From Seed to Sprig: Meet the citizen behind a blooming floral business
“Becoming a florist was one of those careers that has always been in the back of my mind,” says Hayley Taylor, Métis citizen and founder of Huckleberry Sprig.
Huckleberry Sprig is a multi-faceted floral business specializing in growing seasonal, locally grown blooms. Hayley’s bouquets are currently available at her roadside stand in Midland and at Toronto coffee shop Sumach Espresso. She also specializes in custom orders, creating floral arrangements for weddings and special events. Hayley has also expanded her reach by participating in her first farmers’ market in Holland Landing.
Hayley’s journey into floral design began somewhat serendipitously. “A few years ago, while I was exploring career options, my cousin invited me to his workplace at a floral wholesaler in Mississauga. One of his colleagues gave me a lesson in floral design,” Hayley recalls, reflecting on the early days of her career.
Hayley enjoyed her first experience with floral design so much that, about a year later, she enrolled in a course through the Canadian Institute of Floral Design with hopes of pursuing a career as a florist. The three-week, full-time program taught students the fundamentals of floral design and gave Hayley the confidence to take the next step.
“The three weeks I spent there were incredible, and I felt equipped to start my own business,” she says.
Using this confidence as momentum to kick start her business, Hayley reached out to the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) for financial support. Having previously received funding during her undergraduate studies, she connected with a trusted MNO employee at the Midland office, who referred her to the Métis Voyageur Development Fund (MVDF).
Through MVDF, Hayley received funding through two programs: the Métis Women’s Entrepreneurship Program and the E-Commerce Grant.
Offered since 2022, the Métis Women’s Entrepreneurship Program supports Métis women entrepreneurs across a range of sectors. The program recognizes the barriers women, particularly Indigenous women, can face when accessing financing through traditional banks and credit unions. By providing accessible funding, the program helps Métis women start, grow, and expand their businesses.
The E-Commerce Grant supports business owners with digital business expenses, including website development, e-commerce platforms, social media marketing plans, payment solutions, and the digitization of business processes.
For Hayley, these supports played an important role in getting her business off the ground.
“Without these programs, I truly believe I wouldn’t have been able to cover the start-up costs of my business,” says Hayley. “Not only was the funding incredibly helpful, but the MNO employees who helped me were so friendly and supportive every step of the way. They were truly there when I needed it.”
After completing the program, Hayley began selling her bouquets at Sumach Espresso. Through customers at the café, she landed her first wedding booking in September 2025, marking an exciting milestone for her growing business. From there, she continued developing her skills and learned the business through hands-on experience and online resources.
When reflecting on how her Métis heritage shapes her day-to-day life and business practices, Hayley identified two themes that have become especially important to her: family and the environment.
“One thing that really became apparent to me while building my business is the importance of family,” says Hayley. Since starting Huckleberry Sprig, she has felt increasingly connected to family members. “They have all been offering so much support and encouragement, which has really helped me keep going.”
Hayley has also developed a deeper connection to the environment over the past year. While she has always enjoyed spending time outdoors, growing flowers has given her a new appreciation for the land around her.
“I have always been outdoorsy, but I feel as though I’ve learned so much from it this past year and notice more than I used to,” she says.
That connection to the land has inspired Hayley to incorporate regenerative farming practices into her flower gardens in Midland. Regenerative farming focuses on building healthy soil, supporting biodiversity, and leaving the land in better condition for future generations. Practices can include composting, cover cropping, crop rotation, reduced cultivation, and planting to support beneficial insects and other wildlife.
These practices already shape how she gardens, but Hayley has plans to incorporate it into her practice even further. She plans to grow more unique and hard-to-find flower varieties, while adding native grasses and shrubs to create habitat for beneficial insects.
As the growing season winds down, Hayley is already looking ahead to what she hopes to accomplish next year. She plans to start beekeeping, an interest she has wanted to pursue for some time. And on the business side, Hayley plans to focus on expanding the number of retail locations where customers can find her hand-tied bouquets.
From custom wedding arrangements and roadside stands to farmers’ markets and coffee shops, Huckleberry Sprig has blossomed—literally. With the support of the MNO, her family, and her community, she is looking forward to another season of growth.
Learn more about Hayley’s work and explore Huckleberry Sprig’s services through her website and Instagram.
Huckelberry Sprig: https://www.huckleberrysprig.ca/
Hayley’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/huckleberrysprig/
To learn more about the Métis Voyageur Development Fund or to speak with a member of the team, contact info@mvdf.ca.