"Distance has no meaning.  The heart always finds its way home."  -- Flavia Weedn


In 1998, Redbud Farms opened for business in Stockbridge, Michigan. It was an experiment to see how to use the power of new technologies coupled with the ancient knowledge of agriculture to establish the smallest of small family businesses.  

For thirteen years, the Farm produced beautiful, colorful zinnias of every variety -- more than any other flower and seed company on the web!   

Using the concept of engaging each individual gardener to find a flower for their special pot or a garden design for their favorite flower patch, the proprietor built a word-of-mouth customer following of those looking for a virtual, secluded spot in the garden to walk the paths and stop long enough to smell the roses -- and zinnias! 

Office staff in the cold of a Chicago winter wrote that they would clip the photographs and inspirational snipits to post on their office cubicle to remind them that winter would leave and spring would come again. 

As change swept over Redbud Farms, the operations moved to a smaller cottage garden setting, as the owners were aging.  Requests from many of those folks formerly taking the virtual tours over the winters inspired Sharon to recover some of those photos and memories to post for the new generation of gardeners visiting the web site.  

We hope you who read here and visit these pages will send us your photos and stories of growing Van Dyke Zinnias in your corner of the world.   History indicates that all our new visitors would like that!   -- Sharon Fernandez