Gardening in a War Zone | A Floret Original Film
Вставка
- Опубліковано 11 гру 2023
- Watch the very first Floret Original documentary film, Gardening in a War Zone. This film features Alla Olkhovska, a gardener, writer, photographer, and clematis seed grower in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Unable to leave the country, Alla supports her family by selling the rare seeds she collects from her small garden. This story is rooted in beauty, inspiration, and hope.
In addition to this documentary film, you can read a full written interview with Alla here:
www.floretflowers.com/the-far...
If you’d like to support Alla and her family, here’s how:
PURCHASE A COPY OF ALLA’S E-BOOK
shop.floretflowers.com/produc...
DONATE VIA PAYPAL
standwithkharkiv@gmail.com
List “humanitarian aid” in the payment field description
SUBSCRIBE TO PATREON
/ allaolkhovska
FOLLOW ALLA ON SOCIAL MEDIA
/ allaolkhovska
/ allaolkhovska
/ @lindengrovegardens4570
SPECIAL THANKS
To Alla Olkhovska and her family for their courage and contributions to the making of this film. Thank you for all your efforts to make this world more beautiful.
VIDEO CREDITS
Executive Producer: Erin Benzakein
Director: Rob Finch
Editor: Sarah Bourscheid
Producer: Rob Finch
Associate Producer: Sarah Bourscheid
Director of Photography: Oleh Halaidych
Additional Cinematography: Alla Olkhovska, Vitaliy Olkhovskyi
Color Correction and Sound Mix: Sarah Bourscheid
Production and Post Support: Chris Benzakein, Jill Jorgensen, Laura Davis, Melissa Reese, Angela Strand
Stock Footage: iStock, Adobe Stock, Pond 5
Music: Soundstripe
Copyright Floret LLC
Sign up for our newsletter: www.floretflowers.com/newslet...
Website: www.floretflowers.com/
Instagram: / floretflower
Facebook: / floretflowers
Pinterest: / floretflwrfarm
Subscribe to our channel: / @floretflowerfarm
@lindengrovegardens4570
#floret #floretoriginalfilm #flowers #clematis #flowerseeds #specialtyseeds #erinbenzakein
This beautiful young woman did not get to choose where she was born. None of us do. She makes the best of everyday she has. She is kind, compassionate and strong. One more of the thousand reasons to support her and her country. Your story was inspiring Alla and just reminds us here in the US we don't have it that bad.
Thank you so much for your big support! It's so important for me now ❤
What a truly inspiring beautiful woman ,what a wonderful life and story ,and the bravery of tending a garden in the chaos of war and finding strength to support those she loves . I pray you and your family stay safe ,and find Joy in your beautiful gardens 💓 these stories should be on every news channel ,to show the wonderful people of the Ukraine and their personal stories
As someone with Ukrainian heritage, this film made me cry. It’s heartbreaking to see this, but also so beautiful that it was produced so others can see the world through Alla’s eyes. Alla, your gardens are magic. I wish more people knew the struggles you face daily and that you find support through the making of this film. I can’t wait to order some seeds for my little farm. They will remind me of you and my Ukrainian lineage. Erin, the world needs more people like you. Thank you for producing such a wonderful film. Sending love 🤍
Throughout this piece, Maya Angelou's last lines from her poem, Human Family, kept ringing in my ears: We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike...
I put off watching this until I could view it all in one sitting without the minor interruptions of the day pulling me away from a story that hits a little close to home. My sister-in-law was born and raised in Ukraine, and grew up gardening with her Granny who grew "eNorMoUs pOpPies!!!" (I've heard the stories many times, and my imagination devours her childhood recollections each, and every time), while my own family tree is made up, in part, of Black Sea Germans who migrated to, and took refuge in Southern Ukraine before ultimately settling in America. It took my breath away that the opening scene of this documentary was of Alla sitting at a small table the way I do at mine, wrapped up in the same bathrobe I wear to count and divide her seeds exactly the way I do, and yet by sheer accident of birth our circumstances are so different. I just hope you know, Alla, women like you have been, are, and will continue to be the backbone of society for millennia, and if my wishes for peace can not come true, then I will wish to be half the woman you are when faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges, because then I know I will be okay.
