Community Land Sharing Fuels Memphis Flower Business

Marisa Mender-Franklin turned a personal wish to grow wedding flowers into a full-time urban flower farm by borrowing unused yards from neighbors in Memphis, Tennessee. After posting a request on a local Facebook Buy Nothing group, she received dozens of offers within minutes and secured four garden plots in 2021. Those plots grew into nine separate flower farms that now supply her Midtown Bramble and Bloom shop and support a staff of ten employees.

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The land-sharing model mirrors a long-standing practice in other cities. In Toronto, gardener Sarah Nixon cultivated flowers on neighbors’ lawns from 2001 to 2021, exchanging garden upkeep for lease agreements and selling subscriptions, market stalls, and wedding arrangements. Mender-Franklin cited Nixon’s “analog” approach as inspiration for using a digital community platform to match landowners with a farmer. Formal leases in Memphis detail boundaries, water costs, and maintenance responsibilities, turning neglected lawns into productive flower beds while giving homeowners ready-made bouquets and a sense of neighborhood connection.

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• Nine farm plots of varying size operate under Mender-Franklin’s oversight.

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• The business employs ten people full-time.

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• In the most recent year, it hosted 57 workshops and provided floral arrangements for 44 weddings and large events.

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• The initial online request generated 40 offers of free garden space.

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Mender-Franklin emphasizes that the venture “runs on community,” noting that neighbor support, shared resources, and a collaborative spirit made land access possible. She also highlights the Flowers for Good program, which donates bouquets to schools, charities, and other local organizations. Karen Golightly, an early plot owner, says the weekly bouquets are “lovely” but stresses that the greatest benefit is the new neighborhood garden walk and the friendships forged among residents and the farm staff.

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• “I was obsessed with growing flowers for my own enjoyment, and my own backyard was full,” — Sarah Nixon

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• “We have a garden walk in the neighborhood, and I’ve come to know other neighbors and gardeners that I wouldn’t otherwise know. And, of course, there’s Marisa’s staff and Marisa, as well,” — Karen Golightly, who owns one of Mender-Franklin’s original plots

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