Rooted in legacy: Flint gardener honors family with thriving plant shop

FLINT, Mich. — At 30, LaBria Lane has watched her dream—MarySam’s Gardens and Plant Shop—grow from a front-lawn pop-up into a full-fledged garden center.

Nearly a year after moving into The Local Grocer, a neighborhood market known for its locally sourced goods and ready-to-go meals, Lane reflected on the journey that brought her here.

Lane credits her maternal great-grandparents, Mary and Samuel Lee, for her a love of gardening.

“Mary and Samuel passed that gardening care and love onto my grandmother, Jacqueline, and then she passed that on to me.”

Lane said gardening was a way of life for her great-grandparents, who grew up in rural Alabama. She was able to spend the final months of her great-grandfather’s life with him.

“Grandfather was always happy to see me … and I named MarySam’s Gardens after them,” she said.

Lane grew up on Flint’s north side, living in several houses along Dupont Street.

She began farming professionally after meeting Dana Voorheis, a manager from the Michigan Food and Farming Systems (MIFFS) Women in Agriculture Network Farm Development Center, who mentioned they were looking for a farmer.

“I do that,” Lane replied, noting that she had grown produce recreationally from a young age.

Lane is also an alumna of FoodCorps, a national nonprofit that promotes child well-being through food in schools. During an alumni retreat, she received $300 from a mutual aid fund.

In 2018, Lane used that money to launch MarySam’s Gardens. “It was meant to be,” she said, recalling the serendipity of having her name drawn on the same day she shared her dream of starting a business with fellow alumni.

In the beginning, Lane relied on support from the development center—a partnership between MIFFS and Genesys Health System that helps women launch farm businesses. Without land of her own, she used the center’s materials and even resorted to planting along the sidewalk outside her apartment when needed.

“I bought my first home with half an acre when I was 24, and that’s where I decided MarySam’s Gardens would take root,” she said.

After three and a half years at the development center, Lane moved her farming operations to her home in 2020. The property now features a 16-by-50-foot greenhouse, with a second one in progress.

Initially, Lane focused on growing food, but she soon realized it wasn’t financially sustainable.

“I had a tough realization that my passion for food production alone couldn’t pay the bills,” she said. “I remember thinking, I really need to refocus my energy.”

A friend suggested floristry, something Lane admits she didn’t know much about. But she had already been making grave blankets to fill seasonal gaps, and floral design came naturally.

“I’ve always been an artist and I’ve always been an agriculturalist, so it always made sense,” Lane said. “I don’t know why it took me 30 years to figure out that it was something I’d be really good at and passionate about.”

She began experimenting with chrysanthemums—bright, daisy-like blooms also known as mums. “The first year they were wonky,” she said. “The next year, they were immaculate.”

Today, MarySam’s offers custom and pre-made floral arrangements, tropical houseplants suited for indirect light, vegetable transplants, and workshops that blend art with plant care.

Lane credits much of her growth to her longtime partnership with Erin Caudell and Franklin Pleasant, co-owners of The Local Grocer.

“I think what made [the space] perfect was the partnership,” she said. “There was a support system. There were two different businesses valuing each other’s existence and leaning into community in a way that we don’t often see.” 

The collaborative environment has allowed Lane to envision even more for the future of MarySam’s Gardens.

“I see MarySam’s Gardens developing into a full florist—for this space to really grow into what the plant shop is meant to be,” she said. “I think it is the best situation for me.”

MarySam’s is open Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The shop shares hours with The Local Grocer. Lane will also be at the Flint Farmers’ Market Pavilion when it opens Saturday, May 11, 2025.

Follow MarySam’s on Facebook and @marysamsgardens on Instagram for updates, specials and workshop announcements.