One of the best parts of hosting The Peony Course is getting to know the inspiring students who make up the membership. Each arrives with their own unique story of how they came to growing flowers, and where the journey is leading them.
Today I am thrilled to share a little bit about Celia Frost of Cloud House Project, who's raising her family, flowers, animals, and a host of creative projects in the mountains of Arizona.
“Currently, we run natural building workshops and host events including weddings and seasonal garden parties on our two acres in the mountains,” Celia explains.
Located at nearly 9,000’ in elevation northwest of Flagstaff, Arizona, Celia contends with a very short growing season (USDA Zone 4) and lots of winter snowfall.
"We've been the snowiest city in the US for the last several years," she shares.
“Our space is also 100% off grid which adds an additional element of excitement during dry years,” she explains.
Celia, who currently works as a NICU RN and Educator in addition to running Cloud House Project, is a fifth-generation farmer florist. Having spent her childhood exploring her grandmother’s gardens and the family’s flower shop-adjacent greenhouse, it’s no surprise she’s found herself drawn to the world of flowers.
Over the last decade, Celia’s tended an extensive selection of perennial plants, including a selection of peonies.
“I’ve ordered 50 more roots to plant this year. Ultimately, I plan to have about 200-250 plants,” she remarks of her growing collection.
Recently, Celia joined The Peony Course “to round out my business plan in order to create better work-life balance.”
“As a gardener-turned-farmer, the course has been very helpful in opening my mind to ways to integrate the two. I’m starting to prepare my business model, and it’s helped me to think of the outlets I’d like to one day sell to.”
When asked about any hesitations held before participating in the program, Celia shared a familiar insight:
“This is the first education course I’ve purchased related to growing anything, and business-related to farming. There was an initial hesitation about which kind of course to purchase, and from whom. When I found this course I felt drawn to it, and it has been worth the investments of money and time.”
Many students inside The Peony Course report that the sense of community is an unexpected highlight. Cold-climate growers face a unique set of challenges, and often find that available resources aren’t sufficiently relevant to their short seasons or more rural markets.
“I’m really looking forward to learning from and being in a community of people that are growing in colder zones.”
Learn more about Celia and Cloud House Project on Instagram at @cloud.house.project
Learn more about The Peony Course and sign up for Tanglebloom’s upcoming free training here.