Aryn Henning Nichols

Northeast Iowa artist and flower farmer Jen Opheim knows the power of new beginnings. 

“I don’t sit still for very long,” she says. “I think when I was younger, I was afraid. I didn’t challenge myself the way I should have. There’s so much excitement in change for me, now.”

In 2017, she and her family took on a big change, moving to Decorah from Chicago so her husband could work on his family’s farm. Since then, Jen, already an accomplished graphic designer and photographer, launched Bloom Flower Farm, creating artful bouquets for a flower subscription service, floral design for weddings, and, occasionally, hands-on flower workshops for small groups. 

Along the way, she photographed her designs, and in the last year, started creating those images with more focus on the resulting artwork. In December 2025, Jen held her first public art exhibition at The Perfect Edge in Decorah, to huge success.

The self-described “do-er and go-er” recognizes that momentum is about acting with intention while also being willing to experiment.

“All these little things that we do might not feel very successful at the time, but they all add up,’ she says. “For me, they’re the stepping stones that got me where I am now.”

Branching Out

Jen grew up in suburban Chicago and moved to Evanston, just north of the city, after studying graphic design in college. For more than a decade, she worked for a marketing and design firm. After being impacted by company layoffs shortly after the birth of her first child, Jen went back to school for web design. One of her classes focused on photography.

“It really changed everything for me,” she says. “I was completely obsessed.”

Thanks to a teacher who noticed her talent and enthusiasm, Jen started doing independent studies to learn more about lighting, composition, and other photography techniques. Along the way, she had a second child. She built a small business taking portraits for families. And one day, when Jen was on her laptop in a cafe, another patron asked what she was working on. He turned out to be the owner of a brand strategy and design firm.

“That one conversation landed me a job where I was then doing both design and photography,” she says.

In that role, Jen tackled brand development tasks and photographed everything from corporate professionals to architectural projects to product releases. 

She enjoyed the job, but her schedule was busy and her husband, Jason, was also putting in long days as a trader. They eventually moved to a western Chicago suburb, which increased their commutes and made it more difficult to connect with their children.

“We were thinking, ‘Oh, this suburb will be great.’ But it just took more time away from our kids. They were with babysitters until seven o’clock at night,” Jen recalls.

Jason, a Northeast Iowa native, had always talked about returning home to work on his family’s Postville-area farm. Though Jen had never imagined leaving Chicago, the idea started to make sense. So in November of 2017, they packed up and moved to Decorah, prepared for a new beginning.

Plot Twist

Jen considered starting a photography business after settling in Iowa, but the local market seemed saturated. So, she continued partnering with Chicago clients and sometimes traveled back to Evanston for projects. Over time, it got harder to leave her family, and Jason got busier on the farm.

“More and more, I felt like I would have to let go of Chicago a little,” Jen says. “Then, COVID hit.”

As the pandemic unfolded, her household started watching “Growing Floret.” The Emmy-nominated documentary series chronicles life on a family-run flower farm in the state of Washington. Seeing the founders spend time outdoors, working together in nature, sparked an idea.

“My husband was always trying to pull the girls and me into farming, but he didn’t quite know how. And then he said, ‘I think we could start a small flower farm,’” Jen remembers.

Though she had doubts about the suggestion, a seed had been planted. The family kept discussing the possibilities. They didn’t see a clear path for making it happen, until Henzler’s Garden Shop announced the closing of its long-standing Decorah business. 

“It felt very serendipitous,” Jen says. “We were like, ‘Okay. We’re going to go and buy a greenhouse.’”

Friends helped the family reassemble the former Henzler’s greenhouse in rural Frankville. Though Jason had gardening experience, cultivating and caring for plants was new to Jen. She dug in. As she established Bloom Flower Farm, Jen experimented with various flowers to see what worked for the soil conditions and seasons. Now in her fifth growing year, she’s settled on a vibrant mix: elegant ranunculus and lisianthus blooms, brilliant lilies and snapdragons, playful daffodils, fragrant stock flowers, and dynamic, late-season dahlias, among others.

