Meet Becca Coleman | Floriculturist & COO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Becca Coleman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Becca, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Ever since I was young I have always been very independent. Working for someone else was never really an option for me. I wanted to be in control of my work life and have the ability to make my own choices. After spending many years on a computer for my previous business, I decided to cultivate a career that would require more time outside in the dirt and sunshine. This led me to flower farming which led to our flower trucks, farm stand, and now flower shop!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Our business started as a small flower farm. We owned 23 acres but farmed on less than 1 acre. For the first two years, we sold buckets of flowers to florists. During our third year, we started selling to the public in Chattanooga’s first flower truck, the “Blumenwagen”. Our flower truck gave us this magical spontaneity to connect with the community in ways we never had before. After over 100 pop-ups, the pandemic hit. We switched to a no-contact farm stand as an avenue to sell 15,000 tulips that had just started blooming! It was stressful but quickly became a huge success. The farm stand still operates during harvest season. During year five, we opened our flower shop on Market St. Our business has thrived and we couldn’t do it without such loyal support from our community.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
One thing I love about Chattanooga is the numerous events they have. If a friend came this weekend, I would take them to eat dinner at the Rosecomb, then we’d stop by this lovely little bookstore next door called The Book and Cover. After that, we would head to the Asian Lantern Festival at the Chattanooga Zoo. The lights are extraordinarily beautiful to walk through and experience. We would end the night with a festive drink at the UNKNOWN. Their charming decor and drinks are a perfect way to end the evening.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Reading the children’s book, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, started my love of flowers and beautiful gardens. My mother and father cultivated a vegetable garden which drew me to botanical gardens at a young age. I have to give a shout out to my husband, Andrew, for allowing me the time and giving me unwavering support to start this flower farming venture from scratch (with no other agricultural background!) I also owe all of my success to my business partner Erin Leonard who works just as hard as I do to make this beautiful small business thrive.

Website: www.jolijardin.co

Instagram: www.instagram.com/jolijardinfarm

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jolijardinfarm/

Image Credits
Becca Coleman