In April, Natasha McCrary and her husband Laurence launched the 1818 FlowerTruck — a traveling menagerie of fresh-cut blooms ready for the purchase. Operating out of a restored baby blue 1965 Ford F100, the couple, along with their three children, hawk their blooms throughout the week at a list of designated stops in Madison, Morgan and Limestone counties, including Thursday layovers at UG White on the Square.

For the last six growing seasons, 1818 Farms in historic Mooresville has been known far and wide for their farm-to-table dinner parties, hand-crafted bath and body products and homegrown produce. As of late, however, McCrary said her focus has shifted to selling the heirloom flowers her horticulturist father introduced her to when she was a little girl.

Now 90 percent of their farm, named for the year Mooresville was incorporated, is dedicated to growing flowers. McCrary plants the flowers, which are uniquely suited to the area, based on their color palette and ability to hold in a vase.

Those fortunate to catch the farm truck in action are greeted by everything from broad-faced sunflowers and brightly-colored dahlias to flowering herbs such as basil and mint. McCrary said the truck offers a perfect backdrop for family photos and those nostalgic for days gone by will often ask her if they can have their picture taken inside the truck.

“When you come to the truck, you will see flowers you won’t see at the florist,” she said. “We chose to grow flowers that are not easily transported so that we can offer people varieties they can’t get anyplace else.”

McCrary said she made the shift to sell flowers from a traveling truck because she saw the joy her flowers brought people.

“We have the broadest variety of people as customers,” she said. “On any given day, we might have a child buying a flower for teacher appreciation, a teenager buying flowers for his girlfriend or someone buying a bouquet for their grandmother because she loves flowers.”

Customers who visit the 1818 Farm Truck have the option of creating their own bouquet or having one designed by McCrary. She has also started selling the fresh-cut stems in bulk for weddings and other events.

The couple plans to keep the truck open through December. During the holidays, they’ll sell fall and Thanksgiving-themed table centerpieces fashioned from late-blooming flowers and autumn herbs. Around Christmastime, the truck will be well-stocked with fresh-cut wreaths.

After taking January and February off, the truck will be back in full swing as the first spring flowers come into bloom.

Hours of operation and locations for the 1818 Flower Truck can be found at http://1818farms.com/flowertruck.

Making them last

McCrary said high-quality, fresh-cut flowers should last up to two weeks if they are properly maintained. She offered the following tips to get the most out of an 1818 Farm Truck bouquet:

• Always start with a clean vase and fresh water;

• Add provided flower food every two days until it’s gone;

• Recut stems every two days and always cut them at an angle;

• Change the water in the vase every two days;

• Strip off leaves that fall under the water line to avoid polluting the water; and

• Keep fresh-cut flowers out of direct sunlight.