Melissa Hessney Masters | TANGLEBLOOM

I’m so excited to officially announce Tanglebloom’s Peony Season Event Series — three experiences, each one designed to celebrate the brief beautiful moment when our field bursts into bloom. 🌸 FIELD & FACIAL 📍May 28th by appt. Queen of all things good and beautiful @noelherbals is bringing her signature facial experience out to the farm amongst beginning-to-burst peonies and wildflowers. Relax in the pop-up Field Lounge before or after your appointment, and take home a seasonal bouquet designed by @tanglebloom . Come for a solo self care day or book with a friend! 🌸 SAUNA + STEMS 📍 June 4th 6-8pm & June 5th 10am-12pm How about a restorative steam sesh surrounded by flowers? @brattleborosauna is bringing their beloved mobile sauna out to the field for 55 min sessions followed by peony picking. Both evening & morning sessions are available. 🌸 PEONY POP-UP AT HUMBLE MUG 📍 June 11th 6-7:30pm Can’t make it out to the farm? We’re bringing this peony party to town where we’ll transform @the.humble.mug into a pop-up peony garden for one festive floral evening. Browse the blooms and create your own lush bouquet - no mud boots required. The Humble Mug is crafting special peony-inspired drinks with ingredients made from our flowers by @halifaxhollow and @tumblewheatbaker will have on-theme pastries for purchase. You won’t want to miss it! 🌿 Make it a weekend! Book a farm stay @tanglebloom_cabin Registration is required and spots are limited. Comment EVENTS below for a link to learn more. We can’t wait to celebrate peony season with you! 🌸✨ photos @krystinaolsenstudio @ethanabitz #flowerfarm #seekandsavorvermont #thisisvermont #brattleboro #localflowers

What’s the no. 1 mistake I see new cold-climate flower growers make? Not planting high-value perennials like peonies as soon as they can. Hey. I know seeds are cheap and annuals grow quickly. It’s fun to add unique plants like Geum named after tropical cocktails to your collection. Thing is, you’ve gotta start and tend those seeds for months each winter. Those Mai Tais need to be divided. While a few stems can elevate an arrangement, they’ll never be the backbone of your bouquets; let you say “Yes!” to a big last-minute order; or save your butt on a wedding. There’s plenty of time to plant the sparkly bits. Let’s save your butt first. The truth? Many new and diversifying farmers - surrounded by hustle culture and steeped in social media - don’t plant perennials bc there’s no instant payback. We simply aren’t taught to take a long game approach. Planting perennials means you’ve gotta think about the future. Wait a few years before cutting. Peony roots are a bigger investment than a packet of fancy zinnias (no shade, I’m growing them too!) AND… Prioritizing a valuable, low-maintenance perennial focal flower like peony can help build a business that’s profitable, sustainable, and resilient. A business you can pivot. Create a legacy with. Even take time away from. In the early years we’re usually asking “What does my business need from me?” but I think a better question is “What will I need from my business?” THE PEONY COURSE: Small Scale Production & Sales is a self-paced digital course with live support is open for enrollment. ✨👇✨When you comment PEONY below I’ll send you a link to check it out. — photos @krystinaolsenstudio #thepeonycourse #tanglebloom #peonyseason #peonygrower #flowerfarmer #farmerflorist #localflowers #womenwhofarm #womeninag #youngfarmers #sustainablefloristry #flowerfarmerwannabe #flowerfarmerama

Can you believe it? In 2010 I couldn’t find a florist who’d source local flowers for my wedding, so I bought buckets of blooms from my favorite farm and made them myself (with a little help from my friends 🙏). ➡️ I learned 80% of the flowers we buy in the US are imported and traditional floristry wasn’t exactly sustainable. Cheap flowers were costing us. I wanted to do something. In 2014 I began Tanglebloom as a production flower farm and floral design studio. We started the first flowers CSA (community supported agriculture) program in Vermont, designed dozens of weddings, distributed wholesale bouquets, and donated stems within our community. After a decade of farming full-time, I transitioned Tanglebloom to favor peonies and perennials, with a focus on education and experiences. Each season we welcome people from all over to pick flowers, design a bouquet, and slow down at our dreamy farm stay @tanglebloom_cabin 🌲🌙 I find joy in growing flowers and sharing them through our farm. And I ✨live✨ for helping people who work with flowers and the land - farmers, growers, florists, creatives, and land based businesses - do what they love in a way that’s sustainable (buh-byeee burnout). Curious to learn more? 🌸 Check out my FREE 20-min training on how to get started growing profitable peonies by commenting PMC 🌱 Become a subscriber of my free Grower Community email list for farmers & land-based creatives by commenting GROWER 💐 Order flowers or book a farm stay at tanglebloom.com Thanks for being here flower friend! __ photo @krystinaolsenstudio

