Frankfort couple showcases love through sunflower garden

CHILLICOTHE— When driving down Owl Creek Road in Ross County and going toward Frankfort this time of year you might see a field of sunflowers growing along the road. To be more precise you might actually see over 30,000 sunflowers growing in the field.

Anna Dean and her husband, John, have been flower farmers for over 20 years. Together they have worked to grow the plants and create beautiful bouquets for the community despite the struggles life throws at them.

As farmers and horticulturists, it only makes sense that Anna and John would meet in a field as John was helping her family with their hay business. Since then the two have been together for almost 50 years working and growing their family together. The pair started out as landscapers helping other people design their yards. When Anna wanted special plants for her designs she couldn't find in the store she started growing them herself which led to the pair starting a flower business.

They would grow hundreds of perennial plants in their greenhouses to sell as bouquets at local farmer's markets. Even though they have been out of the farmer's markets for a couple of years people still recognize John as the "flower man" when he is out and about in town. Anna said this is because their customers became more like family as they connected with each individual and became part of their life events through flowers. After growing perennials for years, the pair decided to start growing sunflowers around 15 years ago.

As the business grew they would eventually sell their farm and buy a new piece of property closer to Chillicothe this, however, is when life started to get in the way. Anna soon suffered two strokes which Anna said made it almost impossible for her to be in the sun. This led her to spend most of her time inside in the dark.

"For a flower grower that was crazy," said Anna.

During this time John would bring in cut flowers for her to arrange into bouquets, even learning how to create arrangements himself to give to customers. Things got worse when she later had seven seizures that landed her in the hospital, a brain tumor and several surgeries.

During this time Anna doesn't remember much about what happened, her memories come in small flashes before she can't remember again. She was on so much medicine to stop the seizures from happening again John said "it was like the lights were on but nobody was home."

For Anna, this was no way to be living. She remembers wanting to go home and get back in the field with her husband. While he was taking care of Anna, which John said was one of the "hardest jobs" he has ever had, he was also working on their new property in hopes that seeing the flowers would help bring Anna back to her old self.

All his hard work and the prayers from their customers worked as now Anna gets to wake up every day and see the beautiful sunflowers he planted. While she still struggles with physical issues she is in the field or on a tractor as often as she can as she loves farming and growing sunflowers.

"We knew there would be plants here eventually," said Anna, looking out on her front lawn. "Life just got in the way."

Now Anna works to share that joy the flowers brought her with other people. She believes God gave her the gifts of being able to grow the flowers and of still being here today and she wants to use them to make others happy.

"It is a joy to share," said Anna who loves seeing people slow down to admire the flowers as they drive by.

As life has taught them they might not always know what lies ahead but they do know they will face it together and with the joy of sunflowers.

This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Health issues won't stop local couple from spreading joy with flowers