Feature
9 Lives
Love blooms for an Oakland family on their 13 acre farm.
- Kate McDonald
- Fred Lopez

The laundry is tumbling in the dryer while the dishwasher hums in the background. Fresh coffee is brewing in the pot, and the sun is rising over the crisp morning dew. For many, this may seem like an ordinary morning. However, hidden in the details, there is so much more. Take, for example, the oversized chicken coop that runs several hundred feet along flower beds, filled with chickens, clucking happily. An oversized garage filled with equipment set aside for the day. Utterly exquisite wedding arrangements adorn the living room, kitchen, and dining room. In the pantry, fresh-cut roses sit in water, petals in full bloom, ready for an upcoming photoshoot the following day. Welcome to the captivating world of Niesa Putigna, a passionate mother, flower farmer, and entrepreneur who breathes life into her family of nine. Though her daily routine may differ from ours, the heartbeat of her home remains the same—love and family.
Planting
Niesa holds a profound affinity for nature, trees, and aesthetic allure. This posed a challenge in finding the perfect home that could include these elements. Following her husband, Floriano’s, tenure in the Army at Fort Gordon, Georgia, as an emergency medicine physician, the family decided it was time to plant roots and build their forever home.
When friends suggested exploring Oakland, the family took a scenic drive that captured their hearts. The towering oak trees, draped in Spanish moss, and charming PO boxes captivated the family. For Niesa, Oakland is more than a location; it’s a rare and precious haven.
“In 2011, we purchased a 13-acre parcel of land in Oakland and started constructing our home in 2017,” Niesa says. “We spent time on the land at different times of the day to plan where to position the windows and skylights to let in optimal sunlight. During the construction, we made sure to preserve as much of the surrounding nature as possible.” But most important was creating a living space where nine people could grow and thrive.
The high vaulted ceilings, exposed beams, and oversized windows allow plenty of natural light. A stunning double-sided fireplace bridges the kitchen and living room, bringing a cozy atmosphere to their family table. “I love watching the hummingbirds, cardinals, all of my animals in the field, and the buzzing bees—all from my kitchen window!”
Navigating the roles of a home farmer, mother to seven, devoted wife, business owner, and a CrossFit enthusiast, Niesa’s life doesn’t revolve around balance, per se; it revolves around necessity. “I don’t know that I believe that balance exists,” she says as she moves strands of hair away from her face. “It’s more about identifying my top priorities and remaining focused on the ‘why’ behind what I do. I know I can’t do everything, and that’s perfectly fine with me!”
The journey of motherhood gifted Niesa and her husband with five biological children before deciding to adopt two more. “I always wanted a big family, but I never had a specific number in mind,” she explains.
Reflecting on the adoption of their twins, aged 7 at the time, Niesa shares her candid perspective, “Many approach adoption with rose-colored glasses. Adopting our twins dismantled the family we had built, meaning we had to rebuild everything from scratch, together.”
The transition was challenging, to say the least. “We had just welcomed two new children into our lives, but we also had five other children who were trying to adjust to having new siblings while competing for their parents’ attention. It was an extremely challenging process, and it’s something that people rarely talk about when discussing adoption.”
So how does one take a family of varied fragments and nurture them to blossom into a beautiful, tight-knit family? You give them purpose.

