THE boutique flower farm and studio Coco & Honey has almost finished its fourth harvest this autumn, with the local floral delight providing the Riverland a unique and blooming primary industry.
Tended to and owned by Monash couple Natalie and Aden Brock, Coco & Honey sits amidst a vineyard, pomegranate and quince orchard and grows dozens of flower varieties, with the season opening with ranunculus in August and ending with dahlia’s in early May.
After more than a decade of teaching, Mrs Brock’s desire for a career change from wellbeing leader to flower farmer four years ago came from her decision to “follow (her) own advice and do something (she) truly loved”.
“It was after (the pandemic), and I really just wanted a change,” she said.
“I have always loved tending to and arranging flowers, and I really love to be creative.
“Aden and I have also always gardened together, and he has a background in viticulture.
“Between the two of us, I knew we would be able to do it.”
Though a labour of love, Mrs Brock said she has loved the challenge of transforming the almost half acre into a flourishing farm, and now, a thriving local business.
“Though I have had to really work at it, I have always loved the challenge of doing something new,” she said.
Growing each species from seed, Mrs Brock sows from spring through to summer, with her season also requiring constant re-planting, picking, and then arranging each unique bouquet.
“It is pretty full on, but I just love every aspect of it,” she said.
“I pick up to three times a week, with the summer months requiring me to head out to the farm in the early morning.
“It takes around two to three hours to pick, before bringing them back to the studio to condition and rehydrate for another couple of hours before working with them and beginning the arrangement.
“Each crop also has a very different lifespan.
“Some crops, like basil flower, I will succession plant — (which is planting different waves of seedlings over time) — every three weeks as they have a very quick turn-over, but something like dahlia’s begin flowering in December and go right to early May.”
With plantings of snapdragon, zinnia, leucadendron, cosmos, lace, phlox, amaranth, celosia, strawflowers, and now 50 roses only seeded last winter, Ms Brock said ranunculus and dahlias still remain her biggest crop.
“(Riverlanders) love those two species because I think they are so colourful and eye-catching,” she said.
“They’re my main flower and they’re very pretty.
“However, while some might not name the other species as their favourite flower, they’re so essential to the bouquet as they help breakup the roundness of those two flowers and provide other shapes in the arrangement.”
Though the 2025 brought the farm it’s first “really hot Riverland summer”, Mrs Brock said each crop handled the heat well, with harvest remaining similar to her previous year which had doubled in productivity and size since beginning the farm in 2021.
However, Mrs Brock said she has had to adapt to the changing consumer trends with current cost-of-living pressures more of a challenge than the weather to her business.
“The market has changed quite a bit, which is definitely a reflection of the economy,” she said.
“I am currently getting more sales through businesses, than the individual person — with the price of food, the difficulty in the wine industry, people aren’t buying flowers for themselves as they once might of, it’s more for those special occasions and as gifts.”
While times are tough, Mrs Brock said she still has plans to hopefully expand her business with an outlet in Loxton, selling ranunculus corms and garlic shallots across Australia, and providing her blooming beauties for more Riverland weddings.
“I am finding every season, the farm has been able grow into different areas, not only to expand the business, but also to make it financially sustainable,” she said.
For more information, follow Coco & Honey Flower Farm on Facebook, or visit the website (www.cocoandhoneyflowerfarm.com.au).
