Briana Bosch is a fifth-generation farmer, epic flower gardener, ballet dancer, and one of the most quietly radical women we know. When she and her family stumbled upon 1.7 acres in the suburbs of Denver in 2018, she got to work creating a wild farm split evenly between stunning flower varieties that attract and feed native bees, and a wooded forest preserve for wildlife. She’s planted over 45 trees, rehabilitated neglected soil through organic and regenerative practices, and somehow made it all look like a fairy tale. She also wrote a book, runs a Saturday-morning flower market, hosts floral-arranging classes in her barn, and creates sustainable wedding florals. This is a woman who chose to align her life with the rhythms of nature, and we could not be more inspired. So we sat down with her to talk all about it.
You have an MBA, you’re a fifth-generation farmer, and you’re building one of the most beautiful regenerative farms in Colorado. How did all of these threads weave themselves together? And was there a moment you knew corporate life wasn’t for you?
It actually started as a healing journey. Nature has always been the place I felt most grounded. When my best friend passed away after a struggle with postpartum depression, I knew I needed a radical change and to get my hands back into the soil. I needed a mission. Something to work toward that made me feel like I was making a real difference in the world.
Farming runs DEEP in your blood and lineage. What did you inherit from your ancestors? Not just in terms of knowledge, but also more innate or intuitive wisdom?
My grandpa farmed very much the way that I do now – inoculating his seed, fertilizing with grazing animals instead of chemical inputs, embracing biodiversity, and paying close attention to what nature was telling him. Unfortunately, many of those skills have been lost to the more chemical-dependent monoculture style of farming that’s prevalent today. But I do still feel an inherent connection to soil and listening to the earth that has been passed down through generations. Looking to migrating birds for signs of when to plant, paying attention to wind directions to get a feel for incoming weather… those things feel second nature to me.
You describe your farm as a closed loop (chickens, sheep, compost, soil, flowers, repeat). There’s something so sacred about that circularity. How has living within that natural flow changed the way you move through your own life?
Is it cheesy to say it’s changed my entire outlook on what I “need” in life? Once I stepped back and started learning how much of what we’ve been told we absolutely must have is rooted in capitalism, I started looking at my entire life through that lens. It’s made me cut back significantly on my purchases across the board – from clothing to beauty products – and focus instead on quality and finding companies that align with my personal ethos. It’s been eye-opening, to say the least!
You grow echinacea, yarrow, and other medicinal herbs alongside your cut flowers. Do you have a soul plant? One that found you at exactly the right moment, or has taught you something meaningful?
Oh, now that’s a fantastic question. I think all of my plants have taught me things in their own way: the drought-tolerant ones have taught me perseverance, the native blooms the importance of serving others, and the spring bloomers the concept of hope. But if I had to choose one that has taught me the most, it’s the zinnia. So simple and unassuming, the easiest to grow – it’s not a show stopper, not the one that people “ooh” and “ahh” over the way they do with giant dahlias. But zinnias are incredibly resilient, requiring no fertilizer and barely any water while providing vital nectar for so many beneficial insects. I just love their quiet, minimalistic needs, and how much they give back to the garden despite them.
Growing up in a farming family, were there any plant medicines, food traditions, or healing remedies that were passed down to you? Like things your grandmother cooked, rituals around the land, or seasonal rhythms?
Unfortunately, much of that has been lost to time. My mom’s side was farmers as well, but lost much of their family history in the aftermath of WWII Europe, and my dad’s side relied heavily on Jell-O salads! But we are working to re-establish more ancient traditions with my daughters. We’ve learned a great deal about the food sources native to our area that were used by the indigenous tribes here, like chokecherries, American plums, and currants. We honor them by letting them exist in their wild state, harvesting a little for syrups and preserves, and learning about the vital role they play in the ecosystem here at the farm, particularly for the bird populations.
SO much of conventional gardening advice is about control, while regenerative growing asks us to really trust the ecosystem instead. For someone used to weeding, spraying, and tilling, what’s the first small act of surrender they could try this season?
Learn to accept a certain amount of pest damage in your garden. I always tell folks to take 10 steps back when pest damage is bothering them. From 10 steps back, it will look much better than it does up close. And while you’re back there, take a look at the ecosystem you’ve created. Do you have plants that provide habitat for birds that help manage pests? How about native plants to attract beneficial insects? If not, focus on building that in your first year – it pays huge dividends and will shift the way you see your garden entirely. Remember, without the pests, we wouldn’t have the ecosystem. All the way up the food chain, even the aphids serve a purpose.
Your work asks you to be utterly at the mercy of weather, seasons, and forces wayyy beyond your control every single day. Has that softened you? Radicalized you? Maybe both?
When I started the farm, I had plastic mulch over the field, plastic hail netting, plastic frost fabric. I’ve since eliminated all of it. I’ve learned to grow things that thrive in my climate – plants that can survive a hail beating and can withstand some weed pressure. Farming has taught me that nature is not something to be controlled, but rather something we can and should work alongside. And that approach creates not only a more beautiful aesthetic experience, but one that requires far less labor on my part!
What is something the land has asked of you that you weren't expecting to give?
I had to give up my idea of control – my vision of what a farm is “supposed” to look like. It’s changed from perfect, neat little rows with painstakingly maintained pathways, into a wild, meandering experience. Every year, I look at what the land is telling me it wants me to do – the goldenrod spreading into a new area, the yarrow reseeding itself into a previous tomato spot – and I try to coexist with as much of that as I can. It’s taught me that letting go can be just as important as planning.
Spring has so many of us feeling the pull to get our hands in the soil again. What’s the one thing you wish every beginning gardener understood before they bought their first packet of seeds?
Raised beds are, most of the time, unnecessary. Even the poorest of soils can outperform purchased bagged soils, and without fears of microplastic and PFAS contamination. Start there first if at all possible. And don’t overdo it with fertilizers! The soil microbiome is incredibly sensitive, and over-amending causes plants to stop interacting with that microbiome the way they should, resulting in plants that become dependent on fertilizers and soil life that’s less beneficial than it could be. Focus instead on mulching with organic matter and incorporating a cover crop in the spring or fall. Your garden will be both healthier and far more affordable.
What are you most excited about right now? On the farm, on your screen, on your plate, in your home, etc!
I’ve started teaching gardening workshops in France, and it’s become such an incredible way to expand my community and learn from other farming systems – as well as a beautiful means of connecting with other like-minded, garden-loving souls. I’m so excited for my next one in September, which will incorporate wine tasting, beekeeping, animal husbandry, and cheesemaking, all with a focus on regenerative practices. I hope some of you can join me!
