'Think of us as your farmgate stall': rural flower farm sets up shop in Braddon

A Braddon floristry business has risen from the ashes with a new name and new owners.

Collector Cottage, a 2000-sqm micro-flower farm in Collector, NSW, is known for its hundreds of colourful dahlias and roses. It has taken over Braddon Flowers on Lonsdale Street and rechristened it ‘Blooms of Braddon’.

Its new owners, Rachel Torrealba and Dean McCormack, “hustled” to prepare the store for its first day of business on Tuesday, February 4.

“Being flower farmers, we have the unique opportunity to bring farm-fresh blooms to Braddon without the middleman,” Rachel said.

“Think of us as your farmgate stall in Braddon, offering handpicked fresh and local blooms.”

When Braddon Flowers suddenly closed before Christmas last year, many couples were left without flowers just days or hours before their weddings.

One groom-to-be, Henry Waldren, told Region he and his fiancée had paid $5000 to the shop at 16 Lonsdale Street for bouquets for their wedding. However, when they arrived on the day, they found a “Sorry, we are closed” sticker on the front door.

“She has closed her Instagram account, her Facebook, her website, switched off her business phone and is not responding to any emails,” Henry said.

Another, Queanbeyan bride, Angel Cabuya, was given bouquets by Moxom and Whitney, further along Lonsdale Street, after posting a cry for help to the Canberra Notice Board Group on Facebook the morning of her wedding day.

In a message to Braddon Flowers’ official Instagram account in early December 2024, owner Lauren King announced that the store “will be closing for the foreseeable future” due to “some personal and psychological hurdles along with some poor decisions”.

“At this point, it feels like the end of the world, but ultimately, I know it’s the right thing for me,” Lauren wrote.

When Braddon Flowers closed, Collector Cottage lost one of “our largest and most supportive customers”, according to Dean.

“Lauren began ordering from us in 2022 after Rachel reached out to introduce herself in the store with a couple of blooms as a sample from the farm and Lauren placed an order straight away.

“Lauren was a big supporter of local flower farms … It was always such a pleasure dealing with her and her team.”

The couple founded Collector Cottage after embarking on a “country change” several years ago and picking up some roses and dahlia tubers from the Murrumbateman field day.

A former teacher “with a lifelong love for flowers”, Rachel completed her floristry training in 2020, and has used the skills to run workshops at the venue and make bouquets for local events.

The site also includes a “wellness accommodation space” available to hire on Airbnb.

“Being based in Collector means we enjoy beautiful natural scenery but not much in the way of foot traffic,” Rachel said.

“When the opportunity arose, we thought, ‘Why not take matters into our own hands and launch a florist shop ourselves?’

“We’re very much a food farmer in that when the crop is ready, it’s ready! We need to move flowers to florists quickly to ensure we maintain the quality of our product.”

The couple understands Lauren has been “very generous with publicly sharing information about her mental health struggles” and are “sure all small business owners feel a great deal of empathy towards both Lauren and the affected customers”.

“When you’re a small business owner, there’s often no such thing as a sick day, let alone a mental health day,” Rachel said.

“It can be a lot of pressure – and when it all becomes too much, there’s no safety net to catch you. Braddon Flowers was Lauren’s pride and joy and I know she is devastated that she let customers down, particularly at such important moments in their lives.”

Blooms of Braddon promises to pick up where she left off.

Where it’s estimated up to 90 per cent of the roses available to purchase from retail outlets are imported from overseas – primarily from Kenya, Colombia and Ecuador. Dean says Collector Cottage “supports local pollinators” and “limits the environmental impact of transporting flowers”.

“Flowers sourced directly from the farm often look more vibrant, have a stronger fragrance and last longer when cut,” Rachel said.

The couple hopes to sell flowers from other local farms too, and offer different varieties across the seasons.

Bouquets and arrangements will be available to buy in store, and they’ll also offer event floristry for weddings, engagements, baby showers and birthdays, and floral workshops at their Collector farm throughout the year.

Blooms of Braddon, at 104/16 Lonsdale Street, Braddon, is open from 9 am to 5 pm, Tuesday to Friday, and 9 am to 3 pm, Saturday. Visit Collector Cottage for more information.