What began as a retirement dream inspired by her mother has blossomed into a thriving flower and vegetable farm in Montgomery County. Today, Floribunda Flower Farm owner Juliet Marandure grows more than crops. She is building resilience against a changing climate.
Marandure, who grew up in Zimbabwe, founded Floribunda after years of bringing flowers home to her mother. The farm’s name reflects her vision of creating “flowers in abundance” and sharing that joy with others.
But farming has become increasingly difficult as growers face unpredictable weather patterns, drought concerns and rising operating costs. “The weather hasn’t been easy on us as farmers,” Marandure said. “It has been changing. Every time we face a challenge.”
Flowers are starting to bloom after the April freeze.
To adapt, Marandure secured grant funding from the Montgomery County Food Bank in collaboration with the Montgomery County Green Bank for a climate-smart agriculture project designed to conserve water and reduce energy costs. The farm now collects rainwater from rooftops and stores it in a 3,000-gallon tank that supplies irrigation throughout the growing season.
Pumps powered by solar panels move the stored water to the fields, allowing portions of the farm’s irrigation system to operate off the electrical grid.
But climate can create its own complications on the growing season. So despite those innovations, Floribunda was among the farms affected by freezing temperatures in the county earlier this spring. Marandure said the late frost arrived after many growers believed the threat had passed.
“We lost a lot of vegetables. We lost a lot of flowers,” she said.
Her experience reflects challenges faced by farmers across Maryland. Following a late-April freeze that damaged crops statewide. Gov. Wes Moore directed state agencies to expand assistance and accelerate support for affected agricultural producers.
Marandure remains optimistic. By investing in water conservation and renewable energy, she hopes to strengthen the farm’s future while continuing to provide fresh, chemical-free produce and flowers for her customers.
“I hope I can play my role, save the environment by doing good,” she said.
The post Flower farm turns to climate-smart solutions amid changing weather appeared first on Montgomery Community Media.