Some day, as humans, I hope we can understand our alikeness and once and for all stop dropping bombs on our brothers and sisters, but until then I am sending you and your loved ones my deepest love, and peace.
Слава Україні!
***
And to everyone involved with the production of this project, bravo! This story was delivered with the sincerity, grace, and beauty it deserved. Thank you.
Here in Amercia we live so comfortable that it can be hard to imagine living in a war zone or even in extreme poverty. It hurts my heart to see Alla's life and to know that there are so many others like her not only in Ukraine but elsewhere. I am embarrassed by the things I complain about they are petty in comparison. My wife and I will do our part to help her and others like her. Thank you Erin & everyone who brought her story to us. Luis & Carol deSousa Meadowsweet Flowers
Prayers to all who are affected by war, thank you for sharing one story, and that of a gardener, where there’s a garden,there is HOPE.
Well said
Erin OMG I am awestruck by the beauty of Alla's garden and her tenacity!!! She is an amazing person!!! Thank you for bringing this to all of us!!! God willing, hundreds of thousands of people see this documentary!!! This shows how gardening is so vitally important!!!!
"I would rather be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war"
Alla, I would send you so much sunshine and peace! Thank you for being you. You are more beautiful than you will ever know. And thank you Erin for being you! Your generous heart is something this world needs so much more of. All three parts of this film are so important. Thank you all who contributed. 🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷
Thank you, Alla! Praying God will keep you and your loved ones safe. I'm praying for an end to this horrendous war. Praying our government will continue giving aide. Praying you'll see your beautiful gardens growin in a few months. Thank you, Erin for sharing this story and documentary ❤
Thank you for your support of Ukraine! This is very important to us! You are saving many people's lives!
Wow! I’m blown away at how Alla has found beauty in the middle of a war she is a very special person. 💙
What a sad but inspiring film. I will be ordering seeds from Alla to help support her family.
Erin, thank you so much for this opportunity!❤
Alla - your story, your spirit, and your exuberant love of flowers and gardening moved me so deeply... Thank you for sharing your story and garden with us... I hope this coming winter will have moments of levity, joy and connection, where you feel safe, held and supported ❤
@@silentH76 thank you so much for all the warm words and wishes ❤️❤️❤️
Alla, thank you for sharing your story and garden. I wish you and your family keep safe and warm this winter. I pray that peace will return to your beautiful country soon ❤❤🌸🌸
Thank you beautiful Alla for sharing your life, hope, and hardship with us. Your garden brings beauty to our souls. ❤
Алла, чудовий фільм ❤❤❤ чудова ти.
Alla is a beautiful person inside and out, it must be so hard and such a struggle caring for loved ones,herself and then the gardens too. May her garden bloom again this coming spring, like it did in 2020 during times of peace. Never give up, even when surrounded by destruction remember the joy, love and beauty of your amazing garden. I hope peace returns soon to Ukraine, heart breaking what is happening… Slava Ukraine🇺🇦💙💛 Erin thank you for sharing Alla’s life and garden with us…..I hope peace returns soon 😢❤
Alls has humbled all of us in so many ways. What we take for granted . Yet what all of us share is the live found in the beauty of nature. It restores our souls calms our nerves. Never have I walked in her shoes but my heart grew knowing that I will mentor her positive attitude when life becomes difficult. We must support Alla!!
What a remarkable woman. Thank you for sharing her story and her beautiful book and seeds. My son married a woman from Ukraine so this is so close to my heart. I pray for an end to this terrible war
Prays for Alla and her family. Her story gives new perspectives about life and circumstances. Thank you floret flowers for making her story heard. ♥️♥️♥️
Thank you so much for sharing this story here on your platform. Inspirng. Raw. Human. Thank you.
