Meet Isabel Davis | Flower Farmer & Floral Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Isabel Davis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Isabel, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
Every day I just keep moving forward. I keep building things that light up my spirit, and I truly enjoy the creative process along the way.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My name is Isabel: Daughter, Mother, Wife, DIY Enthusiast, Gardener, Explorer.

For as long as I can remember, I have felt a deep respect and fascination for nature’s artistry and engineering and an awareness that everything is interconnected.

Fifteen years ago, my husband and I were looking for a place to set our roots and raise our family. The moment we entered the property on Rowe Road, we knew we had found our home. We fell in love with this beautiful land.
While my husband worked, I found fulfillment as a stay-at-home mom, dedicating my time to raising our sons and creating spaces that resembled my grandmothers’ homes. Located away from the fast-paced Mexico City where I was born and raised, these homes were havens of natural beauty.
My paternal grandmother cultivated meticulously-structured gardens filled with ornamental plants and flowers, (photos shown below) while my maternal grandmother focused on growing abundant vegetables, fruit trees, and flowers. Despite their different approaches, both were passionate gardeners.

So, when we found this land, I knew how I wanted to begin: by planting fruit trees and evergreens, followed by shrubs and a few perennials. Every year, I added features to the mix: a chicken coop, a beehive, raised beds, a wildlife pond, each element complementing the others.

A day came when a wonderful friend changed the windows of her beautiful house and gifted the originals to me. I always wanted a greenhouse, and now I had what I needed to start building it. The 14 square windows, the 4 large rectangles, and the 6 smaller ones looked like massive puzzle pieces. I finally came up with a design that I liked. The first foundation hole was dug on December 4th, 2021, and that began my biggest DIY project.

This was a pivotal moment because I realized the immense potential of growing a diverse array of flowers from seed there, but first I needed to learn efficient and sustainable cultivation techniques.

While I was researching, I discovered (among many others) Erin Benzakein, a world-renowned flower farmer from Washington State, Lisa Ziegler from Virginia, whose expertise relies on making soil blocks to grow strong seedlings, and Susan McLeary, from Ann Arbor, Michigan, a phenomenal florist who teaches flower arranging. Becoming a flower farmer & floral designer was definitely happening! Terraces Flower Farm & Studio was about to be born.

In the spring of 2023, the big field that sat empty for 13 years was completely transformed by thousands and thousands of perennial and annual flowers. It was the year of testing the land and testing my skills. And what I saw was extraordinary.

In the spring of 2024, I decided to fully open the garden doors to the public, and by doing so, I have had the immense pleasure of meeting inspiring, hardworking, and talented people – nature lovers, gardeners, teachers, photographers, brides, and artists. It has been a true honor to be able to serve my community with the gifts I have been given.​​​

Only time will tell where all this leads, but in the meantime, I will keep remembering Susan McLeary’s words… “In floristry as in life – create that which you crave to see.”

What began as a series of personal projects to please me, my family, and the wildlife around me, has blossomed into a magical and inspiring space for everyone to experience.

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If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would take them to eat downtown Milford to Sayulita, River’s Edge Brewery & Bangkok city. Short trips to visit Kensington Metro Park, Henry Ford Museum and Cranbrook Museum of Science.
For a day long adventures, I would take them to the Dow gardens in Midland and Frankenmuth, I would also visit the cities of Lansing, Ann Arbor, Detroit and Grand Rapids. For a weekend adventure I would take them to Mackinac Island, the Big Dunes, Whitefish Point, Petoskey or Ludington State Park.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Inspiration from my family: Both my grandmothers, mother, father, brother, sisters, my super supportive husband Dan and my two beloved sons Daniel and Joseph.

Friends: Claudia Czarneki, Diana Gnotek, Cinthya Rodriguez, Chantal Strait, Carrie & Ryan Wiltse, Amy Sonk, Sheila Belkouski, Susan Absher, Al & Pat Coppersmith.

Mentors: Among many others, Erin Benzakein, Lisa Ziegler, Susan McLeary, and most recently Eric & Julia Hofley.

Supporters: All the photographers that have crossed the garden gates and their wonderful clients.
THANK YOU!

Website: https://www.Terraces-Flower-Farm.com

Instagram: @terracesflowerfarm

Image Credits
Personal Photo by Narrow Lane Photography