US (VA): Loudoun gardener grows a loyal following
“Our loyal client Diane will come every week, and she will take her time carefully selecting flowers,” said Greenstone Fields co-owner Barbara Lamborne, who says their clients are like family. “And we love her,” she said.
Lamborne and her husband, Dennis Fuze, spend a lot of time and attention to detail with each flower. They are grown at their farm on John Wolford Road in Wheatland, about 7 miles north of Purcellville. They have lived in Wheatland for 12 years, and prior to that, 13 years in Lovettsville.
Lamborne’s mother was an avid gardener who grew beautiful flowers and always had a love for gardening. They started as berry growers but when they moved to Wheatland, they were approached by Andy Hankins, a Virginia Extension specialist who helped farmers thrive and become more profitable.
Hankins, who died in 2012, encouraged farmers to grow in niche markets, which he thought could be profitable. At the time he approached Barbara and Dennis, he had received a grant from the state to establish 12 flower farms.
So they decided to give it a shot.
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