Manhattan Roadside Flower Stand Cultivated With Care

MANHATTAN, IL — One of the benefits of living in an area with an abundance of farm land is the opportunity to purchase fresh produce and other plants right from the side of the road. Residents of Manhattan may have noticed on their commutes around town a roadside flower stand, Lowen's Flower Farm, located at 14615 W. Bruns Road.

The stand is owned by Kristy Genis, and the the flowers come straight out of the farm on her parents' property there.

Genis said she quit her job to be a stay-at-home mom but found that she still needed something more to do.

“My parents have all this land, there’s got to be something I can do,” Genis said. “So I’ve always been an outdoorsy person. I just came across flowers, and I thought, ‘That would be awesome.’ And here I am.”

This is the third year Genis has sold flowers from her stand, and each year her selection has expanded.

This year’s offerings include sunflowers, snapdragons, celosia, cosmos and more.

Genis said that she starts growing in her basement or greenhouse in Homer Glen in January the vast majority of her flowers. From there, she brings the flowers out to Manhattan to be planted, but the work is still far from over. She has to work the soil, lay down fabric to protect the flowers from weeds, add stakes for protection from the wind, protect the flowers from insects and, of course, cut and arrange the flowers in bouquets.

“It’s a lot of work,” she said. “There’s just so much that goes into it. People really have no idea.”

Genis said she had some prior experience with gardening but nothing at this scale.

“This was a lot of research done, books read, internet, all that kind of stuff,” she said.

Genis said she usually harvests the flowers twice a week, puts them in a cooler and takes them back to Homer Glen, where she then makes wrapped bouquets or arrangements in mason jars before bringing them back to the stand in Manhattan.

Prices can range from $10 to $25, but she said she can also accommodate customers with special requests for specific arrangements. Customers are on the honor system as Lowen’s Flower Farm; there’s a box where people can leave cash for their payments, or Genis accepts Venmo payments, as well.

For the most up to date information on availability of flowers at Lowen’s Flower Farm, visit her Facebook page here. She can also be reached via email at lowensflowerfarm@gmail.com.