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Tara Bird grew up with a mother who was a master gardener and says she has "always had a green thumb." That knowledge has paid off in starting her own flower farm, Wild Bird Farm, near Madrid.

MADRID — While many businesses couldn’t operate during the global coronavirus pandemic, others found ways to not just survive but thrive. Wild Bird Farm outside Madrid opened in 2019 and blossomed during the pandemic.

“I grew up on a traditional farm with corn and beans. Mom always had a big garden full of veggies. I’ve always had a green thumb,” said Wild Bird Farm owner Tara Bird. “My mom was a master gardener and she loved flowers. We lost her to cancer, and I feel closer to her when I’m outside working with flowers.”

During the growing season, Bird’s half an acre of flowers brims with blooms from peonies to tulips and more.

“They’re pretty tightly packed. I fit quite a few in a row. After a good u-pick weekend, I’ll go through and dead head and clean up the flowers,” Bird said. “The u-pick option definitely is growing. I also take flower orders and have bulk buckets that I take to a couple of retail stores.”

Orders also can be placed through the farm’s website. U-pick customers tote around a 2.5-gallon bucket and fill it full of their favorite flowers right there on the farm. While most of Wild Bird Farm’s customers are from the central Iowa area, quite a few have come from further away, like Pella.

“I do sell some of my flowers to florists, but also for special events like baby showers or those who are DIY for weddings. That’s been fun,” Bird said. “I’m cutting the flowers but not putting the bouquets together.”

The guests at Wild Bird Farm love the seating areas for photo opportunities, but there’s also been some impressive pictures taken of butterflies and bumblebees flitting and buzzing about.

“I’m just trying to find my little space in the flower world. The u-pick option has definitely become quite popular and it’s something I want to continue doing,” Bird said.

Surprisingly, Wild Bird Farm also grows edible flowers. Bird has sold some of those flowers to a small-town restaurant that serves breakfast and lunch, as well as to people who create charcuterie boards and cakes.

“I didn’t realize how many flowers were edible until I started digging into it. I don’t spray anything, no pesticides or anything, so I’m able to sell them as edible,” Bird said. “I’ve had people request I ship the edible flowers to them, but I haven’t figured out those logistics yet.”

Bird also has an Etsy store where she sells dried flowers in bulk and as potpourri. She focuses on that market in the off-season. While her flower farm is growing, Bird does work off the farm in information technology for a crop insurance company in West Des Moines. Her husband, Lee, helps on the farm, too, helping build and fix things.

“We have two girls in high school and one will mow between the rows for me. My 15-year-old, Makenna, is in FFA but claims to not like any part of the flower farm. However, she can identify all the flowers. If she and Avery, 17, grow to love the farm, that’d be great but I don’t force it on them,” Bird said. “It’s something I just love to do.”