Growing
With their dream home under construction and ample space to grow, the farm became the avenue to bring the family together. “We had to do something as a team, as a family to work together—finding a common goal was crucial to us,” Niesa says.
And so Farm Nine was born out of necessity, without dreams of a business at all.
“As a stay-at-home mom, I had to find something that could bring the kids together with purpose and structure. And give me some peace and joy. In between morning chores, dropping my kids at school, making lunches, and taking them to practice or friends’ houses, I was able to work on the farm when I was home. It was the perfect solution. I’ve always loved getting my hands in the dirt, gardening, growing, and being a part of nature,” she pauses, “I am ever-amazed at the voice that emanates from flowers and food—they don’t speak through words, yet they share themselves wholeheartedly for our enjoyment.”
“Of course, we have normal kids, who would rather not help,” she says with a laugh. “The scariest and hardest step is always the first one. Trying to get five teenagers off their phones and into the fields was nothing short of a miracle. However, they learned; we all did.”
Today, the family embraces farm life with fewer grumbles and more joy. Especially when the fruits of their labor begin to bloom.
“We are right on the cusp of the flowers blooming, so we will get to see how our season has panned out,” Niesa says.
The kids will help with the budding, picking, and maintaining the rows of flowers—however, the results are never guaranteed. The Putigna family has learned to accept bad weather and pesky pests ruining crops—that’s life. No two seasons are ever the same.
“The longer I live with animals and farming, I realize that all the planning in the world may not come with an expected win.”
Yet, it’s this that makes the experience relatable. Family, in their opinion, is a group of individuals who choose to live life together every day, through thick and thin. It is unpredictable how each day will go, and they make moment-by-moment decisions.Similarly, farming is not something that can be started and stopped at a whim. It requires continuous effort, no matter what, and the outcome is never certain. Regardless, they still show up every day and put in the work, just like family.
Besides the flowers, the kids help with feeding a diverse array of animals—two cows, a multitude of pigs, numerous goats, sheep, two donkeys, approximately 60 free-roaming chickens, and hundreds of bees generating an impressive 60 gallons of honey annually. Their duties extend to moving hay rolls, holding pigs for castration, caring for the animals, building structures on the property, managing controlled burns, tending to weeds, sowing and harvesting seeds, and overall maintaining the grounds.
“The animals are purely for our enjoyment, though we do appreciate the eggs our chickens lay for us.” Pastel eggs scatter the coops like Easter eggs, waiting to be selected.
“Our kids used to read to one of our cows, Butter, and they would sit with her and do homework,” Niesa says as she pets Butter, who eagerly nudges her with love and adoration.
Indeed, as Niesa walks the farm, the animals all fall in line behind her, waiting for her attention and looking for pets.
The farm has emerged as a positive influence on her children’s lives at home. They feel a sense of responsibility toward the land and nature, and keeping animals has brought them joy, changing their perspective. It has encouraged them to spend more time outdoors and less time glued to screens, which is significant for their physical and mental health. “They all have busy schedules as they grow, move away, and take on more. I make sure to wake early to see everyone off to school or work. I go into the fields to care (and greet) the animals, then handle the admin side of the farm.”
Dropping by the family store, hitting the flower market, making it back home to pick up her kids, cooking dinner, and then working out may seem like a marathon for many, but Niesa thrives with her schedule. As do the kids.
“It’s always crazy around here—always lots to do, but it’s a home filled with laughter and love,” Ayantu explains as she helps unload the dishwasher for her mom. “I love all of the animals and the living things that are around us.”
Niesa laughs. “I’m sure all the kids say they won’t ever farm or plant when they have a home of their own, but I have a feeling they will.”
Nature-loving roots have been planted in the hearts of her children, and they have the opportunity and ability to plant those seeds wherever life takes them.


Picking
Farm life has done more than just bring the Putigna family together. In fact, it’s brought the community together as well. Locals and visitors alike have found beauty and inspiration in Farm Nine’s flowers thanks to Winter Garden’s thriving Farmers Market.
Starting as a vendor in the market was a great way for Niesa to express her creativity and design skills. “We would pick the flowers and make 50 bouquets in a small barn on our property that we would take to the market. It was a happy accident that everything took off the way it did.” However, the seasonal nature of flowers posed a challenge in consistently sourcing every bloom needed for the perfect bouquet.
“We had to decide on wholesale flowers during our off-season to assist us in filling our arrangements and keep up with the growing amounts of weddings we have been asked to be a part of. For me, that was a really tough decision.”
Being passionate about keeping everything as local as possible, Niesa had to weigh the choice of sticking with her roots or having the opportunity for her family’s hard work to play a momentous role in the community. She decided on the latter and plowed full steam ahead.
“We have the flexibility to try different things when it comes to farming. We have open-air rows of flowers, along with a covered greenhouse. This year we decided to try some different styles of planting to see if it yields different results.”
Throughout the growing season, Niesa’s farm cloaks the land in vibrant blooms. Roses, ranunculus, zinnias, protea, sunflowers, and dahlias rotate with the seasons and measure the passage of time, with no calendar required.
To most people, her work in Oakland seems like a dream. She walks between rows of kaleidoscopic petals at dawn and spends her weekends designing for weddings. But beyond the pile of tulips draped over her shoulder is the weight of something bigger: the preservation of community, and the cultivation of family. Flowers are simply the vessel.
“Flowers are such blessings for the sheer fact that they don’t last,” she says. “Flowers give you their entire lives. From the moment they are picked, they are cherished and gracefully arranged, and chosen by you to be a part of your life—to love, nourish, and be loved in return. What other living thing gives you its entire life? I can’t think of one…other than family.”
“Never in a million years did I anticipate our ‘family hobby’ transforming into a business, achieving the success it has. It’s a true blessing,” Niesa beams.
Through dedication, hard work, a great deal of resolve, and the love of a united family, the farm has not only flourished but has become a wellspring of joy.

Tips for Home Gardeners
1: Ask for help from people who are doing it!
2: Start small and stay consistent!
3: Don’t be afraid to try something new, or a new process—we do it all the time!
4: If you are looking to plant a lot, look to get seed plugs.
5: If you have success with certain plants, flowers, or vegetables, keep planting those! We used native Florida plants and flowers around our home for this exact reason while we learned to work with the seasons!