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BLOOMING BEYOND BARRIERS, THE FLOURISHING LEGACY OF SOUTH CAROLINA FLORICULTURIST, ANNIE MAE VANN REID (1892 - 1966)





This week on Cultivating Place, Abra Lee is in conversation with Laverne Brockington and Vance Davis, great nieces of Annie Mae Vann Reid, a historic florist and entrepreneur based in Darlington, South Carolina. From the 1920s to the 1960s, Annie Mae tended a thriving floral business that grew out of her hobby flower garden, and grew her community with her.


For Laverne and Vance, their aunt's legacy is rooted not only in flowers but in faith and a deep commitment to community. Through dedication and vision, she nurtured spaces of learning, pride, and possibility through this groundbreaking work. The stories passed down through her family offer a richer, more personal portrait of the woman behind the blooms. In conversation with Abra, and in conjunction with her historical research, Laverne and Vance explore the lessons Annie Mae Vann Reid planted, the barriers she broke, and the impact that continues to blossom through generations.


From Abra: Today I’m honored to welcome the great nieces of Mrs. Annie Mae Vann Reid, a pioneering horticulturist whose work helped shape a powerful and

enduring legacy in American floristry. Through their voices, we’re invited into a more personal understanding of the woman behind the name and the garden she cultivated in her community.


Mrs. Reid pursued her craft with determination, creativity, and deep faith.

Her work was about more than flowers. It was about excellence, dignity,

celebration, and creating spaces where beauty and pride could flourish.


The story of Mrs. Annie Mae Vann Reid is one of vision and bold entrepreneurship. What began as roses and dahlias in her Darlington, South Carolina yard grew into The Darlington Florist, a thriving greenhouse and floral enterprise known across the region. In the height of the Jim Crow South, she built a business so respected that mail addressed simply to her name would still

reach her shop.


Her legacy reflects courage, focus, and the power of cultivating both beauty and opportunity. We’re so grateful to her great nieces for helping us honor the life and leadership of Mrs. Annie Mae Vann Reid here on Cultivating Place.


Cultivating Place family, please join me in welcoming the great nieces of

Mrs. Annie Mae Vann Reid as we explore her life, her impact, and the legacy

that continues to bloom.



All Photos courtesy of Darlington Historical Commission and Museum. All rights reserved.


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JOIN US again next week, when Ben is back and in conversation with ecological gardener and leader John Little of Grass Roof, CO. That's right here, next week. Listen in!


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supporting initiatives that empower women and help preserve the planet through the intersection of environmental advocacy, social justice, and creativity.






Thinking out loud this week...


Hey, y'all, it's Abra—


Talking with Mrs. Annie Mae Vann Reid’s great nieces has me reflecting on vision and courage, especially the kind it takes to cultivate something extraordinary in circumstances that were anything but easy. Mrs. Reid did not wait for perfect conditions. She worked the soil she had, trusted her gifts, and

kept expanding what was possible.


This week, I invite you to look at the ground beneath your own feet. What is already fertile in your life? What small idea, skill, or curiosity might be ready to grow if you gave it steady attention? You do not need acres or applause to begin. A front yard can become a greenhouse. A hobby can become a

calling. Gardening like life, asks us to plant with faith, tend with discipline, and believe that what we nurture can flourish beyond what we first imagined.


What I love about Mrs. Annie Mae Vann Reid is how she saw possibility where others didn’t — turning a front yard garden into a thriving business, a community landmark, and a legacy that still inspires today. She reminds us that boldness and curiosity can bloom in the most unexpected places.


So this week, I challenge you to notice something in your world that’s quietly waiting for attention. It might be a plant, a project, or a relationship. Give it a little care, experiment a little, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes along the way.


Growth doesn’t always follow a straight line. If you need a nudge, revisit stories like Mrs. Reid’s, where vision, persistence, and creativity came together to make

something lasting. Let that inspire your next small, brave step.

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The CP team includes producer and engineer Matt Fidler, with weekly tech and web support from Angel Huracha, weekly communications support by Sheila Stern and Carley Bruckner, and regular hosting by Founder, Jennifer Jewell, as well as Abra Lee in Atlanta, Georgia, and Ben Futa in South Bend, Indiana. We’re based on the traditional and present homelands of the Mechoopda Indian Tribe of the Chico Rancheria. Original theme music is by Ma Muse..


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