I love living with the planet—being outside, noticing things, feeling connected to nature. Sometimes I like to imagine what my alternate careers might have been. For me, it’s either marine biologist or flower (or Christmas tree) farmer.

Recently, I visited a new you-pick flower farm in Harbor Country, Michigan called Home Camp Flowers. It’s run by Bek, a charming Brit who not only does all the weeding herself, but also told me about spending last summer hand-crushing a particular Japanese beetle that eats holes in rose petals. That kind of careful attention—to nature, to detail—feels to me like the essence of living artfully.

When you arrive, Bek hands you a red bucket partially filled with water and your own pair of clippers. If you want roses, you need a separate bucket—and a separate clipper for each one. “Roses are queens,” she said. There’s beauty in that language, but there’s also science. Using separate clippers helps prevent disease from spreading between blooms.

Cut-your-own places like Bek’s are inherently generous. They rely on a kind of quiet trust—that you’ll cut with care, that you’ll honor what’s been grown. These are spaces of participation and reciprocity. They’re reminders that thoughtful, intentional living isn’t just a mindset. It’s a practice. And it can be shared.

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