Armful of Flowers: How a Backyard Dream Bloomed

Meet Kelly Glover, co-owner and the heart and soul behind Armful of Flowers, a flower farm and shop on Mount Washington that’s as bright and full of life as the bouquets she creates. What began as a personal project in her own backyard has flourished into a full-scale farm, and Kelly’s story is just as colorful. The farm is tucked into a residential spot amid Mt. Washington’s urban landscape, making creative use of one of Pittsburgh’s iconic features: the sloped backyard. Despite the steep terrain, Kelly’s farm thrives, with carefully rotated crops and terraced plots that make the most of every inch of space, turning the challenging landscape into a blooming oasis.

From Backyard to Business

Kelly’s journey into flower farming is personal. She started out growing flowers for herself.

“I was actually, weirdly enough, growing my own wedding bouquet,” she says. And although her life took unexpected turns, her love for growing beautiful, unique flowers remained a constant. Eventually, she realized she had something special to offer.

It was her friend, and now Armful’s co-owner, Jessica Revis, who first recognized the potential in Kelly’s floral talent.

“Jess was like, ‘Kelly, I’ve never seen flowers grown in these colors or these varieties,’” Kelly recalls. That was the spark that Kelly had needed. From that small backyard patch, Armful of Flowers was born, and the rest, as they say, is history.

A Field of Unusual Flowers

One thing that immediately sets Armful apart is the wide array of unique and specialty flowers grown right on the farm. These aren’t run-of-the-mill grocery store blooms: Kelly focuses on growing varieties like zinnias, celosia, and dahlias, flowers that add both beauty and texture to any arrangement.

Kelly is particularly proud of her zinnias. “These are all colors of zinnias that you probably normally have never seen,” she says, pointing to her patch of uniquely bred blooms. “They’re very vintage-y, they’re very soft, with linen tones.” In fact, many of the flowers on the farm are part of a special breeding program from Floret Flower Farm in Washington state. Kelly had found Floret’s book, *Cut Flower Garden*, “…and I learned everything I know now from her,” Kelly explains.

Armful’s unique varieties include everything from celosia with its soft, velvety textures to dahlias, one of my favorites to enjoy and what Kelly referred to as her favorite flower to grow: “They are just the most stunning blooms,” she says, “and they will be very productive all the way through October, which is wonderful.”

Investing a Helping Hand

It’s Kelly’s passion and creativity that have driven the farm’s success, but growing a business comes with challenges. Invest PGH was able to lend a hand during the hardest point of the pandemic, providing Kelly with a Micro Enterprise – now SMAL – loan. It helped Kelly secure the farm equipment, inventory, and other supplies she would need to ensure her business could take root and it bloomed as big and bright as her flowers.

“We were able to start our first-ever garden center,” Kelly says. “People kept asking for it, and that boost helped us make it happen.” The loan allowed Kelly to invest in essentials like sustainable farming fabric and compost, which have been critical to the farm’s long-term growth. “Having that extra support allowed us to take the business to the next level.”

Community in Bloom

At its heart, Armful of Flowers is about community. From open-air flower markets to seasonal events like the farm’s wildly popular Flower Fest, Kelly’s goal is to create a space where people can enjoy the beauty of locally grown flowers and feel a connection to the farm, and to each other.

“We do something for every season,” Kelly tells me. “In the summer, we have sunflowers and marigolds, and in the fall, we do mums and corn stalks. For the winter, we’ve got garland, and this spring we had tons of tulips and daffodils.” The farm is also designated as a Monarch Waystation, filled with perennials that attract pollinators like butterflies and bees. “I just love seeing all the bees hanging out around the flowers,” Kelly says with a smile.

And it’s not just flowers. Armful hosts a variety of events throughout the year, bringing in local vendors and creating a true community hub. “Our Fall Fest [this year on October 6] is one of our biggest events. We close the street, we have about 30 vendors: axe throwing, stein hoisting – it’s so cool,” Kelly shares.

Dreams of Growth

As for the future, Kelly has big plans.

“I’d love to make this space into a community hub where local businesses can come together, kind of like a co-op,” she says. Her dream is to create a multifunctional space for workshops, small events, and even more local collaboration. “I imagine there being little bistro lights and big farm tables with wheels on them. It would be this multifunctional space. I want it to be a space where our community can come in and be proud to bring their families, to soak it in. I found such escape in flower farming.”