NESTLED in the rolling hills of the Dandenong Ranges, just beyond the city’s edge, lies a small but vibrant enterprise brimming with colour, fragrance, and soul.
Thistle and Weeds Flower Farm, owned by Sam Nelson, is more than a flower farm—it’s a living expression of creativity, shaped by the rhythms of the seasons and the beauty they bring.
Spare a warm thought for winter in the Dandenongs, with the sun filtering through the mist, creating a golden hue, gracing the rich mountain soil of Thistle & Weeds, the name bespoke by its owner; a distant memory from where Sam grew up in the town of Denmark, enveloped by the mighty karri forests of south Western Australia, where they meet the Southern Ocean.
“Thistle & Weeds began as a hobby for me, though it quickly turned to an obsession during the early days of the pandemic in 2020.
"I was living on a small block of 1600 square metres in Olinda, near Mt Dandenong.
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"This is where I fell deeply in love with cut flowers and almost completely lost myself to the charms of growing Café au Lait dahlias," said Sam, ever aware that these are Australia’s favourite dahlias.
It didn’t take long before they ran out of space, and by 2023 Sam and her partner David sold up and moved further down the mountain to Avonsleigh, where they found a few acres that allowed them to grow on a larger scale.
After deep breathing and a sense of destiny, they took the plunge at the end of 2024 and officially launched Thistle & Weeds in January 2025.
“For me, it’s about growing within the limits of your climate — in tune with the seasons – not in spite of them," she said.
"I don’t import flowers or fight nature’s rhythms.
"What I grow is what the land can give at that moment.
"It means my work is ever-changing, and always a true reflection of time and place.
"There’s a gap in the market, I think, for floristry that honours the wildness and leans into the art of emotion and imperfection.
"Thistle & Weeds is my way of offering something a little more soulful, grounded in place and season," Sam said.
Winter is shaping up to be a busy season for the Thistle’ but while the fields are at rest, Sam said she is deep in preparation, sowing cold-hardy annuals like snapdragons, stocks, and trialing some Italian ranunculus and Colibri Pastello poppies to get a head start on spring.
“I’m also lifting and storing dahlia tubers, saving seed from summer blooms, expanding and growing the flower beds.
"It’s a time for planning, refining, and catching up on the business side of things like admin, marketing, and all the behind-the-scenes work that keeps everything humming. "I document most of what happens on the farm on social media which takes up a surprising amount of time,” she said.
Her biggest concern is predicting the seasons.
After weathering some intense storms, especially the one in June 2021, they seem to be growing in both ferocity and frequency she suggests.
Sam said there’s "always the risk that months of hard work could be undone overnight", but admits the risk is still worth taking.
One of the joys of being both the farmer and the florist is that she can grow delicate, transport-sensitive varieties that wouldn’t survive the usual supply chain — which means, she said, they get to create arrangements that feel – "truly unique and ephemeral".
“I think I’m still in the honeymoon stage yet thriving under pressure," she said.
"Being a micro flower farm means I have the freedom to pivot quickly, changing what I grow based on curiosity or whatever’s capturing my attention at the time.
"There’s a temptation to always think "if I just had more space…" — but I’m learning to catch myself there.
"Sometimes restraint is the hardest part.”
Sam Nelson is a one-woman band, supported by two dogs, Dixie Cup, a red-heeler-mix and self-appointed head of security who barks at everything; and Shadow, a husky cross with a mysterious talent for locating and peeing on her favourite plants.
Her partner David "isn’t in the field", preferring to keep her "fed with incredible meals" and always there when something heavy needs to be lifted or where a quiet word of encouragement is required.
“The Dandenong Ranges are one of Victoria’s premium cut flower climates,” Sam said.
“We have rich, loamy soil, cool temperatures, and generous rainfall.
"It’s a paradise for growing, but more than that, it feels like home.
"The messmate and mountain ash remind me of Denmark, WA.
"There’s a strong sense of community here, and I feel lucky to be part of it."
Sam fesses that the deeper she goes into flower farming, the more she falls in love with it.
“That momentum carries me and I’m endlessly inspired by other growers, florists, and breeders — there’s just so much to learn.
"It’s a craft that never stops unfolding.”
