Flower Business Blooms: Good Gardener Studio Opens in Del Ray

PHOTO of Good Gardener flowers by EyeWonderPhotography.com, courtesy of Good Gardener Studio, via Web site

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A new flower business, Good Gardener Studio, has opened at 202 E. Custis Ave. in Del Ray.

Owners Amy Gardner DeGood and husband Dean grow flowers at their farm in Madison County, Va., and sell them in Northern Virginia at farmers markets (on Sundays, at Mosaic District from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Fairlington Farmers Market, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.), through a delivery service, at local stores and for special events.

The Del Ray studio is open by appointment and is open for weekly or every-other-week subscription pickups and deliveries on Tuesdays. (See what’s growing when here, on the company’s Web site.)

The studio is next door to Doggywalker.com, which is also owned by the couple.

Here’s more about Amy and Dean, and their farm, in their own words:

Amy

My name is Amy Gardner DeGood (I know, right?), and I came late to farming. But as a former art director and arts & events gallery director, I did not come late to color, design, texture, or proportion… I did not come late to a love of art, animals, the earth…and flowers! Now that I have found my home with my husband of three years, Dean, and my place, with my little farm tucked away in the foothills of the Shenandoah, I am happy to be able to combine my passions and interests as the farmer and florist of Good Gardener, and I am thrilled to share the fruits of my labor with you!

Dean

I spent most of my early career traveling to more than 23 countries for Domino’s Pizza International, a job I truly enjoyed. But after a couple more stints with corporate America, I decided to settle back down in Virginia and try my hand as an entrepreneur. A few years later, I’m happy to say that our team at DoggyWalker.com has earned the company recognition as the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce 2013 Overall Business of the Year.

Good Gardener just seems a natural outgrowth of my love of being outside, working in and for my community and sharing a passion for nature with my wife. And really, with the names DeGood and Gardner, what else should we be doing? We hope you enjoy the flowers as much as we like growing them.

Our Farm

Our micro farm is lovingly tended, bursting with color and possibility. What a world we find in flowers—an ecosystem, a way of life and a way to give and give back. The fresh cut, organically grown flowers from our farm find their way to kitchen tables, dinner parties, weddings and celebrations. It is a true joy to bring the happiness of a fresh bouquet to our friends and neighbors in Northern Virginia. Now that we’ve found our true calling, we hope we never stop growing.

Amy + Dean