Through Bloom Flower Farm’s subscription program, customers receive fresh, colorful arrangements monthly or every other week throughout the growing season. Nancy Nelson’s children gifted her a subscription for Mother’s Day in 2025. She loved it so much that she requested a repeat for 2026.

“They aren’t just pretty arrangements. They are works of art that reflect the season, Jen’s knowledge of florals, and her unique creativity,” Nancy says.

She looks forward to chatting with Jen about the flower varieties included in her monthly deliveries. In her view, each arrangement is a piece of art that can be immediately put on display.

“It’s always a special surprise when they arrive, because you don’t order a specific flower. You just trust Jen’s decisions,” Nancy says.

In Full Bloom

Creating memorable arrangements for subscribers has helped Jen refine her floral design skills. She enjoys putting a creative spin on classic design techniques.

“There is a formula, and over time, I have taken that formula and made it my own. A lot of my focus is on color and size and texture,” she says.

In addition to crafting beautiful creations for subscribers’ homes, Jen has put together pop-up floral exhibits for several Decorah stores. One caught the eye of Constance Johnson, a designer who specializes in historic preservation projects. 

“It was spectacular. It was colorful. Her style, her use of scale, her use of composition – I decided I had to get to know this woman. So, I made a cold call and introduced myself,” she says.

The two became fast friends. When a client asked for design and flower support for a 2025 wedding, Constance insisted that Jen also be involved. That successful project set the stage for future collaborations. Constance now hires Jen for graphic design work, and she also encouraged Jen to assemble photos for her first public photography exhibition. 

The Perfect Edge in Decorah hosted “Still Blooms” in early December 2025. Bridging floral design and photography, the exhibit featured still life-style images of flowers set against dark backgrounds and bathed in moody light. 

“It really struck me, when I first saw Jen’s work, that she has this very painterly, artistic vision. It’s Old World and Old Masters, in a way, with a new twist. It was just something I had never seen in the photography realm,” Constance says.

“I’m always looking for inspiration. I am always searching. I love new ideas, and I’m always moving forward. When I randomly decided to experiment with laying out flowers, I was basically trying to come up with different ways to set myself apart. There is a lot of sameness on social media, and I’m looking to not do the same,” Jen says. “In photography, you follow the light. Light is everything. When I started creating these, the light – the way that it hit the flowers and pushed the background back – that’s where the magic happened.”

Jen looks for magic and inspiration in her daily life, as well, whether she’s taking a break from chores to photograph flowers or discussing new projects with the friends she’s made in Decorah. Some of her closest ties are with other entrepreneurs who understand the importance of taking chances.

“I’m in a community that is unbelievable, and everyone is so supportive. Everyone wants to see you succeed,” Jen says.

That support was vital when Jen uprooted her life and moved to Iowa. Now, the friendships keep her grounded as she moves through different seasons of life and work. 

“We’re naturally afraid of change. But when you go through hard things, you realize that you can move past whatever feels so big,” she says. “You make it what it is. Every challenge I’ve had could have been handled totally differently, but I choose to follow the things that I enjoy. I choose to keep growing and keep doing.”

Learn More

Visit Bloom Flower Farm at bloomflowerfarm.net to order a flower subscription, discuss wedding services, plan a custom floral workshop, or learn more about Jen’s photography. You can also purchase framed and unframed versions of Jen’s floral prints at The Perfect Edge, located at 107 West Water Street in Decorah, Iowa.

When we switched printers in 2023, we decided to start featuring local photographers’ work in the Center Spread spot in each Inspire(d) Magazine. We wanted to show off the beauty, fun, and uniqueness of the Driftless Region through these talented photographers’ photos. We really loved our 2025 photos! Check them all out here! (And see 2023 here and 2024 here!)

