At the end of a winding country road in west central Missouri is Ann and Joseph Miller’s flower farm. Twisted Cedar Farm, which they tend to with their five daughters, is an expansive collection of flower plots, hoop houses, and an orchard.
We had the chance to visit Twisted Cedar Farm in the summer of 2024. We share the following images and an interview with Ann Miller to highlight the beauty Twisted Cedar Farm has cultivated.
Can you describe your farm for those who have not had the opportunity to visit?
I feel like the farm showcases our different gifts and interests. We grow a lot of flowers but also have a small orchard of peach and apple trees plus we have some blackberries, blueberries, strawberries and rhubarb. We have several hoop houses that we primarily use for our spring crops, ranunculus, anemone, stock and snapdragons. It’s hard to decide when our season really starts because we usually have flowers to sell March-mid October but there is a lot of work that gets done in the fall and early winter in preparation for spring, it feels like we get a little break in January and February. We have a variety of perennials and garden roses and also grow annuals. We all have our favorites but honestly sometimes it seems like it’s whatever is in season! It seems like we have a revolving array of animals, presently there are sheep, chickens, dogs and a cow. In the past there have also been rabbits, ducks, goats and a pony. Joseph has been very generous in letting the girls indulge in their love of animals and they have learned so much because of it.
Share with us why you started growing flowers.
We started growing flowers in an effort to provide work for our family of 5 girls. We had always enjoyed working together in our vegetable garden and it felt like this could be an extension of that. We have learned and continue to learn so much and the girls have gained so many skills through all of this, as the girls venture out on their own I am confident they will always grow flowers in some capacity.
Your palette is curated to you, that is clear. Can you share how you selected the varieties you grow?
I personally have always loved the muted, earthy tones. One of my mottos has always been “less is more” and I feel like that has shaped our palette. We have customers that love the bright colors and I have realized that in order for our business to succeed we want to grow the flowers they love but we still gravitate towards the muted, unusual varieties simply because that is what we love!
I often use the phrase "Lessons Learned in the Garden" to encapsulate universal truths that I find in nature that are applicable to modern living. Do you have any examples of "Lessons Learned in the Garden" that you'd like to share? Something nature has taught you?
One of the lessons that is always before us is how weeds will take over unless they are removed continually, in the same way there are many undesirable things that threaten to mar our lives and character if we don’t remove them and cultivate the Godly qualities.
Learn More:
https://www.twistedcedarfarm.org/
