How one gardener's neighbors shared their land to help her start a flower business

August 18, 2026 - 05:35

When Marisa Mender-Franklin walks through any of the nine flower farms she now tends across Memphis, Tennessee, her first thoughts are of gratitude. Partly for the blooms and the buzzing bees, but mostly for the people who made it all possible: her neighbors.

Mender-Franklin did not start with acres of her own land. She started with a simple wish to grow flowers professionally, but she had no property to plant them on. Instead of giving up, she asked around her community. The response surprised her. One neighbor offered a side yard. Another suggested a vacant lot behind their house. Before long, nine different households had agreed to share their land with her, free of charge.

Today, those scattered plots form a patchwork of small farms across the city. Each site grows different varieties, from zinnias to dahlias, depending on the sunlight and soil. Mender-Franklin moves between them on a bicycle with a trailer, tending plants and harvesting stems for local markets and wedding orders.

She says the arrangement works because everyone benefits. Neighbors get a beautiful, cared-for landscape without any effort. They also get fresh cut flowers on special occasions. Mender-Franklin gets the space she could never afford on her own. The trust involved is significant, but she treats each garden as a shared treasure, not just a business asset.

Her story has inspired other aspiring growers in the area. She now gives talks on how to approach neighbors about land sharing, stressing honesty and clear communication. For her, the flower business is not just about petals and profit. It is about proving that a community can nurture a dream together, one backyard at a time.