I just don’t have the words🥺😢💔
Alla, thank you for sharing your story. You are beautiful soul who has made something magical happen in a devastating experience. Giving us a glimpse into your life helps us all understand the realities of what it takes to live and work in a war zone. I’m so glad that you have flowers to give you strength during this time. I can feel your passion for those gorgeous and whimsical little seeds! I was harvesting a few seeds from my garden this morning and thought of you, and how I also think of the future lives the seeds I collect will have. What a gift (and forethought by your family) to have food right in your own family’s yard to help the past and current generations in difficult times! I hope you know that there are so many of us holding you and your family and so many other families affected by war in our hearts right now.
Alla is what strength and courage looks like, when choice is blown away. Thank you for the beauty and hope you give the world Alla, even through difficult days. Thank you to Erin and team for bringing this story to us.
Growing up, my grandmother would tell me of all the horrors she witnessed as a young girl living on the war front of World War II (Stalingrad). This film brings to the surface so many things we take for granted in this life. I am grateful for safety, heat, electricity, freedom, not having to live in constant fear, and alarms ringing.
When Alla said, "I am doing not enough in my life," it was heart-wrenching to hear. You are doing enough! I pray that someday we'll live in a world without war. I hope Alla's story is heard and peace is restored.
Thank you for sharing this film with us. I cried more than once.
This was so moving. One of my family members is hosting a your Ukrainian couple who come from Kharkiv so I will share it with them. I’m sure they will have mixed feelings - lucky to be able to have left and find safety but heartbroken for the people like Alla who have no choice but to stay, and dismayed at what has happened to their beautiful country.
This is absolutely beautiful and sad at the same time... These stories need to be told thanks for making this film
I placed an order after the first preview video was released by Floret--if you haven't seen that you must because it gives so much more detail about what it's like to live and garden in a war zone. Of course, I purchased some seeds and her book. FYI - her website is set up that you add to cart what you want and then Alla will email you with the total and her email address for payment.
What a powerful video. My heart goes out to Alla and her family; such a heavy burden for one person. Thank you!
Your heart Alla is so big it had to spread its love into all those seeds. Grateful the flower beauty is holding you & your family in its arms. Alla & your whole family, Erin & the team that took a vision & manifested it, thank you for bringing us home to the best part of ourselves where compassion reigns.
Thank you for sharing this. It was absolutely beautiful. My wife is from Ukraine but we live in the Pacific Northwest. She loved the video and happens to be a great gardener herself, so it did speak to her in many ways.
Alla, may you and your Baba and family find peace this year. You have so much courage. Good luck with your business. Your work is important for the reconstruction too. Stay safe. Slava Ukraini from Canada!
Oh my heart, oh my lungs. Here’s to all the flower lovers, garden growers and seed savers of the world - May you all be, the Life Force redeemers. | And just when you think Floret are at the top of their game, they find another way to bring more beauty to more of the world. 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼 The day I found Erin my life changed 100 fold for the better. ❤️ and peace from the U.K. 🇬🇧
I don’t believe it was a coincidence that Erin met Alla. It was meant to be.
@@barbbeemagic def not a coincidence- how could they not rendezvous - both powerfully, embodied goddesses, of the flower 🌸 world - I put Alla’s links on my social media too. God bless her and her family. Xx
Thank you, Floret, for giving us an opportunity to hear her story and support her & her family.
What a beautiful person she is.! ❤
I hope that this documentary will help sell her seeds to support her family. She deserves all the best. And I have never seen clematis like those before, just amazing!!!
Such a beautiiful story in so many ways! I so loved seeing your gardens and I love their wildness. And to hear your Granny singing that song was especially touching to me!! I pray all good things happen to you and your loved ones.
We are all connected by a very fragile thread.. Alla is a treasure.. I pray for her and her family and that she will experience peace in her life.💔🇨🇦💔
Such a strong person!
