Stillwater Gardens and Cabins

Stillwater Gardens and Cabins At Stillwater Gardens & Cabins, we grow beauty you can hold — bouquets made with locally grown flowers from our fields and fellow NC farms.

Here on the coast, flowers, faith, and fresh air come together in every season. 💜🙏🏽

Good morning again, friends. 💜The flower stand at 30 Stillwater Lane, Oriental, NC will be closed today, but we’ll reope...
05/28/2026

Good morning again, friends. 💜

The flower stand at 30 Stillwater Lane, Oriental, NC will be closed today, but we’ll reopen bright and early Friday morning.

And because we’re grateful for this beautiful community that continues to support our little flower farm (and by extension, other small North Carolina flower farms) all bouquets and arrangements will be Buy One, Get One Free this Friday only. 🌸

We’ll also be back Saturday morning at the Oriental Farmers' Market, Oriental, NC.

On another note… during this morning’s quiet time and meditation, I was blessed to hear quite the chorus outside the cabin windows — Eastern Bluebirds, Cardinals, Carolina Wrens, Goldfinches, crows, gulls, and more. Funny how, when we finally slow down enough to listen, creation has so much to say.

Wishing y’all a peaceful, grace-filled day. See you tomorrow. 💜



© 2026 Benita Gibbs. All rights reserved.

Most mornings, before the emails, the errands, the flower harvesting, the social media posts, and the endless “to do” li...
05/28/2026

Most mornings, before the emails, the errands, the flower harvesting, the social media posts, and the endless “to do” lists begin… I try to start the day quietly.

A little prayer.
A little reflection.
A little time with God.
And usually a steaming cup of herbal tea somewhere nearby.

Some mornings I’ll raise the bathroom window and just listen to the birds behind our Cabin by the Creek as they go about their business over the creek and marsh. Other mornings, the soundtrack changes depending on where I am — the creak of the front porch rocker, wind moving through the trees, pollinators humming over the flowers at Stillwater Gardens, or birds calling back and forth while I walk the rows checking on what’s finally beginning to bloom.

Funny how nature speaks differently depending on where you’re standing… and how willing you are to slow down enough to hear it.

Flower farming has taught me that tending living things also tends something inside ourselves. Sometimes the healing isn’t dramatic. Sometimes it’s simply standing still long enough to hear birdsong and remember that God never intended for us to carry the whole world on our shoulders alone.

As I’ve mentioned before, May is Mental Health Awareness Month, but caring for our minds, bodies, and spirits shouldn’t end when the calendar flips to June. Rest matters. Quiet matters. Prayer matters. Community matters. And so does making space for joy, beauty, and peace in the middle of ordinary life.

🙏🏽💜 “Be still, and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10

As this month comes to a close, here’s something I’ve been thinking about:
How much intentional time do you truly give yourself each week to rest, reflect, pray, breathe, or simply be quiet? And what’s one small thing you could do differently in June to care for yourself a little better?

© 2026 Benita Gibbs. All rights reserved.

I’ve talked about this before, but I’m finding myself needing a gentle reminder. Somewhere along the way, many of us — e...
05/27/2026

I’ve talked about this before, but I’m finding myself needing a gentle reminder.

Somewhere along the way, many of us — especially women — were taught that constantly giving, constantly helping, constantly saying “yes” was the measure of being a good person.

And while serving others absolutely matters… I’m slowly learning that running yourself completely empty helps no one in the long run.

Truth be told, I still struggle a lot with this myself.

There’s always another bouquet to make.
Another load of laundry.
Another person to check on.
Another message to answer.
Another w**d to pull out at the flower farm.

And if I’m not careful, I can spend so much time tending everyone and everything else that I forget God never asked me to neglect myself in the process.

Even Jesus stepped away to rest, pray, and be still.

Lately, I’ve been trying to pay more attention to the quieter kinds of self-care… not the flashy kind we often see online, but the ordinary, grounding things.

Walking the flower rows with Tony at sunset.
Putting my phone down for a little while.
Drinking more water.
Taking a deep breath before reacting.
Sitting quietly with prayer before the world starts demanding things from me.
Letting myself rest without feeling guilty about it.

