THE ART OF BLACK SOUTHERN AGRARIAN MAGIC, WHITNEY JAYE
- Jennifer Jewell
- 3 hours ago
- 4 min read
Whitney Jaye is a florist, flower farmer, and the creative force behind Sunbird Flowers, based in Decatur, Georgia, and providing sustainably grown, beautifully curated flowers for the Atlanta area.
Seeing her work through the lens of Black Southern folkways that (re)center agrarianism, and through the ancestral memories and practices of coastal Carolinian culture, Whitney Jaye’s work sits at the intersection of land care, history, and building community through flowers.
This week, Cultivating Place host Abra Lee is joined by Whitney to explore how flowers can connect us to place, to one another, and to the simple pleasure of creating beauty with what’s growing around us.
From Abra:
I’m honored to welcome Whitney Jaye, a farmer, florist, and founder of Sunbird Flowers. Whitney Jaye and I first met at Voss in Decatur, Georgia, on a weeknight when the place was packed, the music was jumpin’, and I showed up in full work attire. It wasn’t exactly the setting I expected to meet someone who would eventually become part of a conversation like this one, but that first meeting stuck with me and I just loved it!
Whitney Jaye’s journey through agriculture and flowers has taken her through work with SAAFON, certified organic farming, and the history and agricultural traditions of Wilmington and the coastal South. All of those experiences have helped shape her perspective and eventually led to the creation of Sunbird Flowers.
Cultivating Place family, please join me in welcoming Whitney Jaye as we explore the connections between agriculture, history, flowers, and place.
Listen in!
Follow Whitney & Sunbird Flowers online:
and on Instagram:
@sunbirdflowers
Photos Courtesy of Whitney Jaye, All rights reserved.
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Thinking out loud this week...
Hey, y'all, it's Abra—
Talking with Whitney Jaye has me reflecting on how much our relationship with plants is connected to the stories of the people and places around us. Flowers can carry history, connect us to a particular landscape, and help us remember the people whose work and knowledge have shaped the places we call home.
This week, I invite you to learn a little more about the agricultural history of your own community. Look into the farms, growers, or traditions that have shaped your local landscape. Ask a neighbor to share a story, visit a place where that history is being preserved, or simply take a closer look at what has been growing around you for generations. Cultivating Place means paying attention to what came before us, learning from those stories, and finding ways to help carry them forward.
One thing I appreciate from my conversation with Whitney Jaye is the reminder that flowers can connect us to much bigger stories. A flower can be beautiful on its own, but the land where it was grown, the person who grew it, and the history surrounding that place can give it an even deeper meaning.
So this week, I challenge you to learn the story behind a flower or plant in your own community. Visit a local flower farm or garden, talk with a grower, or ask someone about the plants that have meaning in their family or history. Take a moment to listen to the stories connected to the landscapes around you.
Because when we take the time to know where our plants come from and the stories they carry, we’re cultivating more than gardens, we’re cultivating a deeper connection to place.
AND, that is exactly what we will be doing in South Bend, Indiana at our first Cultivating Place: The Power of Gardeners Symposium this September 25 & 26! I will be there! Will you?! Earlybird registration pricing ends September 15th - get your seat NOW! REGISTER HERE
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Cultivating Place is a co-production of North State Public Radio, licensed to Chico State Enterprises. Cultivating Place is made possible in part listeners just like you through the support button at the top right-hand corner of every page at Cultivating Place.org
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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