Marisa Mender-Franklin poses for a picture on Thursday, July 23, 2026, in one of the properties that she crowdsourced for free to plant flowers for her florist shop in Memphis, Tenn.
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Melissa Mender-Franklin wanted to grow flowers and own a flower shop, but she had no land to grow them on. So she posted on her local Facebook Buy Nothing group in Memphis, Tennessee. She was inundated with neighbors willing to share their unused yards and gardens. In return, they get free bouquets, and have beautiful, flower-filled yards with no maintenance costs. Mender-Franklin now owns a flower shop, oversees nine urban flower farms of various sizes and employs 10 people. For people who are looking for land to farm or garden, there are services that can connect them with landowners seeking to share property. You can also check with local gardening and buy-nothing groups on social media.