by Jessica Harbert

Recently relocated to a new plot in La Conner, Beth Hailey has been growing flowers, herbs and vegetables for her company, Dona Flora Herbs & Flowers, since 1981.

Owner Beth Hailey

Now growing on three different plots of land in the area, farming a total of two acres, Hailey said this is the perfect amount. “I like growing things and being outside,” she noted.

Born in Texas and a Washington resident for most of her life, Hailey started Dona Flora after a friend passed along her flower delivery route. She successfully continued on, also growing to sell produce alongside her flowers. She has been a part of the Bellingham Farmers Market since its inception in 1992, and has continued with it each season, but acknowledges you can’t make it on the market alone, year after year.

“You have to know where to sell stuff,” Hailey said.

The majority of Dona Flora’s business is flowers, around 80 percent, while vegetables and herbs round out her offerings. Hailey also makes herbal beauty products.

She sells her items at the Bellingham Community Co-op and the Skagit Valley Food Co-op, and also delivers fresh flower arrangements to several restaurants and businesses in Anacortes every week, including Upstage Boutique, Adrift, Gere-a-Deli and Tangles. Dona Flora also does flower arrangements for weddings.

Relocating and working with new plots of land (which is a part of friends’ property) has been challenging, since much of it has never been farmed before. She is now working to make the soil functional for growing, all while finding large rocks and boulders, chunks of asphalt and other things along the way.

Owner Beth Hailey grows a variety of flowers, selling them at her weekly market booth, as well as wedding arrangements and delivering fresh bouquets to local businesses. She also offers vegetables and beauty products. COURTESY PHOTO

Aside from a wide variety of perennials, dahlias, carnations and sweet peas, Hailey also grows basil, fava beans, garlic, onions, peppers, tomatoes and winter vegetables, including varieties of squashes. Hailey does not grow flowers in the winter, but does sell winter produce locally. All her products are grown organically, and Hailey has four employees who help her maintain the land.

Hailey has been an active member with the Skagit Valley Food Co-op, not only supplying it with produce and flowers, but also working there since 2000.

For more information, visit www.donafloraherbs.com or call (360) 661-1850. The Dona Flora booth is at the Bellingham Farmers Market each Saturday.

Published in the July 2012 issue of the Grow Northwest magazine