The why behind the name and the brand.
Filomena’s Flowers and Lavender Farm is named after my Nana Flo - Filomena Florence (D'Amico) Fourman. She was my favorite person. A wildflower in every meaning of the word. She flourished where her adventures took her, was the life of the party, and was wild with her sense of humor and wit. She also loved our family and was our biggest (and loudest) cheerleader. She had two sons and one daughter, my mother, Barbie Kay. Her family bloomed and she became a grandmother to four grandsons and five granddaughters, Hannah (me), Andrea, Monica, Jaime, and Shani. Each have their own personality, but still, embodies a bit of Flo... making up the flowers of Filomena's Flowers.
When my Nana passed away in 2021 I grieved of course, but realized it was just her famous saying “goodbye for now”. As I started to create my brand in 2022, I knew I wanted to keep my Nana’s spirit at the forefront. My dream of a lavender farm had been silent since 2016, but I was ready to step out of the corporate world and decided to finally take action. I wanted to create items that were unique and full of life and eventually a lavender farm to gather and slow down while connecting with family and friends.
The farm will have an open invitation for others to gather, slow down, and remember their why. With regenerative practices, the farm will be a beautiful sea of lavender and wildflowers. We'll have a storefront and event space for yoga, workshops, and celebrations from showers to weddings and everything in between. Eventually, the storefront will also house a small café to enjoy the sweet floral taste of lavender drinks and baked goods. The farm will be a place to immerse the community in nature and connect with the earth, themselves, and others.
Remembering my why, I sat down and started to draft the brand, the colors, the products, and the website…. It sparked something in me that I hadn’t felt in a long time. Creative and passionate.
Since then, I have launched the website for online sales, hosted my first pop-up shop, met with small business consultants, and created a brand I am proud of.
Recently I found myself being forced to slow down and remember my why again. Why I wanted to keep my Nana's spirit alive, why I wanted to leave the corporate world, and why I wanted to connect with others in a more meaningful way. I decided to get back up and make it a turning point (maybe more to come on this later). Currently, I am working on growing the brand and securing funding to purchase farmland. This is just the beginning and I’m excited to watch my dreams bloom. I hope this blog sparked a thought of “what is my why” in you, and if not, I invite you to the farm in 202X :)
Goodbye for now,
Hannah
P.S. if you would like to help support my dream my shop is open and you can donate to my go fund me page.