History

Meet Jack and Lily, my maternal grandparents. Jack explored the glaciers, mountains, and wild places of Chile.  Lily’s 4th story apartment terrace in Santiago had more plants than space to walk. She made jam with apricots from the full-sized tree that extended out from her planter box. Both had an affinity for tea.

Chile is a land of natural and agricultural abundance. Every week, Lily selected armloads of flowers from stands scattered on street corners throughout the city. She “pruned” stray branches and blooms on her daily walks. Every space in the apartment not covered with books or correspondence held flowers. Every evening she took them outside so they could breathe the cool night air.  

While I am no explorer like Jack, nor plant whisperer like Lily, I grew from the roots they put down and the interests that they tended.

Before they took hold in me, these floraphilic roots produced my mother, who three decades ago started Le Mera Gardens, one of the first organic, specialty cut flower farms in the country. As a child, I often shared my carseat with a bucket of flowers on delivery to a local flower shop and the scent of chicken manure still brings me comfort. This many years later she remains joyfully committed to providing our region with the highest quality, locally grown flowers and foliage.

Isabella Thorndike Church