Pollinate Flowers
Flowers to See, Smell and Taste…
The best business ideas are conceived after a period of germination. And once rooted, the creative process freely twists, turns, and gnarls like a growing vine building its trellis upon which ultimately a flowered jewel appears. John and Jeremi, owners of Pollinate Flowers, have spent the last several years thoughtfully cultivating their business and making inevitable adjustments. After purchasing their two acre Dundee Hills property in 2012, the pair began their venture with initial intentions of creating an organic food forest. However, what became readily apparent was that cooperative vegetable farming markets were plentiful in Oregon especially in Yamhill County. Discouragement, however, was not an option for the twosome. So, in 2018 after modifying their gardens and their thinking, John and Jeremi initiated a fledgling botanical flower oasis. Gardens quickly flourished. Art and providence eventually joined in and Pollinate Flowers began delivering exquisite arrangements from their gardens to local wine tasting rooms, restaurants and businesses. “Our favorite thing to do with arranging is mixing cuts from our unique collection of perennial flowers and shrubs with the more common annual blooms. This allows us to create a fresh look that is always in season and different from anything available from other florists”, said John. A further epiphany came with the realization that many of their botanicals offer edible delights and enhancements to menus. As a result, lucky Dundee area diners may find food pairings with intriguing accents of perhaps sweet cicely, sedum leaf, goumi berry, redwood sorrel among dozens of other varieties of edible plants and flowers.
The product and service John and Jeremi provide has become so popular that their gardens are currently undergoing a significant expansion, more than doubling their existing plantings.
The success of Pollinate Flowers may have come in part because they capitalize on the fact that, according to the owners, 80% of the flowers that florists use are grown outside of the U.S. The result is limited selection for American consumers. Pollinate Flowers works to fill that void locally by providing unique blooms and authentic farm to fork ingredients that the Dundee Hills tourism industry has become so famous for.
If you are fortunate to visit Pollinate gardens, you will not only be drawn into its beautiful tranquil setting, but will also quickly realize the depth of John and Jeremi’s passions- literally. These two are just as keenly cognizant of what occurs underfoot as what happens above—insect life, and a variety of other biological variables create a perfect soil infrastructure begging to be honored not tilled. This holistic and natural regenerative agriculture model, the Pollinate boys explain, goes beyond organic. Corners are never cut, only flowers. After all, Pollinate has come to serve as the epitome of Dundee’s “slow flower movement”.
