Today we’d like to introduce you to Adrienne Lambing.
Hi Adrienne, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started Painted Petal Gardens in 2025, but I have always had a garden and have grown flowers, fruits and vegetables. I’ve actually lived on this property since 1976, when my parents purchased the land and built the house. My sister and I were raised here, and in 2005 my husband and I purchased the property from my parents and went on to raise our two daughters here. Over the years, our 11-acre farm has also been home to horses, sheep, goats, chickens, cats and dogs.
About 12 years ago, I started a bookkeeping business from home. It provided a little extra income and eventually grew to a number of clients that kept me very busy, but it also meant spending a lot of time sitting behind a desk. I reached a point where I realized it just wasn’t filling me up anymore. So I reduced my client load and started putting more of my time and energy into something I have always loved—flowers.
Over the last two seasons, I’ve expanded my small garden into three larger growing areas on our property. One is dedicated mostly to dahlias, another is filled with eucalyptus, lisianthus, snapdragons and grasses, and another has cosmos, celosia, zinnias, sunflowers, marigolds and whatever else I decide I absolutely need to grow.
I’ve loved the process of growing the flowers, which has helped me make some positive changes in my own life. Between being more active, spending so much more time outside and making better choices with what I eat, I feel so much better. I’ve lost about 50 pounds, have more energy, and just feel healthier and stronger overall. It’s been a really positive change for me in more ways than I expected when I started PPG.
This season I’m finally starting to feel the growth of Painted Petal Gardens. I grow seasonal specialty cut flowers and sell bouquets through my farmstand, local businesses and events, as well as DIY flower buckets and flowers for small events and gatherings.
I’m still building the business and figuring out what I want it to become—I’m only in my second season. But I know that I really love the local and personal side of it. I love visiting with someone who stops at the farmstand for flowers on the way to dinner, someone picking up flowers to take to the local cemetery, or someone buying a bouquet for a friend who needs cheering up. And there is something really rewarding about walking into a local event or business and seeing arrangements on the tables made with flowers I grew.
It has been a huge learning experience, and I’ve been fortunate to have some great friends and other local business owners who have shared advice, encouraged me and supported what I’m doing. I’m still learning as I go, but I think that’s part of what I enjoy about it. I’m excited to see where Painted Petal Gardens goes from here.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No it definitely has not been a smooth road I have made a lot of mistakes as anyone does when starting something new. There has been so much to learn about growing on a larger scale. When to start seeds, when to plant, how to succession plant, understanding my soil and climate better, and even something as simple as underestimating how much shade affects plant growth. Also, as a bookkeeper who likes to have my books just so, it has been a little painful watching the numbers and trying to keep this new business out of the red while I invest in getting it established. Marketing has probably been my biggest challenge though. I am not completely comfortable with social media even though I know I need to embrace it. Even writing a monthly newsletter has pushed me outside my comfort zone. But I am learning that growing the flowers is only one part of running a flower farm. I also have to figure out how to get my flowers in front of the people who will love and enjoy them.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I almost picked business option for this question, however I need to embrace that this flower farm is not only a business, but it is a form of artistry. Growing the flowers and creating bouquets and arrangements has become my creative outlet. My mother was a watercolor artist who had a long and successful career, from working for Hallmark greeting cards to being one of the founding members of the Local 14 art group and selling her work for many years. I never thought I inherited that gene – I cannot paint to save my life! But growing flowers, creating my garden spaces, and then harvesting those flowers and arranging them into something beautiful has helped me discover my own creative side. The past few years have also brought a lot of change for us. Our daughters have both left home now, and after so many years of raising a family, it can feel pretty quiet around here. Being out in my gardens and having this way to express myself creatively has brought a new kind of purpose and a lot of joy to this stage of my life, especially on the days when I’m missing my girls.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was extremely shy growing up. I had a fun little group of friends who all lived out here in the country, and we were all pretty shy kids who loved being outside. In high school, I was really into photography and spent a lot of time with my animals and my friends’ horses. I met my husband in high school, and we later attended Portland State together and married five years later. He’s a farm boy at heart too, so when we eventually had the opportunity to move back here, he was completely on board with it. My parents were artistic types in the ’60s and ’70s and loved a good party, so our farm was always filled with interesting people, including a big summer party every year. They taught me not to take life too seriously – be responsible, work hard and get things done, but have a good time doing it. Through high school and college, my friends and I spent a lot of time camping and just being outdoors. Looking back, I guess it makes sense that I eventually found my way back to the same place and many of the things I loved growing up.
Pricing:
- Seasonal farmstand bouquets generally range from $20–$50
- Painted Petal Gardens Flower Club offers seasonal bouquet subscriptions throughout the growing season
- DIY flower buckets start at $75 and are available for parties, showers, small weddings and other gatherings
- Custom arrangements and small-event florals are available upon request; seasonal offerings, Flower Club information and updates can be found at PaintedPetalGardens.com or on Instagram @paintedpetalgarden
Contact Info:
- Website: https://PaintedPetalGardens.com
- Instagram: @paintedpetalgarden
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575095520228
