Farm fresh flowers in the heart of the city – meet Blooms of Braddon

Posted on 14 February, 2025

A micro-flower farm has just opened a farm-gate stall in the heart of the city, bringing bright blooms to Braddon.

Meet Blooms of Braddon, a flower-farm-turned florist that grew from the creative minds of Collector Cottage – a flower shed located 30 minutes outside of Canberra that’s known for its gorgeous dahlias and roses.

Owned and operated by local flower farming couple Rachel Torrealba and Dean McCormack (who have long been providing their fresh, farm-grown flowers to local florists), the seed for Blooms of Braddon was planted after they lost one of their biggest customers in the city precinct.

“Our decision to start Blooms of Braddon stems from a desire to bring the farm to the city and share the vibrant, local flowers we grow,” says Rachel.

“We wanted to create a space where people can purchase fresh, handpicked blooms straight from the farm, without the middleman.”

And with beautiful farm fresh flowers now available right in the city, urbanites can experience a daily touch of the countryside without having to cross the border.

“With our farm being based in Collector, we enjoy beautiful natural scenery, but not much in the way of foot traffic – aside from the occasional kangaroo! Setting up shop in Braddon allows us to have our very own farm gate stall florist in the city,” says Rachel.

Their holistic approach to floristry isn’t just about beautiful bouquets – it’s also about nurturing a more sustainable and connected local ecosystem.

As Rachel explains, treating yourself to some locally grown, farm-fresh flowers is a much more sustainable option all-round, supporting local pollinators and limiting the environmental impact of transport. Not that you need an excuse.

And another bonus?

“Flowers sourced directly from the farm often look more vibrant, have a stronger fragrance,e and last longer when cut,” says Rachel.

Freshly picking the flowers each morning, Blooms of Braddon will be supplying many of the varieties that were much-loved by Braddon customers, but in a cottage-garden style with a modern twist.

And while most of the flowers will be sourced directly from the Collector Cottage flower farm, Rachel and Dean are also hoping to support other local micro-farms by selling their flowers as well, offering a seasonal selection of florals based on what’s growing well throughout the year.

“Our flowers are grown and picked with love, and we hope our customers can feel it in every bloom we sell,” says Rachel.

“We are building our business based on our values of connection and kindness and sharing our passion for the love of flowers. It is important for us to feel that connection with the local community on a personal level.”

Along with the bouquets and arrangements available in store, Rachel is also offering event floristry under the Collector Cottage brand – covering weddings, engagements, baby showers and birthdays.

And as this venture takes root, it looks like Blooms of Braddon will grow into something beautiful.

“While we’ve only just launched Blooms of Braddon, we’re already feeling so much love from the Canberra community and want to thank them for their support so far. We can’t wait to welcome Canberrans to our store and invite them to take a little piece of the farm home with them!”

Photography: Taylah Cunningham.