Some experiences are better together — like a wood-fired sauna, a field of peonies, and a couple of hours with nowhere else to be. Welcome to Sauna + Stems! @tanglebloom is partnering with @brattleborosauna to bring their beloved mobile sauna out to the farm for a one-of-a-kind peony season experience. Your 2-hr experience includes 55 mins in the sauna — cedar-lined, wood-fired, and wonderfully restorative — followed by time to transition, wander the flowers, and pick your own peony stems to take home. You’ll also enjoy a seasonal floral beverage with ingredients crafted from our farm flowers by @halifaxhollow 📍Choose from 6/4 evening or 6/5 morning sessions. Spots are limited and advance registration is required. Comment EVENTS below and we’ll message you details. __ Tanglebloom Flower Farm is located 20 mins north of Brattleboro VT and 25 mins south of Stratton Mountain in Brookline #seekandsavorvt #thisisvermont #brattleboro #vermont #flowerfarm #sauna #vermontsauna #vermonting #mynewengland #newengland #thisisVT

Things are ramping up here and everywhere for people who work with the land and seasons. It’s so easy to feel behind, to scroll back to last year to see what was “done” by this time, and remember how I still felt behind then, fret about the weather for good measure, and spiral into not enough-ness. But I know now to pause, and to believe the 10+ years of data that actually says it will all be fine, that it’s here and gone in a blink, and that we get to actually enjoy the journey not just the end result. That’s the real beauty. All we can do is what we can, and that’s actually always been enough. #flowerfarmer #earthwork #farmerflorist #slowflowers

Some experiences tend to more than just the surface… 🌸🪞Welcome to Field & Facial: A botanical experience @tanglebloom with @noelherbals on May 28th. We’re partnering with Shannon @noelherbals to bring her signature botanical facial experience out to the farm among budding peonies and wildflowers at the very start of bloom season. Your 2-hr experience includes a 45-min botanical facial, plus time to settle into the Field Lounge — a cozy pop-up outdoor space set among the just beginning-to-burst blooms where you’ll sip a floral beverage and can read, journal, or simply relax. You’ll take home a fresh floral bouquet designed by @tanglebloom and a peony flower essence made on-site. Shannon’s holistic approach tends to both the physical and energetic layers of the skin, leaving you feeling as restored on the inside as you look on the outside. Come solo, bring a friend, or gift this to someone special (Mother’s Day is May 10th!). 🫱 Comment EVENTS below to learn more and book your appointment, just a few spots left. #holisticfacial #seekandsavorvt #thisisvermont #flowerfarm #vermont #brattleboro

The first flowers start out looking so delicate but really they’re tough as nails — rolling with this roller coaster spring weather. The magnolia bloom was cut short by a deep freeze but the daffodils and hellebore amaze me with their resiliency. A lot of peony growers have been fretting over these freezes, often having to wait weeks to know how bad the damage is. For many in the northeast, this is the second catastrophic freeze we’ve had since 2023. If you’re a peony grower I’m working on a free resource to help you plan and prepare for these untimely freezes. While we can’t prevent them, we do have the power to make it a challenging season rather than a devastating one, and that can make all the difference. I’ll send the peony resource to my Grower Community email list in a few days. If you aren’t on the list yet you can comment GROWER below to sign up, or do so via the link in my bio. Hang in there farmers 🌼💪 #flowerfarmer #peonygrower #springflowers #localflowers #slowflowers

I’ve been deep in planning mode putting together our most epic event series to celebrate peony season this May & June! “How can we visit the farm” is the most common question I’ve gotten for over a decade. I’m thrilled to have unique experiences and amazing collaborators ready to invite you in. It’ll be worth the wait, promise. Peony event details will be shared with our email list first, as always, including a special offer. You can DM me your email if you’re not on the list yet, or pop it into the box in my stories. #vermont #vermontfarm #flowerfarm #visitvermont

