Around six years ago, Kenzie Brinkman set up as a vendor at one of her first artist markets, the HBG Flea.
She stayed up until 3 a.m. the night before, prepping her pressed flower pieces and making a display to hang her art on. Brinkman, a Harrisburg resident, was excited, but also nervous. She had faced tough times and rejection on her journey to this day.
But the flea couldn’t have gone any better. The community showed up and bought almost all of her pieces—colorful flowers pressed in frames and hung from pieces of driftwood.
“It just skyrocketed my business,” she said. “The community support and reception was insane.”
A while before the flea, Brinkman left her job at Starbucks to start her business, The Wildest Flowers, originally selling pressed flower phone cases on Etsy. Since then, with a few bumps along the way, her business has only grown as she expanded to creating home décor pieces and preserving and pressing wedding bouquets.
In July, that growth accelerated further as Brinkman, with her partner Cody Imes, opened a storefront, The Meadow, in Midtown Harrisburg.
“We really just want to give back to Harrisburg because we love it so much,” Brinkman said.
Local Love
The Meadow opened just down the street from the Broad Street Market on N. 3rd Street in the location of a former laundromat. The shop brings to the neighborhood something that Brinkman views as sorely needed in the city—retail.
Inside, you’ll find pieces from The Wildest Flowers, but also art, clothing, home items, candles, funky fanny packs, embroidered hats and handmade jewelry, among many other unique items. About 20 local vendors sell their wares at The Meadow, making it a one-stop-shop for one-of-a-kind finds.
“You need that opportunity to find success,” Brinkman said. “And if we can give that to people and give them that space to have that opportunity, or give them the confidence to expand, that’s a dream come true.”
The Meadow only sells quality handmade or handpicked items at fair and affordable prices—something that’s important to Brinkman. She loves the idea of people coming to the store and discovering a new artist or small business to support in the future.
“I wanted it to be a space where people could find anything and everything,” she said. “And I want to make it easier for the community to support local.”
And Brinkman and Imes may not be the only ones to greet you when you come to the store. Their puppy, and now shop dog, Hermione, will likely welcome you with a wagging tail.
Pressed Success
A rose isn’t without its thorns, and the journey leading up to opening The Meadow wasn’t easy for Brinkman.
She recalled the early days of making pressed flower phone cases when a woman made a nasty comment online about her art. The negative remark caused her to take down her Etsy shop and begin working again in the food service industry. But she again regained her confidence and, shortly after, participated in that first HBG Flea.
The pandemic was another trying time for the business, as Brinkman not only lost sales, but, while driving, was hit by a drunken driver, breaking her dominant arm and temporarily costing her the ability to make art.
However, through all of the challenges, Brinkman maintained her passion for pressing flowers, an art she’s practiced since she learned as a kid from her mom.
“To think that all of that led here, if you had told me that back then, I would’ve been like, ‘OK, crazy,’” she said.
Imes has been by her side through the years and, several months ago, left his job to work with Brinkman. Trading his desk job for an artsy one, he has been able to reignite his creative side as he cuts glass, presses flowers and helps run the business. With the career switch, he feels like he can “breathe” again.
The couple has found that they make pretty good business partners, as well.
“We’ve been through a lot of hard times together,” Imes said. “I’ve always tried to reinforce her beliefs and keep her going. I wanted to see her get to this point.”
While The Meadow has only been open for weeks, Brinkman already has hopes to expand, adding more business vendors to the shop and finding additional ways to promote her community.
“We just want to showcase as many people as possible and just fill this space with beauty,” she said.
The Meadow is located at 1126 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. For more information, find the business on Instagram @the.meadow.hbg or visit www.thewildestflowers.com.
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