How One Woman Grows Flowers for Evangelization: GIVEN Alumna Tori Franke

“Learn from the way the wildflowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them.” – Matthew 6:28-29

Many saints encountered Christ through wonder in God’s creation. Saint John Chrysostom said:

“From the creation, learn to admire the Lord! Indeed the magnitude and beauty of creation display a God who is the artificer of the universe. He has the mode of creation to be our best teacher.”

One GIVEN alumna, Tori Franke, finds particular beauty in flowers and considers them to be a tool for evangelization at Gumblebee Flower Farm in Delafield, Wisconsin, where she is the owner, head farmer, and florist. Tori understands the importance of experiencing God in His creation, as she explains:

“God has often impressed upon my heart the immense goodness of creation. Even before I knew God well, he has inspired me with a deep love for what he has created, whether it be the human body, plants and animals, a sunrise, the list could go on. There have been so many vantage points that bring me back to this same sense of wonder at God’s creation. Most often as a scientist and artist.”

With her unique background in Biopsychology from Viterbo University and a Master’s in Dance Therapy with a specialization in Mental Health Counseling from Lesley University, Tori has a special awareness for the importance of both body and soul in the Catholic faith. She worked as a therapist for four years, followed by seven years as an Archdiocesan Coordinator of Natural Family Planning and Body Literacy. In addition to running her flower farm, Tori is currently working as a birth doula and raising two young daughters with her husband Austin.

Tori’s family was one of her main inspirations for starting Gumblebee Flower Farm. When Tori went to the GIVEN Forum in 2024, she wondered if a small business would be a feasible option to sustain her family financially but also remain present to their needs. Beyond her family, Tori also considered the needs of her local community in the Milwaukee area and their ability to access beauty as a way to ultimately connect to God. Tori finds special meaning in growing flowers, as she reflects:

“Working with nature is a beautiful challenge. I’ve found from the start that God will often speak to me through the rich symbolism found in the garden.”

Tori’s mentor, Dr. Sarah Maple, was a major catalyst in helping her launch Gumblebee Flower Farm. As a professor and researcher in Theology and Art, Dr. Maple has a valuable academic and spiritual perspective on beauty,which encouraged Tori to proceed with her Action Plan:

“I sometimes struggle with worrying that a focus on beauty can be seen by others as frivolous. But when I spoke with Sarah and our conversation was so grounded in theology, it helped strengthen my trust that transcendental beauty is just as valuable as truth or goodness.” 

In May 2025, Tori started growing flowers on a larger scale after a surprise adjustment to her action plan. She planned to use the summer season to assess the viability of the local market in Milwaukee through a collaboration with an established farm. Tori was supposed to run the farm’s flower subscription program, however, the farm lost the ability to partner with Tori just as planting was about to begin. While Tori initially planned to have flowers ready for distribution from July through September, and to sell ten to twenty bouquets per week, she suddenly found herself scrambling to find a new plot of land to grow her flowers:

“Ultimately I had to pare back my action plan to be something much smaller, a smaller growing space, fewer flowers, and I barely sold any of them during that time. But the land I grew the flowers on that summer ended up being the place I have now started my business Gumblebee Flower Farm. I may never have found it without the last minute setback.”

After Tori executed her action plan on this different plot, Tori realized it was the perfect spot to launch her small business in 2026. Through this series of events, Tori made Gumblebee Flower Farm into a reality:

“There were three or four different locations I considered. Ironically I ended up choosing the one that was furthest from our house and perhaps on paper made the least sense (at least in the short term). But it was also the location that I was most excited about and had the most potential for me to grow into long term. The location I ended up selecting eventually became the home of Gumblebee Flower Farm.”

On her flower farm, Tori grows several varieties including: snapdragons, foxglove, peony, love-in-a mist, sweet pea, yarrow, feverfew, phlox, saponaria, sunflower, lisianthus, celosia, apple mint, and mountain mint.

From the beginning, Tori has been conscientious about making her family one of the primary motivations for starting her small business in flower farming. In fact, her eldest daughter inspired the name, “Gumblebee” for her flower farm! As a toddler, Tori’s young daughter would mispronounce the word “bumblebee” and as a proud mother, Tori found it endearing. She then decided to name her flower farm “Gumblebee” as a nod to this mother-daughter memory and as a reminder to carry a childlike spirit of play in her work.

As Gumblebee Flower Farm continues to progress, Tori and her family have moved closer to their farm and are considering more land to expand business operations. Please pray for Tori, her family, and the continued success of Gumblebee Flower Farm!