Out at Stillwater Gardens, I’m constantly reminded that even the healthiest plants need water, sunlight, nourishment, and seasons of rest.

People are no different.

Scripture reminds us:

🙏🏽💜”Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28

Maybe self-care isn’t selfish after all.
Maybe it’s simply good stewardship of the life, body, heart, and spirit God entrusted to us.

And maybe sometimes the holiest thing we can do is pause long enough to breathe again.

Reflective question:
What’s one small thing you could do this week to care for yourself — not out of selfishness, but out of wisdom and grace?



© 2026 Benita Gibbs. All rights reserved.

Often we spend so much time looking outside ourselves for answers, confidence, or permission to begin that we forget som...
05/26/2026

Often we spend so much time looking outside ourselves for answers, confidence, or permission to begin that we forget something important…

A lot of what we need is already quietly sitting inside us.

Not fully formed.
Not perfect.
Not polished.

But there.

Truth be told, when Tony and I first started this flower farming journey a couple of years ago, I knew little to nothing about seed starting, soil testing, succession planting, pest pressure or which flowers could handle our unpredictable Eastern North Carolina weather.

I’ve made mistakes. Plenty of them.

Especially when it came to timing seedlings and getting flowers blooming when I actually needed them ready for market. Last year, I timed things better and had more blooms earlier. This year, some of my early spring crops didn’t work out the way I’d hoped, and I found myself relying more heavily on other small flower farms across North Carolina to help bridge the gap while waiting for our own fields to catch up.

But honestly? I’m grateful for that too.

There’s something beautiful about small farmers helping one another instead of competing against one another. I’ve learned so much from growers who’ve been doing this longer than we have, and if supporting their farms also helps us continue building Stillwater Gardens, then I consider that a true win/win situation. We are especially grateful to Trudy and Larry over at Swing Low Farms of Ayden for all they are teaching us and for selflessly sharing their beautiful bounty of flowers with us.

Yesterday evening, Tony and I walked through the production area of the farm, and for the first time in weeks, I felt that familiar little spark of relief and hope returning.

New blooms.
Pollinators everywhere.
Bachelor Buttons opening up.
Alliums standing tall.
Gladiolus beginning to show off.
Snapdragons stretching upward.
Even a few seasonally confused heirloom chrysanthemums trying to make an early appearance.

And yes… plenty of grass and w**ds still waiting on us too. 🌿

Farming has a way of humbling you while also teaching you to trust the process.

Sometimes growth looks like success.
Sometimes it looks like adapting.
Sometimes it simply looks like refusing to quit.

🙏🏽💜 Scripture reminds us:

“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon.” — Psalm 92:12

Tonight, I’m thankful for every lesson, every bloom, every helping hand, and every reminder that we often carry more resilience than we realize.

Reflective question:
What’s something in your own life that once intimidated you… but you’re slowly learning you’re more capable of handling than you thought?



© 2026 Benita Gibbs. All rights reserved.

Today, as flags wave across small towns, cemeteries, churchyards, front porches, and harbors all across this country, I ...
05/25/2026

Today, as flags wave across small towns, cemeteries, churchyards, front porches, and harbors all across this country, I find myself thinking not only about sacrifice… but about remembrance.

About names that history books sometimes forgot to mention.
Stories that weren’t always fully told.
Men and women from every background, every color, every corner of this country who still stepped forward and served anyway.

Over the last few years, I’ve spent time tracing pieces of my own family history and learning more about some of my paternal relatives who served this country during the Civil War — including Albert G. Walls, William Jay, Wesley Jay, and George Jay.

As members of the Fifty-Fourth Massachusetts Volunteers, brothers Wesley, William, and George Jay survived the bloody battle at Fort Wagner, South Carolina, later memorialized in the film Glory. Others in our extended history served in regiments that helped force Lee’s surrender at Appomattox. Some carried the weight of war home with them. Some never came home at all.

And the truth is… there are countless families across this country carrying stories just like these.

Some remembered.
Some forgotten.
Some never fully acknowledged.

But every sacrifice mattered.

Memorial Day reminds us that freedom has always been costly. It has been carried on the shoulders of ordinary people willing to do extraordinary things for those they loved, for neighbors they’d never meet, and for generations still to come.

