We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mallory Of Patchwork Flower Garden a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Mallory, appreciate you joining us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?
My garden got its name because the patchwork of garden beds that has taken over wherever the sun shines directly in my backyard (and soon my front yard). Patchwork and making do with the space there is also made me think of my other passion- sewing. Part of the backyard quilt also includes paths my dogs have worn down by running through the yard, As my garden expands, I have plants growing for making arrangements, saving seeds, and as a grounding practice for myself. I could not leave out our chickens, who take up a place in the patchwork and help with keeping the garden fertilized. All these things come together into the concept of Patchwork Flower Garden.
Mallory, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Hello- my name is Mallory. My journey to narrowing down my interest with gardening started in 2016. For a short period of time, I lived and worked at a retreat center/intentional community where I was outside the majority of my day. I helped manage, sort and haul all of the retreat center’s waste and got to teach people about the compost piles I helped with. I have been so lucky in that I have been able to see people’s amazing gardens and stay at operating (or retired) intentional communities that really emphasize sustainable growing practices. This setting really inspired me to practice sprouting my own seeds and starting my own projects in a community garden, then later at my home. During covid I started my largest garden yet while also starting my career in the mental health field. While shifting from service-industry work to a health and human services career, I realized that making flower arrangements was a really helpful practice for me to balance out the seriousness of my job. Friends and regulars from my previous barista and restaurant jobs expressed interest in arrangements so I started making them for others. Over the last four years I became so excited about dahlias in particular after getting a my first dahlia seed packet. I started saving my own seeds and tubers from dahlias and reading about the viruses, diseases, and cloning practices that relate to them. During the winters I have experimented with different tuber saving practices and enjoyed planning the garden for the year ahead. Gardening keeps me looking forward to each year, and keeps me connected with others around me by sharing what I love with them. Patchwork Flower Garden becoming a more formal project of mine continues to give me an outlet to learn about a lot and to see positive things about our human experience.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist or creative for me has been the people I meet through sharing what I make, and documenting different periods of time. Whether it is with writing, visual art, or currently flowers, I have had such interesting experiences from sharing with others what I have made and hearing how they experience or relate to it.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I don’t think my creative journey has a particular goal. I hope to continue this garden project and see how it fits in my life as life grows and changes!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @patchwork.flower.garden
- Other: [email protected]
