PRAIRIE GROVE — When Sharon Celaya and her husband retired and moved from California to Prairie Grove about eight years ago, she didn’t know her “second act” would be a flower garden business called Windmill Gardens on their property off Viney Grove Road.
The couple lived on the coast in California but Celaya’s dream was to have land and not live in a neighborhood. She had several reasons for wanting to leave California and come to Prairie Grove, a place she had lived many years ago.
“God totally led us to this house,” she said, “but I had no intention of having a flower garden.”
Their property has five acres and is surrounded by pasture land. Celaya decided to try growing lavender and vegetables on the side of the house but the area had too much shade. Looking out over the land behind her house, in full sun, she decided to try her hand at a few rows of flowers.
She took some online courses, learned as she went along through trial and error and was mentored by florists in the area, she said.
As her flower garden has grown over the past five years, Celaya acknowledges growing the flowers and caring for her garden is fairly addicting.
She started by taking freshly cut flowers to floral shops. She would sell the flowers from her car, she said. Then, one of the florists mentioned to her about selling flower bouquets in stores. She tried selling bouquets in different shops but found that wasn’t sustainable. This is what evolved to having a flower stand by Viney Grove Road for customers to buy a fresh bouquet of flowers, either with cash or using Venmo.
She just finished her first year with the flower stand and said it was successful and the community has embraced her idea.
Celaya said she decided on $20 for the bouquets because she believed that would be doable for many people and the flower garden is not a main source of income.
“I want to make them available and affordable because I love flowers and I know others love flowers,” she said, adding that some people will have a flower bouquet as part of their budget, just like others have specialty coffee drinks in their budgets.
Each bouquet is a little different and unique, she said, adding that many people will stop on the way home to buy a bouquet to enjoy in their homes.
“I’m outside the box. I will put in a bouquet what I think looks good and looks like it is worth $20,” she said.
Her flower season has ended for 2025 but that doesn’t mean she’s taking a break. As an example, she has 3,200 tulip bulbs to plant in her garden.
Most of her flowers start from seed and she has planted seeds under grow lights in her house. For her perennial flower beds, she is cleaning those out, weeding the beds so the plants will come back next year. She has covered other sections to protect them over the winter and also has a “hoop house” or high tunnel, a structure to protect plants from the heat or the cold.
“I’m always doing something out here,” she said, whether it’s weeding or flipping sections to prepare them for next year.
“I enjoy it,” she said. “I get to do what I want and I can pick what I want to grow.”
Over the winter, she said her plan is to get the ground ready, tarp it and then when it’s time, peel back the tarp and start planting.
Lynn Kutter/Enterprise-Leader
This flower stand for Windmill Gardens located off Viney Grove Road offered beautiful flower bouquets for $20 over the summer. The stand has closed for the season after its first year but will open again in 2026.
Lynn Kutter/Enterprise-Leader
Sharon Celaya with Windmill Gardens in Prairie Grove is already preparing for her 2026 year with these plants thriving under a grow light in her house.
Lynn Kutter/Enterprise-Leader
Sharon Celaya of WIndmill Gardens in Prairie Grove got the idea for this project to dry her buckets off Pinterest.
Lynn Kutter/Enterprise-Leader
These plants at Windmill Gardens outside Prairie Grove have been covered for protection from the elements.
Lynn Kutter/Enterprise-Leader
Windmill Gardens of Prairie Grove offered freshly cut flower bouquets in a flower stand off Viney Grove Road. The season has ended for 2025 but look for it again in 2026.
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