Bee The Reason
Tucked along 2196 Oak Grove Rd in Howell, Michigan, you’ll find a little wooden stand with a green metal roof and two hand-painted bees smiling from its whitewashed backing. This is Bee The Reason, a charming roadside stand created by Kimberly Lemke, who greets visitors in a relaxed jumpsuit and a warm, easy smile. Kimberly is tall and radiant, and there’s something instantly grounding about her—like she was meant to spend her days outdoors, hands in the soil, surrounded by color and purpose. “A long boring winter, haha,” she says when asked how it all began. “I was watching flower farmers on social media. I also bought flowers from Flowers on Faussett also in Howell, which I thought was so cool! I thought I can do this, and I live on a main road!”
From June to September, Kimberly stocks the stand with cheerful table-top bouquets of wildflowers and zinnias, arranged in vintage vases she finds at resale shops. “They are fun bright colors and last up to two weeks if you change the water frequently,” she explains. The stand is open mid-afternoon to sunset on pop-up days, announced on her Facebook page—look for the open signs out front. And while it’s a hobby now, she’s expanding. “We just got our first chicks, so we hope to sell eggs and to take orders for meat chickens,” she says. “We also offer any extra vegetables we get during the season.” Her cash box is simple and honest, and she keeps it that way on purpose: “I decided to do this to simply add joy of gardening in my life and spreading it by selling reasons to smile!”
Kimberly lights up when talking about the people who stop by. “It’s fun to see how many people stop each time I have a sale,” she says. “Getting to say hello is always great. I love to see which one they pick—funny fact, my favorite is usually one of the last to sell.” One time the box came up short, but the next visit it was overflowing—“either they came back or someone else made it right. Either way, I was happy!” Inspired by Flowers on Faussett and supported by her boyfriend and son, Kimberly is doubling her garden this year to bring more flowers and more joy. “I truly hope they smile,” she says. “And that whomever receives the flowers smiles.” You can follow Bee The Reason on Facebook to catch the next pop-up stand day—and maybe take home a reason to smile, too.