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Spring 2025: Photo by Joni Welda of The Variegate Lens

Photographer Joni Welda writes:

“This image is of Como Falls in Hokah, Minnesota. The Falls is always a treat with the sounds of the water constantly flowing off the rocks and that day supplied just the right angle to get the sunburst as well while it sat just above the large rock.” See more of Joni’s work on Instagram @the_variegate_lens or at: thevariegatelens.myportfolio.com

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Summer 2025: Photo by William D. Petersen

Photographer William D. Petersen writes:

“This photo of compass plants was taken in Thompson Prairie, which is part of Upper Hixon Forest on the La Crosse Ridge in La Crosse County, Wisconsin. The profusion of these compass plants and other native prairie flowers on this land can be attributed to the successful restoration work done by Craig Thompson, for whom the prairie is aptly named after. Regular readers of Inspire(d) will recognize Craig and his talented wife, Mary, as regular contributors to the magazine. Want to thank Craig for his awesome work? Check out the new organization he’s started: driftlessbirds.org.” See more of William’s photos on Flickr at rb.gy/73tzlf

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Fall 2025: Photo by Mary Anderson

Photographer Mary Anderson writes:

“The boardwalk at Pikes Peak State Park is usually heavily traveled. On this particular October morning, rain and fog can be credited for providing this tranquil scene. One feels less hurried and can linger when in a beautiful space like this on their own. I took my time and enjoyed this scene from various angles before moving on.” See more of Mary’s work at photogwillie.com.

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Winter 2025-26: Photo by Scott Boylen

Photographer Scott Boylen writes:

“This is a special image for me and my family. My wife and I drove the 20 minutes to Lansing on a cold, snowy February 20, 2019, to ‘celebrate’ the birthday of our son Samson Boylen, who would have been 18 that day if he had lived that long. He died in November of 2015, and we had the Blackhawk Bridge lit up in his honor for many years on his birthday. That evening, we parked on the East side of the main channel of the Mississippi River across from Lansing, and I walked through the fresh snow downriver on the ice to find the best vantage point. It was cold and very quiet in the snow. This bridge was a great source of excitement in the lives of our children as they grew, so it held a special place, along with its elegant beauty, in my heart. When we traveled to La Crosse or into Central and Northern Wisconsin, our son and daughter would yell as I drove over this bridge as quickly as I could in order to make the vehicle jump. This image was a long exposure using a tripod. It is an image of gratitude and resilience to my mind.” See more of Scott’s work at fineartamerica.com/profiles/scott-boylen

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Gabi Masek, licensed acupuncturist and diplomate of Oriental Medicine* at Wildcrafted Acupuncture and Herbs in Decorah, Iowa, was kind enough to make a list of ideas and tips for fostering wellness in the winter.

1. Wear a Scarf

Wear a scarf to protect and warm your “wind gate” (this is the area just below your occiput and top of neck). Remember to keep your feet warm too!

2. Ditch the Ice!

Ditch the ice! This goes for cold foods, too. It’s especially important if you tend to run cold, have digestive weaknesses or issues, menstrual cramps or irregularities, or low energy / vitality.

3. Enjoy More Warm Foods

Enjoy more brothy soups & stews with spleen- and kidney-nourishing foods like: sweet potatoes, squash, beets, barley, farro, bone broth, ginger, and dark leafy greens.

4. Slow Down

Give yourself the permission to SLOW DOWN. Winter is the time to rebuild our resources, to be nourished – a time to slow down and conserve for the coming spring. It’s the ideal time to invite in rest, to not push as hard and to engage in gentle movement, inside and out.

5. Sleep Like the Sun

Go to bed earlier and wake up later, as your schedule allows! Allowing our rhythms to sync with nature’s is such a wonderful way to support our wellness, and shifts naturally with each season to maximize sun exposure and enjoy outdoor activities!

*Ed Note: When I asked Gabi how to write her credentials, here’s what she said: “I have a Masters in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (MAc.OM) from Seattle Institute of East Asian Medicine and am a Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac) in the state of Iowa as well as a nationally board certified Diplomate of Oriental Medicine (Dipl.OM) through the NCCAOM (National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine). So it ends up being: Gabi Masek, L.Ac, Dipl.OM, when I’m official!”