Roadside farm stands are a quintessential part of rural Lewis County. Nothing says summer more than a bouquet of vibrantly hued fresh flowers. One special roadside florist offers a rainbow of color and a perfect touch of beauty on these warm summer days. Located in the hills above Adna, a quaint white fence on winding Pleasant Hill is home to Cyndle’s Fresh Cut Flowers.
Cyndle started her roadside flower shop five summers ago to earn funds to pay for her horse Sassy. Purchasing Sassy was a $1,700 initial investment. Her ongoing feed and gear costs are covered by Cyndle’s flower sales.
“She knows the value of it,” says Cyndle’s mother Brianna Smith. “It was different from just giving her something. She said she wanted a horse and we said okay but you have to save up and buy it yourself. So that’s when the idea of the flower stand came about.”
Cyndle got started with dahlia tubers donated by family friends. One friend’s mother donated 80 tubers the first year, giving the budding gardener a nice head start. Over the last few years, Cyndle re-invested some of the money she earned in different dahlia tubers for more variety.
The flowers are not Cyndle’s first entrepreneurial endeavor. At four-years-old, she convinced her grandmother, Jill, to help her sell tadpoles. “Out of my trunk, if you can imagine, driving around and selling tadpoles,” Jill says. “There was a market for it though, when they saw that cute little face.”
Besides fresh flowers, Cyndle also sells farm eggs and chicks from the family’s flock of around 50 birds. Neighbor and relief flower girl Addie bakes homemade cookies. Nine-year-old brother Evan plans to make key chains with his dad, Zach. Cyndle also wants to sell her homemade slime for kids.
The mini-entrepreneurs are taking their roadside commerce in new directions, turning their passions into products. “It’s going to be a real variety this year,” says Jill. “It’s fun.”
The stand is usually open from around 10:00 a.m. until they sell out. Some days it’s not open if there aren’t enough blooms for bouquets. It’s best to check Cyndle’s Fresh Cut Flowers on Facebook before driving out. Many days, the flowers sell out. “Aren’t they cool?” asks Jill. “They just make everybody happy.”
This summer Cyndle started donating weekly arrangements to the Veteran’s Memorial Museum, where the family volunteers on Thursdays. Cyndle works inside with mom and Evan helps outside with his Army veteran dad, Zack. The siblings also take flowers to Chehalis West where a grandfather lives.
Flower pre-orders are available depending on the garden’s yield at the time. Cyndle recently styled her uncle’s wedding. Every table was adorned with her varied and beautiful flowers. Several couples requested bouquets for their weddings and people often purchase them for parties or businesses.
Cyndle’s favorite customer is her grandma, Jill, who she affectionately calls Mimi. “I buy a lot for way more than I should be donating,” Jill says with a laugh. “They are so beautiful. My whole deck is full because I always end up buying so many tubers.”
“And then she comes back and buys bouquets,” adds Brianna. “Isn’t she a good grandma?”
Other family members are also frequent customers. Cyndle was especially excited to have another grandmother come all the way from England to buy her flowers this summer. Many regular customers are neighbors who pass by. A little satellite stand at Chehalis Barber and Company also sells Cyndle’s sweet flower bouquets.
Depending on the weather, the adorable roadside stand remains open until sometime in mid- to late-October, when the flowers finally fade. “As long as it doesn’t rain a ton or freeze too hard, they keep blooming,” says Brianna.
At the end of the year, the kids dig up the tubers and sell what they have in excess. “The hardest part is digging them up and cleaning the tubers,” says Cyndle. “The best part is looking at the flowers.”
Evan assists with weeding and fertilizing, along with Addie’s brother Cole. Cutting the flowers is a group effort. All the kids and neighbors pitch in when Cyndle isn’t available. “We have good friends,” says Brianna. “Cyndle couldn’t do it without Evan’s help too. It takes her entire family and her friends to do this.”
Cyndle is especially thankful for all the help. Their kindness inspires her. Her message to others is simple. “Be kind,” she says.
Stop at her brightly painted roadside flower stand for a lovely $5 bouquet and delicious $1 cookie. It’s a wonderful way to share the kindness and support an adorable group of hardworking kids.
Cyndle’s Fresh Cut Flowers
249 Pleasant Hill Road
Chehalis
