Growing Floret

Erin and the team work to preserve a collection of heirloom roses that belonged to a renowned rosarian. In the process of saving roses for future generations, Erin meets another expert who helps deepen her understanding of roses, their legacy and her own.

Erin has spent years learning and documenting the practice of flower breeding, creating her own varieties called “Floret Originals” in the process. Focusing on breeding for a year will be hard and risky but, hopefully, worth the effort.

For 20 years Erin has documented every part of her work, not just for herself, but also to share it. Through an online library, a new book project and the Floret scholarship program, Erin wants to empower others.

When Erin first started growing cut flowers, her work was in tune with the natural world. There was a time to be productive and a time to rest. After years of feeling out of sync, Erin rethinks how she wants to spend her time.

Flower farmer Erin Benzakein embarks on another growing season, wrestling with the meaning of legacy as she works to run the business and leave her world a little better than she found it.