Listening to the Land: Alchemy Farm’s Flower Music Garden
At Alchemy Farm on Salt Spring Island, that connection deepens with every seed planted and every flower that blooms. What began as a simple act of growing flowers has transformed into a sanctuary wher
As an eco-artist, my work is about reconnecting people to nature through wonder and new ways of understanding our connections with the Earth. Whether through art installations, teaching, or sharing stories, my mission has always been to help others rediscover their sacred bond with the natural world.
At Alchemy Farm on Salt Spring Island, that connection deepens with every seed planted and every flower that blooms. What began as a simple act of growing flowers has transformed into a sanctuary where art, nature, and sound come together in harmony.
The Beginning: Growing Flowers with Purpose
In 2015, my husband, Robin, and I purchased a rundown farm with no grand plan—just a deep love for the land and a desire to make a tangible difference in the world. One of the first things I did was plant flowers.
Why? Firstly, because of colony collapse disorder and seconding, discovering that the flowers I used to buy were grown thousands of miles away, often with toxic pesticides and exploitative labor practices. It felt wrong. I wanted flowers that were grown in harmony with the Earth and provided homes and habitat for bees and pollinators.
That first small patch of flowers became the beginning of something much larger. Over the years, our relationship with the land has guided us. What started as a modest garden blossomed into a pollinator haven—a vibrant ecosystem filled with bees, butterflies, and other creatures.
The Alchemy of Flowers
Flowers have always been part of my life. From growing dahlias as a child to nurturing portable patio gardens as a renter, I’ve always loved their beauty. But it wasn’t until I began growing flowers at Alchemy Farm that I felt their deeper energy.
Planting seeds, tending to the soil, watching the blooms grow, and gathering seeds for the next cycle awakened something profound in me. Each flower carried its own story, its own energy.
This realization inspired the creation of the Alchemy Flower Oracle, an intuitive tool born from the whispers of the garden. But the journey didn’t end there. The flowers spoke in new ways, guiding me toward a groundbreaking project: the Alchemy Farm Sound Garden.
Music Created by Flowers
In the Alchemy Farm Sound Garden, plants create music. Using innovative technology, the electrical impulses of plants are converted into musical notes, allowing us to hear their unique songs.
Standing in front of a flower and listening to its melody has brought me to tears on more than one ocassion. It’s a humbling experience that bridges the gap between the human world and the unseen energies of plants.
The technology we use builds on the pioneering work of experimental sound artist John Cage, who first explored plant music in 1975. Today’s tools allow us to hear plants in ways unimaginable decades ago, opening a gateway to deeper communication with nature.
Alchemy Farm Flower Music Garden Tour
At Alchemy Farm, our Flower Music Garden Tour lets visitors experience the music created directly from the bio-energy of flowers. The songs are not composed by me but co-created with the plants using a device called Music of the Plants.
Here’s how it works:
The device converts the plants’ bio-energy into musical notes.
The songs you hear are entirely authentic—no editing or enhancements.
If you notice pauses in the music, those are the plants themselves choosing to pause during the recording process.
Each flower has its own unique song. So far, I’ve recorded over 100 Flower Songs from the 150+ flower varieties we grow here at Alchemy Farm.
During in-person tours, visitors used their phones or tablets to scan a QR code near each flower to listen to its song. It’s a magical experience that invites a deeper connection to the unseen world of plants.
Virtual Tour: Explore 15 Flower Songs and learn more at Alchemy Farm Flower Music.
A Radical Shift in Perspective
Working with flower energy has forever changed me. Growing flowers, listening to their songs, and creating art inspired by them has reawakened lessons I learned as a child: all beings are sacred, aware, and connected. This connection deepened after a concussion forced me to rest and reevaluate my practices. Weddings, events, and deliveries gave way to a quieter, more mindful approach.
Now, when I harvest flowers, I do so with reverence, not panic. I thank each plant for its beauty and for its gift of sustenance to pollinators and humans alike. The process is no longer about production but about honoring the profound relationship between ourselves and the natural world.
The Sound of Interconnectedness
I hope that by sharing the garden’s story, its music, and its beauty, others can rediscover their own sacred connections to nature. The Earth needs your awareness, your protection, and your participation.
Whether it’s through planting a small flower garden, sitting quietly with a tree, or simply listening, each of us has the power to reconnect.
Experience the Music of Flowers
Want to hear the flowers for yourself? Visit Alchemy Farm Flower Music to listen to their songs and learn more about this eco project.