Flint, MI—It was 8 a.m., cloudy, and 37-year-old mother of three Janie Case Beuthin was already outside in her lush garden with a list of flowers to harvest for the day.
She set up a few buckets with water on the workbench her dad built, and one by one crossed different flowers off of her list. Dahlias, Zinnias, Poppy Pods, and other miscellaneous twigs, leaves, and blooms were carefully clipped and placed in water for later.
A black cat named Newman patrolled the garden, brushing up against the raised beds and pieces of iron fencing that dot the yard. “He found us,” Beuthin said. Newman is now a permanent fixture in the family.
If you looked at Beuthin’s Mott Park neighborhood ten years ago, it would look very different.
Gone was the picture perfect sprawling garden, and the friendly neighbors with landscaped lawns and decorated porches. Beuthin and her husband Ryan would be one of the few residents on the block when they moved in back in 2011.
After spending time away from her hometown of Flint, going away to college, marrying the love of her life, exploring warmer locations, and having their first child, Beuthin knew it was time move back to be closer to her family and build a life.
Within a few years the vacant homes filled, all except the uninhabitable property next door, which her young daughter dubbed the yellow “brokey house.”
The “brokey house” would sit neglected until 2015 when the Genesee County Land Bank tore it down. She and Ryan decided to take the freshly flattened lot into their own hands. For two years they participated in the Adopt-a-Lot program until they were able to purchase the land for themselves.
Slowly, the Beuthin family started planting seeds from flowers, fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Over time Beuthin’s florals would overshadow everything else until it became the vibrant and full garden it is today.
In 2018 Beuthin gave it an official name—Twig End Farm—and started her business with an emphasis on locally grown, seasonal offerings.
Although it seems like the Beuthin yard is at capacity, they don’t consider moving to a larger plot of land. “No, we moved to Flint to stay in Flint,” Beuthin said. She enjoys planting in a set amount of space. Her garden morphs throughout the year depending on which plants are in season.
After clipping all her flowers for the day, she headed to the back of the house to her custom built flower studio. She set out her tools, and began placing twigs and stems into a tiny glass mason jar until it was spilling with color and texture. When she was done, she held it up with a smile.
Beuthin offers a variety of options for customers including flower crowns, custom arrangements, and even a spring and summer flower subscriptions where people can receive fresh flowers weekly.
You can visit her website here.
The article was well stated and captured what we have seen in Janie’s floral farm these past three years. She truly has a heart for Flint as well as creative gifts that have found their way through her gorgeous arrangements.
I picked up two of Janies arrangements last Friday, they are absolutely a work of art. Her prices are great, she is a treasure in the middle of city of Flint