Today we’d like to introduce you to Maren Treft.
Hi Maren, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Growing things has always been a love of mine. As a kid, I remember browsing through ALL the plants at the nursery and sometimes picking out one or two to plant at home. I was also a frequent visitor to the faux floral aisle at a couple of stores where I’d arrange with the blooms while waiting to get done shopping.
My formal training in horticulture and floriculture includes a greenhouse management/floriculture class in high school and landscape architecture courses as part of my undergraduate degree. I didn’t realize how much there was to experience in growing and learning about plants. I should’ve known when asked if I could have a lifetime supply of anything in high school and answered “Flowers”.
Fast forward to graduating with a BA in Liberal Arts and having a career I loved but had nothing to do with any of the green professions, my husband and I worked on creating our first garden in our backyard. It was almost entirely vegetables and some flowers like marigolds interplanted. In 2016 while working, I did a volunteer Master Gardner program through the local university and remembered a suggestion in one of the classes to try growing Strawflowers. I ended up adding some that Summer to the already thick veggie garden at home. At the end of a volunteer program, we were able to sort through bags of extra seed packets that were donated to the university and it was one of the best things ever for me to be able to pick things I’d never grown before. Seeds are my weakness. The next year, more and more flowers got planted alongside the veggies and soon things like Sweet Peas and Bells of Ireland were popping up everywhere.
I’ve been able to mesh so many of the things I love doing with flower farming, from arranging, to the science, working with nature, learning about native plants and creating with dried flowers.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
For the most part, yes. My biggest obstacle is me. Being able to make space to be creative and disciplined enough to stick to planting plans is something I’m still constantly working at. Doing something really worthwhile and new can be hard because it’s the unknown. Putting trust in yourself to do what it is that you love without worrying about the “what if” is hard.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
“Everlasting” flowers and all things pods, grasses and texture are my favorite things to grow and create with. I love doing more detailed work like floral ornaments and glass terrariums.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Staying true to myself and what “success” looks like. To me, it’s not just about growing a business and more flowers. It’s “what value am I adding?” I want what I do to be with intention and feeling. I want to have a haven for native pollinators and a robust soil system. I want people to feel the flowers they receive as means for connection and inspiration. There are so many beautiful and unique blooms to experience.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.urbanflowerworks.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/urbanflowerworks
- Facebook: Facebook.com/urbanflowerworks
