the farm after two days away and be in awe of how much has changed, grown, or started to die. I feel like it gives you a greater appreciation for the now and the urgency to take it in and enjoy it.”
Although their primary focus is sales to florists, Quince Blossom Ridge flowers can be found at the Clifton Farmers Market in Virginia. They also host “Snip and See” events once a month during the growing season, and they plan to offer plant sales and floral design classes next year, in addition to event rentals. To be added to the availability list for Quince Blossom Ridge Farm, send an e-mail with your delivery address to: Quinceblossomridge@gmail.com