The Gardener

In 2014, Eleanor Lonardo embarked on a flower-growing journey when she and her husband, Ian, moved from Seattle to Crockett, California. Faced with a large, undeveloped backyard, Eleanor planted a small garden plot, which turned into a valuable learning experience. While many crops failed, a resilient patch of Cosmos thrived, sparking her passion for flowers. Immersing herself in the study of bio-intensive farming, soil science, and growing zones, Eleanor transformed their 5,000 sq. ft. backyard into a flourishing flower farm.

As demand outgrew their backyard, a generous neighbor offered access to a 6,000 sq. ft. lot, doubling Eleanor’s growing area to nearly a quarter-acre. By 2021, she began selling at The San Francisco Flower Market, forming connections with inspiring, women-owned farms. In 2023, Eleanor transitioned to selling directly to florists and acted as a liaison between growers and florists to meet the demand for high-demand crops.

In March 2024, Eleanor co-founded the Golden Coast Flower Collective alongside fellow farmers. The collective’s inaugural season, which ended in November 2024, received overwhelming support. Now, she is preparing for spring planting, eager to replenish the soil and grow the collective’s impact.

Known for her organic and unconventional floral arrangements, Eleanor’s work evokes the natural beauty of a sweeping wildflower field. Most of her flowers and foliage are sourced from her own gardens, with additional seasonal blooms provided through close collaboration with local flower farms.

Through her business, The Borrowed Garden offers wholesale flowers to local florists, annual plant sales, and bouquets and arrangements for special occasions.

Reach out to us at theborrowedgarden@gmail.com

The Gardens

Tucked away in the hills of Crockett, California is are many small gardens spanning across two lots, creating our 1/4 acre flower farm.

These gardens have taught us to love our hard-packed clay soil, to appreciate the rains when they come, and to remember the big, fluffy dahlias it gives us every summer.

We are just renting this space, so we call it the borrowed garden.