“We’re growing for the needy; we’re growing for the pollinators; we’re growing for the feeling it gives people to bless someone else,” Laura Cross said.

That’s the philosophy behind her business, Blessings and Blooms LLC, which she and her husband, Harry, started with the hope of “blessing” people in the community. Blessings and Blooms sells bouquets at local farmers markets, made with flowers grown in the Crosses’ own garden, and provides a free bouquet with every purchase.