If you鈥檙e looking for Katie (Ranck) Byler 鈥�05, you鈥檙e likely to find her outside in the garden. This statement has been true for over a decade, but it became even more true after she launched Greystone Manor Gardens in 2020.
Greystone Manor Gardens is a one-acre growing space set on Katie鈥檚 parents鈥� farm in Lancaster County. It includes fifteen 130-foot rows of flowers, with nearly half of that space being dedicated to over 150 varieties of dahlias. Katie specializes in growing dahlias, which bloom in the fall. She shifts her focus to peonies in the spring, in addition to growing 40 other flowers and cut greens. Her business is primarily wholesale, selling directly to florists and event designers who make beautiful arrangements from her flowers.
Katie鈥檚 love of gardening began to bloom shortly after the birth of her first child. Even when this backyard hobby turned into an opportunity to start a small business, her primary occupation of motherhood stayed central. As best as she can, she plans her busiest seasons for the school year. And when work is to be done in the summer, it is a full family operation. Katie employs her parents, sister (Jen [Ranck] Zwaska 鈥�01), four children, nieces, and nephews to help with everything from prepping the fields to delivering the flowers.听
For business matters outside the garden, Katie heavily relies on her husband, Chase Byler 鈥�07, an alumnus from the School of Business. Katie is a graduate from the elementary education program. While she stopped working in the classroom after becoming a parent, flower farming has given her the opportunity to put her education to work once again. Since starting Greystone, Katie has had the opportunity to teach about growing dahlias at a growers鈥� expo, host floral design parties, and teach children about running a business through Junior Achievement.
Katie admits that maintaining a good work-life balance is the most difficult part of her business. She wants her role as a wife and mother to remain primary in her life without sacrificing the needs of the farm. As her kids get older, this balance gets trickier, but Katie says she would be remiss if she didn鈥檛 recognize the blessing of the position that she is in: 鈥淚t is truly a gift to work outside in God’s creation with my family, growing flowers that reflect him and his creativity.鈥�
