Travis and Juana Reynolds use their flower business Greenview Petals to fund adoption dreams.
NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio — In the front yard of a North Ridgeville home, hope blooms in vibrant colors.
What started as a simple gesture of love during a health crisis has blossomed into Greenview Petals, a thriving flower business that’s helping Travis and Juana Reynolds pursue their dream of becoming parents through adoption.
The Reynolds’ story began 13 years ago, when Travis was a college student in Toledo determined to win over a young woman in Ashtabula. Despite the three-hour distance between them, Travis made the drive every weekend.
“He kept asking me out and I was like, ‘It’s not going to work out. It’s three hours. I don’t like to drive.’ I was like, ‘I’m going to be honest: I’m not going to drive out here,'” Juana recalls, with a laugh.
But Travis had other plans.
“I wanted her to be my girlfriend, and so it started off as just a simple romance and it grew into something more and more,” he says.
After marrying in July 2018, the couple dreamed of starting a family. Like their love story, they believed their journey to parenthood would eventually work out with patience and determination.
In 2023, ready to explore IVF options, Juana went to what she thought would be a routine appointment with her OB-GYN. She had been experiencing pain and fatigue, symptoms she initially attributed to her PCOS diagnosis.
During the appointment, Juana advocated for herself, insisting on an ultrasound despite initial resistance.
“I really love to say that I want people to advocate for themselves just because you know your body the best,” she emphasized.
The ultrasound revealed something unexpected. As Juana recalls, her doctor delivered news that would change everything.
“She was like, ‘You are growing something, but it’s not a baby. It’s cancer.'”
The diagnosis was confirmed through biopsy. Treatment would save Juana’s life, but it would require a hysterectomy, ending her and Travis’ dreams of biological children.
For Juana, the cancer diagnosis, while devastating, wasn’t the hardest part of their journey.
“Honestly, I would say — and this sounds, like, so silly — like the cancer didn’t affect me, you know? It’s devastating news, but I think what really like affected me the most was infertility,” she shared.
The couple faced the reality that their dreams of a traditional path to parenthood were over, but their love for each other remained their anchor.
“Our lives essentially revolve around each other,” Travis explained. “She’s obviously affected by how she can’t be a mother, but I think she’s more hurt that I can’t be a father, and me the same.”
During Juana’s recovery from surgery, Travis wanted to give his wife something beautiful to focus on. Coincidentally, he had planted flower seeds just before they received the cancer diagnosis.
“We actually planted seeds before the news had struck,” he recalled. “Juana would have no energy, she’s tired all the time, goes through the surgery process, and she’s motionless, you know? But she was just over there in the other room and she could peer through the window and see the flowers.”
For Juana, watching those flowers grow became a symbol of something deeper.
“It was kind of like a testament of his love … because, like, he’s growing something for me,” she said. “And me seeing that they’re getting take care of and a bunch of flowers and seeing him out there, it’s like he loves me.”
As the couple healed and decided to pursue adoption, they discovered the significant financial commitment involved. That’s when Juana had an idea that would change their trajectory.
“I had the idea. I was like, ‘Why don’t we grow the flowers to grow our family?'” she explained. “Because we looked into adoption and I was like … we were not prepared for how expensive it was.”
Thus, Greenview Petals was born — named after their street and their product. The couple transformed their front yard into a flower farm and launched an honor-system flower stand.
Greenview Petals operates on a simple but powerful concept: fresh-cut flowers available daily through that honor system. Customers can visit their front yard stand, select from arrangements priced at $10 and under, and pay through a cash box or by scanning QR codes for digital payment.
“It’s commonly stocked with fresh-cut flowers. There’s little crochet animals with positive messages. There’s handmade cards from Juana,” Travis described. “You can just put money in the cash box or scan her QR code, and all of her pay links are right there.”
The business has grown far beyond their front yard stand. The couple now provides flowers for weddings and special events, and Juana has expanded into custom cookies and sweet treats for celebrations. They’ve also collaborated with local businesses for pop-up shops and have a partnership with Dairy Grove ice cream shop in North Ridgeville, where their flower arrangements grace the picnic tables.
Every single penny from Greenview Petals goes directly toward their adoption fund. The couple has completed their home study and are now approved adoptive parents, waiting for the life-changing call that will match them with their future child.
“We have been approved to be adoptive parents,” Juana shared. “So now it is a waiting game to see if a couple sees us and is making a really hard decision … That they could identify with us and be like, I want you to be the parents of this child.”
For Juana, sharing their story has become about more than just their own path to parenthood. Having experienced the isolation that can come with infertility struggles, she’s committed to helping other women feel less alone.
“I wanted to make sure people knew that you’re not by yourself, you’re not alone, and a lot of cases you see on TV, all you see is a happy, happy ending,” she explained. “And I was like, ‘I want to be transparent. I want to show the ups and downs. I want people to feel seen.'”
While they wait for their adoption call, Travis and Juana continue nurturing both their garden and their dreams. They’ve already begun planning how to expand their mission to help others, regardless of how their own story unfolds.
“Even if our story isn’t successful, I want to help somebody else’s story be successful,” Juana says.
Their goal is to eventually create a grant fund to help other families facing cancer, infertility, or the adoption process — turning their pain into purpose for others walking similar paths.
The Reynoldses welcome community support as they work toward their adoption goals. You can find their honor-system flower stand at their North Ridgeville home, follow their journey on Instagram or Facebook, or contact them directly for custom flower arrangements, wedding flowers, or Juana’s homemade treats for special events.
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