This documentary led me to tears… I wish the war was over and you be safe and healthy with all your family! 🌸
Alla, I love that your garden makes you smile during such a hard period in your life. You are a very special person. I pray for peace for you and your family.❤
What a beautiful soul. What a powerful story. This really moved me. ❤
My heart is broken after watching this story. Thank you Alla for sharing it and Floret for making a documentary of Alla's story and sharing her with the world. I look forward to buying seeds from her and pray for her and her family's safety.
So beautiful and heartbreaking. I really wish with all my heart for the war to be over. I hope you and your family stay safe. We will keep you in our prayers ❤
Erin & Team, thank you for bringing Alla's story to the world! Beautiful! Reminds me of the resilience of all living things, of our connectedness, of the power of flowers. Sending love to Alla and her family from a flower lover, grower, and designer in Vermont!
Thank you so much for sharing your story. There are so many people around the world praying for everyone in Ukraine. 🙏🏻You are a brave, strong person💜
I don't have the words to express how breave Alla is!! The love and care of her loved ones is inspiring. Thank you Alla for sharing your joruney with us. Erin thank you for such an inspiring video. If Alla can do it so can I. Zone 10b Catus and such 😊
so very profound.. cried cried love love devastated beautiful… a plethora of feelings. Mostly grateful to have to able to view. thank you thank you than you..
This is so raw. God bless Alla and her family. I wish that I had one tenth of her strength and courage. Thank you for making this film! 💐💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻💐❤️❤️❤️
Thank you to Erin @ floret for making this! I can’t imagine the stress Alla has on her shoulders suddenly having to turn to her hobby to provide for her entire family. She is indeed a courageous and resourceful woman! I can’t help but think of the destruction of my family’s home, land and gardens in Gaza 💔 No one should ever have to experience this!
How can one not fall in love with this beautiful woman. Strong and determined.
Thank you to Alla and Erin for this connection. I pray and hope there is warmth in your home Alla. I pray and watch for the day that peace comes. Here is a message that I got from my guardian angel, “ The answer to gains of peace is acceptance of beauty.”
Incredibly moving, thank you for sharing your story Alla, your heart is beautiful and so is your garden.❤️🌿
Congratulations Alla for your resilience. I can’t wait to read your book and buy your seeds. Wish you and your family the best of luck 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🌸🌸🌸
.... beauty will prevail all the ugliness of the war... something productive and creative will prevail all the destruction.... 😢 Alla your strength, courage and attitude is so unbelievable and inspiring❤
You're a courageous and inspiring person, Alla. I hope that this chapter of your life is followed by one that allows you to not only care for your family but to realize all your dreams. My thanks to Erin and Floret Flower Farm for sharing your story.
What an amazing story. Wishing peace and the best weather for next years crop.
The resiliency Alla shows in the situation she is in should be a lesson to everyone in the United States to appreciate the freedoms we enjoy everyday. She is a remarkable young woman, from the love she shows for her granny and family to the love and nurturing extended to every flower in her garden. The clematis varieties she is growing are astounding and I pray her garden will stay intact and survive the war that is tearing Ukraine apart.
Thank you for sharing your story Alla ❤ its inspirational. Thank you Floret and Alla!
Thank you for sharing your story and caring for your family under difficult circumstances. Sending good thoughts to you in this season of Peace. I am inspired to grow Clematis after reading your book. I am a teacher and just now have the time to watch your story and missed out on getting to order your seeds. I will keep watch for next year's sales as I am just starting to build my garden and would love to have something from you in my garden.
Such a beautiful and powerful story. Thank you for sharing it. ❤️
Amazing Alla! strong, passionate, courageous, and loving her gardens , her family is so precious! Wishing you the best Alla hope & peace.🌹🥀🌹
Thank you❤
As a gardener, I’m transported in my soul toward this beautiful woman & her garden. Thank you so very much for this incredible documentary, which needs to be seen by every American! We are presently under a threat from the former president, and Fascism looms on our horizon. Praying 🙏 for Ukraine 🇺🇦.
