Creator's Corner: Ash - Founder of Wild Flora Flower Farm
Tell us a little about yourself! Who are you and what’s your creative background?
My name is Ash, I am a mum and a creative at heart. I've always had my hands in different interests that spark my curiosity. I seem to travel from one thing to the next: wedding photography, painting, gardening, flower farming, content creation, and the list just keeps growing. It keeps life exciting, and every season there is something beautiful to uncover.
Can you share the journey that led you to Wild Flora Flower Farm?
Covid was the perfect break I needed, before covid I traveled Canada for 3 years, and went straight from that season of life down to the south island of new zealand to work as a trail riding guide for 6 months before the world shutdown. I made it back to the north island, to Napier where my parents call home, just in time before our country shut down and we were no longer able to travel.
It was a breath of fresh air for me to really sit in a long period of time and think about what I wanted to do next. A free Horticulture course with a diploma came up and I jumped into that for a year while baristering part-time. I started feeding my passion for gardening and started learning a few inspiring gardening/flower farming on YouTube.
Somewhere along the journey of that year I had the idea to start growing cutflowers from seed. At first I had very little success with germinating seeds and keeping the plant babies alive. I know we have all been there! It makes me laugh, but after my horticulture diploma I worked at a garden centre growing my experience and knowledge more and I just loved chatting about gardening especially with the older ladies who would pop in weekly.
When buying plants or shrubs, I always had a cutting concept in mind. Would it last long in a vase? What time of year does it flower? Does it have one cut flower purpose or does it re-flush in bloom?
Slowly I had created a cutting garden at my parents home. Learning and making mistakes. Arranging flowers on sunny autumn afternoons and setting a large arrangements around the home.
A flower stand came up online and I out bid the other buyer and I was on my way to selling blooms outside my parents home.
I lived opposite a primary school, so having foot traffic wasn't a hard thing! The flowers were and hit and I soon began getting better and better playing with flowers and putting them into small bouquets.
You recently moved to a town near Wanaka, New Zealand. What has your experience been like transitioning to a new location and growing, selling, and running your business within a fresh community?
It’s been so fun! I naturally have a lot of confidence when I throw myself into something, I never seem to have those thoughts of ‘what if it doesn’t work out?’. The way I see it, there is always room for you and your passion in the world.
We are currently renting here in Wanaka, and I knew I needed a garden or needed to make something similar to what I had created back at my parents’ home. We moved here when Stetson was 4 months old, and it was just a small house in the middle of a big property. I got a greenhouse early in winter and started growing my hardy annuals and perennials. The greenhouse was a game changer for me. I’ve never grown in one, and it just made all the difference in this cold, harsh climate.
My partner Joe works overseas for 3 months a year in the States, so I was on my own to turn the back of the property from bare grass. It was a huge task to turn that desolate-looking space into 6 rows for dahlias, statice, yarrow, zinnias, and strawflowers to grow.
In Wanaka, we have some good winters, which was new to me. I had months to prepare my soil and get things organised before planting in late October. The climate here is dry, windy and harsh. I'm used to a mild, humid climate and a long growing season. But I was ready for challenges and changes.
I knew I had to re-establish my name as my mum was taking over my little flower business at her home, and I wanted a fresh start for my first season here in Wanaka. It took me months on Canva before I finally chose a name and a design soon after. The dream of building my dream flower stand was important to uphold my brand and a way for my business to reach the community I was living in. My little roadside stand is perfect, a little classy but a little rustic.
The content you share is both educational and inspirational (and so beautiful!). You provide tips and tricks for gardening while also encouraging people to bring their dreams to life. What do you hope your followers take away from your work, whether in their gardens, creative projects, or personal growth?
Inspiration and beauty. I think we are all deeply designed to create something beautiful that we can behold. For me that is the beauty in nature. It’s something you can create outside your home and also bring inside your home to brighten it up. Flowers do that for me. It’s a deep desire for something beautiful and grounding, while also filling our cup and our days with joy.
You recently became a mama! What does a typical day look like juggling motherhood and running a business?
It’s a pretty tough battle to get much done. I think as a young mum I'm still operating on the expectations of what I could get done in a day pre-mum life. It for sure has been a lot harder than what I expected - juggling a 14 month old and picking flowers.
In the mornings, I usually fill buckets up and start picking, but that can look like 3-4 visits back inside the house to settle Stetson to feed him or find something to bring outside with us to keep him busy when I am picking.
It can take about two hours just to pick a few buckets. When he’s napping, I’ll start to put bouquets together and price up individual bouquets. And then it’s time to drop them off to my stand and cafes.
What are some of the parallels you see with gardening and motherhood?
Everything is seasonal and you have to be so present to not let that flower/moment pass without taking in the blessing and beauty.
What advice would you give to women looking to turn their creative passions into successful businesses?
I would recommend reaching out to people who are currently doing what they want to do and asking questions. So many creative ladies are so excited to share about their passion and want to also find connection with other likeminded women.
What are your guiding values, and how are they reflected in your brand?
Quality, natural and graceful.
Flower quality is everything when it comes to lasting blooms and building a strong reputation with customers. When you grow in a way that aligns with nature, you create resilient, healthy plants that thrive in tough conditions and bloom abundantly.
I've always wanted my flowers to carry something special—a quiet grace. I’m especially drawn to soft, delicate colour palettes: blush, cream, peach, and vintage tones. My focus is on growing blooms that reflect the beauty of the current season, and arranging them in a way that honours that moment in time. With my brand’s simple, muted tones as the backdrop, the flowers can truly take centre stage and shine.
Do you have a dream project or an audacious goal you’d like to accomplish?
Having our own property one day would be such a dream project. Building a cute custom garden shed for creating floral projects and also having workshops. I love teaching people and chatting about gardening, so providing a space for people to learn and be inspired would be incredible.
What’s been the proudest moment in your journey so far?
Honestly just seeing it work out! lol I think the vision will always look so different to the reality. But for me, spending time designing my brand and taking time to create the vibe was really important to me.
What do you look forward to each day?
Mornings are my favourite; a cup of coffee and a cooked breakfast. Watching the gardening vlog on GardenAnswer on Youtube.
It’s a great way for me to ease into my day and reflect.
When you're not working in the garden, what can we find you doing?
I run social media for a hunting outfit here in Wānaka, managing everything from scheduling posts to creating reels—it definitely keeps me busy! It ties in really well with the content work I do for my own business, and I love being able to take those skills and apply them across both spaces.
Finish these sentences
My favourite flower in my garden right now is: David Austen Roses, their fragrant last bloom of the season.
I believe that I am so capable, but the process to get there may be slow or different to what I envision, and that’s okay.
I lose track of time when I’m in the garden!
One day I will be able to turn my Flower Farm into a full-time business and have the flexibility to be the mum I’ve always wanted to be.
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Keep Reading Creator’s Corner Interviews!
Ash is the founder of Wild Flora Flower Farm in Wanaka New Zealand. In this edition of creator’s corner, Ash talks about her journey starting her business, moving to a new community and starting over, and becoming a mama.