Mar. 29—Karen Hogsten has some good reasons for loving sunflowers.

"They're happy flowers and when they grow, they turn to the sun. They have their own personalities," she said. "They last two weeks in a vase and birds and bees love them." They also attract goldfinches, Hogsten's favorite bird.

She makes good use of sunflowers through her business, Wild Paint Cut Flowers, doing flower arrangements for weddings, proms, homecomings and other events.

The business, open since 2018, uses no pesticides, with a garden created after the badly damaged pool at her house was excavated.

Although she's retired, Hogsten's love for the outdoors and flowers helped drive her to start the business. As a child, she enjoyed gardening with both of her grandmothers in Woodford County.

In 2016, she attended a Mother Earth News Fair in Pennsylvania and learned about selling flowers.

"Eighty percent of the flowers sold in this country are imported," she said. "That is sad. They are filled with chemicals." Too many chemicals means too short a lifespan for the flowers.

A Master Gardener and a member of the Southern Hills Garden Club, Hogsten said weddings are a large portion of her business.

"I do it all — centerpieces, arches, boutonnieres, bride and bridesmaid flowers, parents and grandparents," she said. "It's a ton of work. I really do love it, and there's no such thing as a bridezilla. I have never had a problem with any of my clients, and I just enjoy it."

While sunflowers her Hogsten's favorite flower, it's also the favorite of many clients, as are zinnias and peonies. "It's mostly peonies and roses for weddings, and some sunflowers for weddings. They're absolutely stunning. (Zinnias) are cut flowers that make you think back on your childhood and your grandparents," she said.

Another innovative move Hogsten has made with sunflowers: dried sunflower heads. They can be used in home decor, to feed the birds or saved for the next planting season.

She also raises certain herbs.

"Cinnamon basil has beautiful purple flowers on it," she said. "It smells wonderful, and sage and rosemary. You just cut them and put them in bouquets."

Her arranging of flowers extends beyond weddings to other events. Flower arranging has its roots in art.

"I'm self-taught, but I used to draw and paint," Hogsten said. "Arranging flowers, to me, falls under the same category of artistic activities."

She also offers delivery, wedding event planning, flower parties for the bridal party and occasional workshops, all motivated by her business motto:

"Flowers Make You Smile."

(606) 326-2661 — lward@dailyindependent.com