The film making on this is spectacular. Even in the way that the air raid siren sound (09:51) is blended in to where you, as a viewer, very much notice it and then it blends in melodically to the backing music to where you cannot differentiate it -- masterful. Your use of film making here to articulate this woman's story in such a multifaceted way really envelops you in her story. Kudos.
Powerful. Thank you for bringing this film to us. Devastating.
Живемо в Вашингтоні і дивимося ваше відео і молимося за вас щоб Бог дав вам мир і здоров’я і соя американка в якої я працюю прислала мені це відео 😍Храни вас Бог 🇺🇸🤝🇺🇦
I loved learning about Alla''s garden
I love watching her work with her seeds. What a beautiful person. The therapeutic value of gardening is priceless.
It's hard to wrap around how much money the US has sent there, yet the citizens do not seem to be benefitting. Why do utilities need to cost so much? Surely with all the aid it should help keep them warm? How close were the bomb scenes to her? Is her husband able to be at home? Are there grocery stores nearby? It seems it'd be easier if her mil and dear granny lived together. They could eat together--keep each other company. But what do I know? Lol
Astonishingly beautiful and my heart goes out to Alla and her family- thank you Erin for bringing this important story to light
Thank you, for this film, presented by such a beautiful spirit.
What a beautiful and poetic story. It brings tears to my eyes to understand the how’s behind the seeds. You are an amazing grower and person. Thank you for this beautiful experience. Can’t wait til Feb 9!
What a moving and hope inspiring portrait. Thank you for making this film.
Ukraine persevere!! Alla, keep the faith know your garden community stands with you. Growth comes even in the bleakest of times. 🇺🇸🥰🇺🇦
Inspiring story about perseverance. Gorgeous cinematography. Send it to Sundance so more of us more fortunate will be educated.
I am very touched by this story. Thank you to all the people that have worked in this project for making it reach the world. What an incredible way to communicate such a difficult time. I am in awe and very inspired by your work.
thank you!!! keep hoping❤
Just stunning. Thank you for producing this masterpiece!
Absolutely beautiful! This is truly inspiring. 💗
Thank you for giving us more inspiration.
Thanks for sharing Alla's story with us
No words. Just thankyou, Alla. 🙏❤️❤️❤️
Thank you Erin@floret for this gift.
Well done, video.❤ Thank you for sharing. You put a face to who I think about And pray for. I hope that you stay warm. I hope you get the support you need.
This is heartbreaking, and she is inspiring.
A beautiful piece. Thank you Erin. The documentary should be sent to every legislator in Washington who is holding up the funding for Ukraine.
Just beautiful and moving ❤
Thanks! Alla is fantastic 💚💚💚
Great woman! Really resourceful! Best of luck! Will order!
This is awesome! Really eye opening and stark reminder of what life is like living in a war zone, especially for those who must stay for the duration. Will there be a russian version of this as well? The continuation of war is misery for civilians everywhere. We need to promote and support peaceful resolutions.
Thank you for sharing this impactful story.
Alla, Thank you for sharing your inspiring life. I have a girl from Ukraine and would love to get a full assortment of seeds from you for her garden. Can you please post information on how to support you? 🙏
I was able to order her eBook on her web site. I searched for Linden Grove Gardens Alla Olkhovska
Thank you for watching! There are links in the video description on how to support if you choose.
What a wonderful video!
this is beautiful
Just heard that Kharkiv has been bombed. To the folks at Floret, please let us know as soon as possible the status of Alla and her family. 🙏 Thank you.
My heart goes out to your country and your people. It makes me sick to see how evil men can cause such destruction with impunity. May God judge this evil.
❤
Think about flowers
Just sent $100.00 I hope this helps. ❤
May I send this to a company called Rareseeds? I think they would love to hear your story and they have people who travel around the world looking for rareseeds to add to their collection .
@rareseeds
Hopefully she will stick with Floret for any seed business.
Zelenskyy could have prevented this war. Chose not to
Also war in israel❤😢
🥺😢💔🙏🏼
😢
❤