Story by Kaylee Hendricks | Photos by Kaylee Hendricks and Blair White

Skyler Richardson never imagined she would farm. In fact, she had her sights set on becoming a lawyer. From closed doors to wide open spaces, she has seen God’s fingerprints on every aspect of her life. Sometimes, the paths least expected can lead to incredible experiences. All of hers have been set up to display her faith in full bloom.

Richardson’s love for the land began during her childhood on her grandfather’s cotton farm. She enjoyed riding on the tractors, hoeing weeds, and helping with any tasks he would let her complete.

“I was the little kid that whenever Pop was stripping cotton, I wanted to be out there until we were done that day,” Richardson reminisced with a smile.

Her great-grandmother, Dorothy Borland, unknowingly inspired her passion for growing flowers. She gifted Richardson all the tools she needed to start her own garden when she was seven years old. This experience became the foundation for her business, SkyGardens.

“The first time SkyGardens started was when my great-grandmother, who lived right across the street from us, bought me a little greenhouse, and I called it SkyGardens,” Richardson said. “She was my only customer. She would buy me the plants, buy me the tomatoes, and buy me whatever I needed. I would grow them and sell them back to her, and I would walk across the road to her house and eat them right off her table. I called it SkyGardens back then. I drew up the logo, which is the same logo we use now. That was born from seven-year-old Skyler.”

After graduating from Lubbock Christian University in 2020, Skyler was unable to take the LSAT to pursue law school because of the pandemic. Seeing this as an opportunity rather than a setback, she rekindled her passion for flowers, leading to the rebirth of SkyGardens. With a gift of land from her “Pop,” Larry Borland, SkyGardens has flourished for three growing seasons.

“I looked at that as God closed that door, but I didn’t know what was next,” Richardson said. “I was working for a flower shop and a wedding planner. They would get flowers in, and many of them weren’t good when we got them. I started thinking, surely, we could do this a little bit better. I would google how to grow whatever type of flower and decided maybe we could start growing flowers here. That’s how it all got started.”

At SkyGardens, flowers grow year-round but primarily bloom in the fall and spring. In October, Richardson plants for the spring. Planting stretches until December, with blooms of anemones and ranunculus typically starting in March and April. She explained they usually wait until June to start planting again. While summer sees fewer blooms, August brings vibrant zinnias, cosmos, amaranth, marigold, celosia, Italian bells of Ireland, dahlias, and roses that last until the first freeze of the season.

A typical day on the flower farm varies greatly depending on the season. Mornings are often dedicated to cutting or planting, activities that can stretch until noon.

As the afternoon rolls in, the focus shifts to deliveries and catching up with the online aspects of the business. Once evening arrives, it’s back to tending the land—whether that means cutting more flowers or preparing new areas for planting. The optimal times for working are the early mornings and late evenings when temperatures are cooler, especially on hot summer days.

In West Texas, no day on the flower farm is the same. Like cotton farming, the weather proves challenging. While Mother Nature is the biggest challenge, it is why Richardson started inviting people to visit the farm.

Skyler Richardson and her “Pop”, Larry Borland, at the SkyGardens Farm in Ropesville, Texas.

“In 2021, we had a microburst storm with 100-mile-per-hour wind that took the top off our tunnels and destroyed everything I planted outside,” Richardson said. “We got it all replanted, and by that fall, we had the most beautiful flowers. I looked at my parents and told them we needed to start inviting people out here to see this. Seeing the flowers blooming has been a miracle; I get to see that every day. I wanted to make sure other people had the opportunity to see that after going through such a tough year. It’s interesting how our roots shape our perspective, and that connection to cotton brings a unique joy to my interactions with flowers.”

Gradually, people began to visit the farm and share their experiences with friends, who then told others. Now, SkyGardens hosts Open Farm Nights in the fall and spring, inviting visitors to see the beautiful things God’s plan has brought about in Richardson’s life.

“I love having people come out. We don’t just sell it to the public. Here, you get to see the whole farm,” she said. “Just to know that there are people out there supporting us, following us, getting to share His creation. The whole time we are doing anything around the farm, it’s like, wow, I get to tend this garden, and this is His purpose for my life, which is neat.”

In addition to Open Farm Nights, SkyGardens offers design services for funerals, weddings, everyday arrangements, and other requests. They also provide wholesale services in Lubbock to Market Street and United.

SkyGardens has also gained substantial visibility and popularity relatively quickly, with a social media following of over 15,000 people. Richardson invites everyone to follow along on her journey.

“People can reach out through Facebook and Instagram for online sales, and with social media, people get to follow along throughout the year. It makes it personal for them to get to see the process too,” Richardson said.

As for SkyGardens’ future, Richardson says having people visit the farm has been eye-opening. She wants to continue sharing farming knowledge with anyone eager to learn. She has a deep love for the land and hopes to see growth in her business.

“I just want to continue to share God’s creation with everyone that gets to come out here and wants to see this,” Richardson said. “Some of us are like, why are we doing this? This is insanity in West Texas. But to share his creation with people is the most important thing, and I think it is truly a ministry more than anything.”