What is that?! 🌨️ Slowly emerging from my winter cocoon, setting aside craft projects, and trying not to think about the snow that greeted me this morning. Around the farm things are waking up: daffodil and hellebore are budding, the peas, spinach and radish have been seeded in the kitchen garden, and I’m hoping to start cleaning up the field this week. Last fall I extended our wildflower meadow and although it’ll be mostly green this season, I’m looking forward to watching it fill in. Since I can’t help myself, I’m expanding it again - so if you visit and see an ugly black tarp on the ground, that’s why… The tarp helps prep the ground for new seed this fall. It’s a long, slow process, but it requires the least amount of labor. Plus it means we don’t need to till, which is always my preference. I’m planning more milkweed for monarchs, but tell me your wildflower suggestions? #flowerfarm #farmerflorist #seasonalliving #slowliving #vermont

Can I tell you something that took me years to fully appreciate? Peonies are the most generous crop I’ve ever grown. You plant them once, and they come back — productive, profitable — for decades. No high tunnels. Minimal fuss. And customers? They can’t get enough of them. If you’ve been grinding through annual crops and wondering why your farm still feels like a hamster wheel, peonies might be the piece you’re missing. The Peony Course is open for enrollment right now, and I built it to give you everything — from picking the right varieties to actually getting your stems sold (because growing gorgeous flowers and making money from them are two very different things). Enrollment with special pricing from $149 closes soon. Comment PEONY below and I’ll send you the details, or head to the link in bio to learn more. 💪🌸✂️ __ #flowerfarmer #flowerfarming #peonies #peonyseason #cutflowers

Here’s the thing about peonies: they’re not just a crop. They’re a long-term business strategy. When you approach this perennial bloom with intention, a plan, and multiple income streams in mind—everything changes. That’s what I’m going to show you in my free live class Roots to Revenue: Your Peony Profit Plan on Thursday 2/19… - Why peonies are one of the smartest, most versatile investments for small & micro growers & farmer-florists - The biggest mistakes I see growers make (and how to avoid them) - How to create a realistic peony plan that fits your land, capacity, and lifestyle - What to focus on NOW so you’re not scrambling when the season hits Can’t make it live? Everyone who registers will get the replay (tech gods willing). ✨ When you attend live though, you’ll also get to join me for a Q&A and grab my brand-new free resource: How to Increase Visibility: 20+ Ways to Find New Customers. (You’ve been asking for this! ☝️) If peonies are part of your vision—whether you’ve already got a block in the ground or only Pinterest board—I would love to have you join me. Comment CLASS and my flower fairy helper will DM you the sign up link 👇 — photo @krystinaolsenstudio #flowerfarm #flowerfarmer #farmerflorist #peonygrower #perennialcutflowers

Peonies have been the primary crop on my farm for years. I don’t just grow them—I built my entire farm business around them. I learned how to sell beyond the stem, diversify income, and design a peony-centered business that supports both profitability and quality of life. And now, I love helping other growers do the same. This free workshop is for you if: you’re brand new to peonies and want to start with intention & profit you already have peonies in the ground but aren’t seeing real returns you want more clarity, confidence, and joy in how peonies fit into your flower business In this one hour live training, I’ll walk you through how to think about peonies not just as a crop—but as a long-term business strategy. We’ll cover: 💰 why peonies are one of the smartest, most versatile investments for small-scale farms 📝 mistakes I see growers make (& how to avoid them) 🌀 how to create a realistic peony plan that fits your land, capacity, and lifestyle 📌 what to focus on now so you’re not scrambling when the season hits Can’t make it live? Register to receive the replay. ✨ Live-only bonus: Join me live for a Q&A, and get my brand-new free resource: How to Increase Visibility: 20+ Ways to Gain New Customers. If peonies are part of your vision—and you want to grow them in a way that’s profitable, sustainable, and genuinely enjoyable—I would love to have you join me. 💬 Comment CLASS and I’ll send you the link, or you can head to the bio link. #flowerfarm #flowerfarmer #farmerflorist #peonygrower #peonyfarmer