Residents, staff at Dominion Senior Living were gifted sunflowers, zinnias

FRANKFORT, Ky. (July 24, 2025) – A bit of sunshine came in the form of zinnias and sunflowers as they were handed out to residents and staff at Dominion Senior Living in Richmond Wednesday.

The flowers, donated by River Bend Blooms in Allen County, were given out by Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell in honor of July being recognized as Kentucky Grown Cut Flowers Month.

“Flowers can brighten up your day and it’s an even brighter day when you know these flowers are grown in Kentucky,” Commissioner Shell said. “The beauty the flower industry adds to our great state also means you can bring that beauty inside your home, your business, or add it to your summer wedding. In July, we celebrate what Kentucky’s farmer-florists provide for consumers. Having the chance to provide that little bit of sunshine to some special people today, really emphasizes the power of flowers.”

Approximately 80 percent of cut flowers are imported for U.S. markets, yet Kentucky farm conditions are well-suited for high-quality commercial production. The Commonwealth is home to more than 220 commercial cut flower operations, and the number of farmer-florists continues to increase each year.

Michelle Wheeler, owner of River Bend Blooms, is one of the state’s many florist farmers. She and her husband, David, specialize in cut flower farming, growing a diverse collection of flowers and foliage for wholesale and retail customers. Both Michelle and David have agricultural degrees and have used their agricultural sales experiences to help them build and grow their own 227-acre farm from the ground up. Now in their sixth season producing flowers, the Wheelers are committed to preserving their farmland for future generations. 

“When I tell people that we are specialty, cut flower farm, they have a tendency to think of a cute garden,” Wheeler said. “In reality, growing nine acres of field grown flowers is much more akin to the management and work of growing a tobacco crop. People have rarely considered where and how the flowers they purchase were grown. I hope to raise attention to the fact that the U.S. imported over $2.57 billion in cut flowers in 2023. Our farm is working hard to grow the highest quality, locally grown flowers for our customers in Kentucky and Tennessee. Your flowers don’t need to take airplane rides when you choose to buy them from Kentucky farms."

To further honor Kentucky grown cut flowers, this month the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service and the Kentucky Horticulture Council is celebrating in a month-long promotional event. This is the sixth year.

Each day, a local cut flower farm will be featured on the Kentucky Grown Cut Flower Promotion Facebook page and other social media platforms, highlighting where customers can find locally grown flowers on farms, at farmers markets, pop-up shops, through community-supported agriculture subscriptions and other sales outlets.

To help customers find Kentucky operations, the UK Center for Crop Diversification (CCD) has produced an interactive, online map at https://uk-horticulture.github.io/KY-Cut-Flowers/. New farms are being added frequently and there may even be a flower farm close to you that doesn’t yet appear on the map.

To follow the cut flower month promotional activities, visit Facebook (@KYHortCouncil), Instagram (@KYHorticulture) or X (@KYHorticulture).

For more photos from the event, click here.