Out in our little village of Oriental, early this morning, the flags were moving gently in the breeze near the water, and I kept thinking how remembrance itself is a sacred act. To pause. To say their names. To decorate graves. To tell the stories again. To make sure those who gave their life’s blood in service to this country are not lost to time.

Scripture says:

🙏🏽💜 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13

Today, I’m grateful for the many known and unknown heroes of every religion, race, creed, and hue who served valiantly and sacrificed greatly for this country.

May we never forget them. 🇺🇸💜

Reflective question:
Who in your family or community carried a story of sacrifice, service, or courage that deserves to be remembered and passed on?



© 2026 Benita Gibbs. All rights reserved.

Tomorrow is Memorial Day.And around here, that means more than cookouts, boat rides, or the unofficial beginning of summ...
05/24/2026

Tomorrow is Memorial Day.

And around here, that means more than cookouts, boat rides, or the unofficial beginning of summer.

It’s a day to remember.

To pause and honor the men and women who left home in service to this country and never made it back home again.

Every small town cemetery. Every weathered flag placed beside a grave. Every folded flag handed to a grieving family. Every empty chair at a holiday table. They all tell a story most of us can only begin to imagine.

Out here at Stillwater Gardens, I spend a lot of time thinking about seasons. About planting, tending, waiting, loss, renewal, and the quiet reminder that some sacrifices make future life possible.

Freedom has always come at a cost. And somebody else paid a price many of us will never fully understand.

Tomorrow, I’ll be thinking especially about the mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, children, siblings, and dear friends who carry that loss every single day.

And I’ll also be thinking about the veterans who did come home carrying burdens we cannot always see.

Sometimes gratitude looks like more than words. Sometimes it looks like remembering. Like slowing down long enough to truly honor a life. Like teaching our children why this day matters.

Jesus said:
🙏🏽💜”Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” — John 15:13

May we never treat that kind of sacrifice lightly.

And may we never forget those who gave everything for people they would never even meet.

Reflective Question:
As you move through this Memorial Day weekend, who are you remembering today?



© 2026 Benita Gibbs. All rights reserved.

Good Saturday morning, my sweet flower friends 💜First things first… I know I promised a preview of this week’s Oriental ...
05/23/2026

Good Saturday morning, my sweet flower friends 💜

First things first… I know I promised a preview of this week’s Oriental Farmers' Market, Oriental, NC flowers yesterday afternoon/evening, and I’m sorry I never got it posted. Truth be told, I was still up creating bouquets until almost 11:30 last night… and anybody who knows me knows I’m usually sound asleep by around 9 o’clock. 😊

But there’s something about this season — the flowers, the people, the conversations, the gathering together of community — that makes the long days feel worth it.

This morning’s market has a little something for just about every budget and every kind of flower lover.

🌿 Mini Market Bouquets — just a sweet handful of sunshine.
$12 each or 2 for $20

🔥 Harbor Ember — our showstopper this week. Warm sunset-toned lilies with soft white bells and rich seasonal textures. We only have ONE available, and honestly, it’s a beauty.
$50

🇺🇸 Stars & Stillwater — patriotic handled arrangements filled with garden flowers and little flags to honor Memorial Day weekend.
$30 each or 2 for $55

And we have TWO different Classic Market Bouquets this week:

💙 Blue Harbor Mist — deep blue campanula with soft wildflower textures

AND

🇺🇸 Front Porch Freedom — pale blue delphinium, snapdragons, campanula, yellow statice, and a flag tucked in with love and gratitude.

Both are:
$20 each or 2 for $35

We’ll also have:
🌸 Pressed flower refrigerator magnets — $8 each or 2 for $15
🌸 Handcrafted pressed flower greeting cards — $12 each

We’ll be at the Oriental Farmer’s Market on Hodges Street by the town dock from 8–11am (or until we sell out). You can also find flowers at the Stillwater Gardens roadside stand at:

Stillwater Gardens Roadside Flower Stand
30 Stillwater Lane
Oriental, NC

After all that rain last night, it looks like God is giving us a beautiful day today.

