Growing Floret

"Every action creates the tiniest of ripples in still water... The ripples you create are innumerable an unknowable. Make sure they are good ones. That is legacy."

— Erin Benzakein

Growing Floret is a documentary television series about Floret, a family-run flower farm in Washington's Skagit River Valley. I directed both seasons of the show, overseeing everything from the first pitch deck to the final sound mix. Over two seasons and three Emmy nominations, we followed founders Erin and Chris Benzakein and the team, exploring both the challenges and joys of running one of the world's most influential flower farms.

But this isn't really a show about flowers.

Season 1 documents an entire year as Floret expands from 2 to 24 acres, and Erin and Chris wrestle with how to grow sustainably for the business and for themselves. Season 2, where I also served as executive producer, examines four projects; rose preservation, breeding, education and the land. This is all done through the lens of legacy, asking big questions about what we choose to leave behind.

This focus on legacy shaped how I approached the interviews with Erin, which were the heart of everything. We'd sit for hours, almost never talking about flowers. Instead, we explored what it means to treat the limited time we have on earth with intention. These weren't typical director-subject interviews – they were genuine conversations about life and purpose.

By Season 2, Erin demonstrated a vulnerability and authenticity that television rarely captures or shares. We embraced big thoughts… as well as silence, natural sound, and the slower rhythms of farm life rather than forcing artificial drama.

Working with a tiny crew across both seasons, we documented everything from ladybugs eating aphids to massive business decisions; from the peacefulness of sitting alone in a wildflower meadow to the tension of launching a New York Times bestselling book. But what we were really capturing was the daily choices of how to spend our brief time on this planet and the courage to build something meaningful rather than simply profitable.

The series connected with audiences because they recognized something about their own lives in Erin's journey. We received literally thousands of letters, emails, and comments from viewers who shared how the show had prompted them to examine their own relationships with work, family, purpose, and what they wanted in their own lives.

We received literally thousands of letters, emails, and comments from viewers who shared how the show had prompted them to examine their own relationships with work, purpose, and what they wanted to build with their lives. People weren't just watching a flower farm – they were questioning how they wanted to live.

Making this series changed me. And I am better for it.

Over four years of production, the ongoing dialogue about legacy and what really matters helped me examine my own relationships and choices. It reminded me that storytelling, at its best, doesn't just document. It creates space for reflection that helps us recognize what's most human in ourselves.

Growing Floret

Growing Floret is a documentary television series about Floret, a family-run flower farm in Washington's Skagit River Valley. I directed both seasons of the show, overseeing everything from the first pitch deck to the final sound mix. Over two seasons and three Emmy nominations, we followed founders Erin and Chris Benzakein and the team, exploring both the challenges and joys of running one of the world's most influential flower farms.

But this isn't really a show about flowers.

Season 1 documents an entire year as Floret expands from 2 to 24 acres, and Erin and Chris wrestle with how to grow sustainably for the business and for themselves. Season 2, where I also served as executive producer, examines four projects; rose preservation, breeding, education and the land. This is all done through the lens of legacy, asking big questions about what we choose to leave behind.

This focus on legacy shaped how I approached the interviews with Erin, which were the heart of everything. We'd sit for hours, almost never talking about flowers. Instead, we explored what it means to treat the limited time we have on earth with intention. These weren't typical director-subject interviews – they were genuine conversations about life and purpose.

By Season 2, Erin demonstrated a vulnerability and authenticity that television rarely captures or shares. We embraced big thoughts… as well as silence, natural sound, and the slower rhythms of farm life rather than forcing artificial drama.

Working with a tiny crew across both seasons, we documented everything from ladybugs eating aphids to massive business decisions; from the peacefulness of sitting alone in a wildflower meadow to the tension of launching a New York Times bestselling book. But what we were really capturing was the daily choices of how to spend our brief time on this planet and the courage to build something meaningful rather than simply profitable.

The series connected with audiences because they recognized something about their own lives in Erin's journey. We received literally thousands of letters, emails, and comments from viewers who shared how the show had prompted them to examine their own relationships with work, family, purpose, and what they wanted in their own lives.

Making this series changed me. And I am better for it.

Over four years of production, the ongoing dialogue about legacy and what really matters helped me examine my own relationships and choices. It reminded me that storytelling, at its best, doesn't just document. It creates space for reflection that helps us recognize what's most human in ourselves.

"Every action creates the tiniest of ripples in still water... The ripples you create are innumerable an unknowable. Make sure they are good ones. That is legacy."

— Erin Benzakein

Director / Executive Producer / Writer / Director of Photography / Editor: Rob Finch

Production Company: Blue Chalk

Client: Magnolia

Executive Producers: Erin Benzakein, Greg Moyer, Pam Huling

Executive Producer for Magnolia Network: Sierra Cowan

Producers: Kenzie Bruce, Gordon Klco

Directors of Photography: Jamie Francis, Jason Greene, Chris Janjic, Chris Benzakein

Editors: Maria Kjellstrand, Sarah Bourscheid, José Márquez, Tim McLaughlin

Floret Producer: Jill Jorgensen

Supervising Producers: Amy Polansky, Sebastián Weinberg

Location Audio / Original Composition: Jim Cooke

Sound Design: Chip Sloan

Graphic Design & Animation: Miró Merrill, Conner Lee

Assistant Editor / DIT: Aubrey Moore, Ian Miller