Merry Bees Flower Farm gets its name from Mary B. (Mary B’s Flower Farm—get it? But the bees here really are merry! Nothing like a pun!) Mary Beth does all the planning, labor, sales, and design. From selecting and growing seeds to harvesting and arranging bouquets, Mary Beth is a one-woman wonder. The kind of wonder that might interest an anthropologist (or psychiatrist) because her process—chaotic at best—looks counter-productive. And yet, here we are. She is also a writer. You may read her published work here.

Erik, a Certified Public Accountant by trade, applies his professional knowledge to making sure Merry Bees is up to code and follows the law. Registered with the Department of Agriculture for the State of Maryland, Merry Bees Flower Farm is legit. Thanks to Erik, all taxes are collected and reported, and the farm is in good standing. On rare occasions, like his daughter’s wedding, Erik will harvest some stems or strip leaves. He is also helpful at lifting heavy loads and operating power tools.

We acquired Barley because we needed to fill our Security opening. We hoped that—like her predecessor—she’d chase deer and fox, our primary threats to flowers and chickens. Turns out, Barley has juvenile cataracts, so spotting creatures isn’t exactly her forte. She does excel at shredding open vole tunnels and burrowing her snout, ear-deep, into dirt. We have no proof of her method’s efficacy. Barley’s best trait is her fur—the softest we’ve ever known—so we celebrate her cuddly nature.

While they spend most of their time lollygagging in the chicken run, the ladies enjoy many a night out in the yard where they scratch and coo, enjoying the insects of the lawn. They are not given free range all day because they’ve trampled flower beds and pooped in people zones to such a degree that their privileges have been revoked. However, they love a nice sunset outing, one that gives them time to stretch their legs, nibble a snack, and enjoy fresh conversation before they saunter back to bed. We always name our chickens. Our current staff consists of Jane, Kristin, Shelley, Matilda, Midnight, Charlotte, Fern, Dingle, and Berry.

Born in Freeland, Maryland, Basil has proven himself to be an outstanding hunter. (Barley certainly enjoys the proof of Basil’s labor.) While Basil gets good reviews on his work evaluations, he has room to improve in his social behavior. There have been complaints of him sleeping on row cover, hiding under row cover, snoozing on seedlings and pouncing new growth. In the evenings he demands attention by tap-tapping his white paw on windowpanes, and during the day he frequently attacks ninja-style, wrapping his limbs around our innocent and often bare legs. When encouraged to be more dog-like, he responds with a look that says, “Do I kill the moles, or what?”

Though no longer with us, we can’t bear to remove this description of our beloved dog, so it will remain in her memory.

Lucy provides thorough security, protecting the entire property from predators of all sorts. She chases deer away from flower beds, fox away from the chicken coop, and delivery drivers from the front porch—JK—they bring her doggie treats! She’s super friendly and LOVES attention. Her whole life revolves around getting pet. Her favorite way to get attention is to sneak up from behind and pop her head through your legs. Hello!

Daisy protects the front porch from critters. She deters our most high-strung troublemakers: chipmunks. She spends her time lounging on the porch furniture when she’s not mooching free food from the neighbors. A Parkton native, she was given to us by a friend who found feral kittens on her property over a dozen years ago. (Presently on sabbatical…)