A Place of Hope and Healing

On her Virginia farm, floral designer Holly Heider Chapple draws from her own life experiences to share the restorative power of blooms.

Holly Chapple holds bunches of flowers in a field.

Photo by Beth Seliga

Known in the floral industry as “the flower mama,” designer Holly Heider Chapple creates natural, flowing, and often whimsical designs.

With the idea of welcoming aspiring floral students, renowned floral designer Holly Heider Chapple and husband Evan purchased Hope Flower Farm in Waterford, Virginia, in 2015. The 25-acre farm, including an 1820s main house and a large barn, became a bucolic teaching facility, as well as a place for Holly to continue growing flowers for weddings and other special events. Since that time, it has expanded to include multiple venues available for celebrations or retreats, as well as a winery, a gift shop, and even a cozy cottage that can accommodate up to six guests. However, the farm’s most important purpose is one of healing—something that evolved from Holly’s own experience with loss and grief.

A repurposed shed has a wedding table up inside at Hope Flower Farm

Photo by Beth Seliga

As a tribute to her late husband, Evan, Holly hired a local builder to create an “E shed” (similar to what most people call a “she shed”) out of locally reclaimed materials in his memorial garden. She uses the space for hosting special events and as a spot for her style team to escape.

Hundreds of sunflowers in a field under a blue sky.

Photo by Beth Seliga

Holly and her team planted Sunflower Alley as a place of healing where vistors can “feel the strength and warmth of a flower so magical that it turns its face toward the sun.”

A parent to seven children, Holly has long been known as “the flower mama,” and Evan was her work partner and jack-of-all-trades. When the pandemic temporarily halted the couple’s original business model, they briefly shifted the farm’s focus to offering bouquets for pickup. For many residents in the area, that change proved to be a lifeline during Covid. “We always knew that flowers were magical and spiritual,” says Holly. “That became even more apparent as we helped our customers make their homes feel more alive while everyone was stuck inside.”

A floral arrangement hangs from the chandelier.

Photo by Beth Seliga

The event barn hosts weddings, floral education classes, and winery guests. Its oversized chandelier is often decorated with flowers for such occasions.

One year later, just as the Chapples were getting the farm back on its feet, they were dealt another blow. Evan was diagnosed with cancer and later died in June of 2022. “My own grief and need for healing inserted me into a world where I’d had no exposure,” says Holly. As a result, she leaned into one of the biggest things her floral career had taught her—how to listen to people. “I’m an empath, and I’ve always loved connecting with others through the stories they share, especially ones of difficulty,” Holly says. “Since Evan’s passing, we have made the farm a place for people to immerse themselves as part of the healing journey.” And while the name of the farm seems fitting for this new focus, it simply came from its origins as a dairy farm once run by the Hope family. Now the name seems almost prescient.

Photo by Beth Seliga

Jack Cat is known as “the farm con artist” and was part of a barn cat adoption program. The hard cider made and sold on the farm is named after him.

In 2023, the farm opened its flower fields for grieving families to enjoy. Holly also added a new garden area called Sunflower Alley featuring thousands of the namesake flower known by many as a symbol of hope, strength, and happiness. And a field of forget-me-nots, seeded from the original batch planted by Evan the week before he died, serves as a beautiful tribute to his contributions on the farm. “We’re trying to create floral experiences that are sentimental and inspired and that acknowledge people we have lost, as well as those who are healing and hurting,” Holly says. “Representing a family through flowers is what it’s really all about.”

A bouquet of mixed flowers ranging from orange to pink to purple.

Photo by Beth Seliga

“When a particular crop flushes, we design around that flower,” says Holly. “Guests can see the flowers in the field and then as part of the tablescapes.”

By Amy Brecount White | Photography by Beth Seliga