And before I go, I want to say a heartfelt thank you to the wonderful North Carolina sister flower farms and flower friends who help make these arrangements possible. Flower farming may look like bouquets and pretty pictures on the surface… but underneath it is a whole network of hardworking people helping one another grow, encourage, and keep going.

Please show these beautiful farms and flower folks some love too:

🌸 Swing Low Farm — Ayden, NC
🌸 Linda Cullison — Oriental, NC
🌸 Sassafras Fork Farm — Rougemont, NC
🌸 Bottom of the Fox Farm — Siler City, NC
🌸 Fernrock Farm — Hillsborough, NC
🌸 Parker Farm and Vineyard — Hurdle Mills, NC

That spirit of community and supporting one another means more to me than I can say.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” — Galatians 6:9 🌿

Reflective question:
What’s something in your life right now that requires faithfulness, even before you can fully see the harvest?

Can’t wait to see y’all today. 💜



© 2026 Benita Gibbs. All rights reserved

There are moments in life when you suddenly realize just how much energy it takes to keep showing up with hope, faith, a...
05/22/2026

There are moments in life when you suddenly realize just how much energy it takes to keep showing up with hope, faith, and grace. And, in those moments, it’s easy to lose heart.

Not necessarily in some big dramatic way… but quietly. Slowly. A little at a time.

Sometimes it happens when the bills pile up higher than expected.
Sometimes when the doctor calls with news you never expected to hear.
Sometimes when relationships feel strained to the point of breaking.
Sometimes when you look around and wonder if all your hard work is actually making a difference.

And sometimes it’s simply exhaustion.

There are days out at Stillwater Gardens when the w**ds seem to grow faster than the flowers (Who am I kidding? That’s most days!) Days when the weather doesn’t cooperate. Days when I question whether I’m doing enough, being enough, or moving fast enough toward the life I imagined.

But there is a passage in 2 Corinthians that reminds me that not everything valuable can be measured by what we see right in front of us.

Seeds spend a long time underground before anybody notices growth.

Families go through hard seasons and still somehow stay rooted in love.

Communities survive storms because people quietly keep showing up for one another.

Faith keeps carrying us, even when we feel tired in our spirit.

The older I get, the more I realize that some of the most important things in life can’t be bought, staged, forced, or photographed.

Peace.
Integrity.
Compassion.
Character.
Faith.
Love.
The way someone makes people feel safe.
The way a family keeps gathering around the table after hard years.
The way neighbors check on each other after storms.
The way God keeps renewing us, even when life wears us down.

Those are the things that can never truly be taken away.

🙏🏽💜 “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” — 2 Corinthians 4:16

Maybe that’s the real work of life… not pretending things are always easy, but learning how to keep our eyes fixed on what matters most anyway.

Reflective question:
What is something in your life right now that feels temporary… and what is something eternal and deeply meaningful that you want to hold onto no matter what?

(Flower selections for tomorrow’s Oriental Farmers' Market, Oriental, NC will be posted late this afternoon or early evening by today. Here’s a hint: We’ll be honoring Memorial Day. And, a few surprises for fun.)

© 2026 Benita Gibbs. All rights reserved.

The Stillwater Roadside Flower Stand is open, stocked and ready this morning 💜There’s something about fresh flowers sitt...
05/21/2026

The Stillwater Roadside Flower Stand is open, stocked and ready this morning 💜

There’s something about fresh flowers sitting out by the roadside that still feels hopeful to me… like a small reminder that beauty, kindness and joy still matter in this world.

So if you’re headed out today, come on by and grab a little sunshine for your favorite graduate, teacher, friend, mama… or maybe even for yourself. Sometimes we spend so much time pouring into everyone else that we forget our own hearts need tending too.

Every bouquet here at Stillwater carries a little piece of our family, our local farms and this community we love so much. Thank you for continuing to support small farms, local growers and the simple things that help connect us to one another.

📍30 Stillwater Lane
Oriental, NC

🙏🏽💜 “May the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.” — Numbers 6:24-25

Reflective question:
When was the last time you slowed down long enough to notice the small blessings blooming around you?

© 2026 Benita Gibbs. All rights reserved.

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30 Stillwater Lane
Oriental, NC
28571

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