Rebecca Rodriguez describes herself as being a florist – and a farmer.

The latter is a distinction well-earned given Rodriguez grows many of the flowers she sells at her shop in Harlingen. Rodriguez tills the soil and grows an array of flowers at a family farm located between Harlingen and Santa Rosa. Her farm-grown flowers include marigolds, zinnias, cosmos and anemones. She refers to the farm-to-shop model as being “sustainably grown flowers” that offers her customers a fresh alternative to go local.

The Edinburg native got a view of that while living in Connecticut and seeing an array of shops in walk-around areas. Rodriguez is now emulating that concept in Harlingen. Rodriguez’s Bequita’s Blooms & Botanicals is located on an artsy stretch of West Van Buren Avenue in Harlingen. It fits the bill for what she envisioned while living in Connecticut. Returning home in early 2021, Rodriguez set out to establish her flower farm and seek the ultimate goal of having a storefront.

“I really fell in love with flowers and the shops and farms I saw up there,” she said. “That’s where I got my inspiration. I wanted to go back home and try it out.”

Getting Started

Rodriguez, like many entrepreneurs, started with a business based out of her home – or in this case a farm.

She planted the first seeds for her business in the fall of 2020 on a visit home. Rodriguez knew a return to the Rio Grande Valley would follow soon thereafter. Her first flowers were sprouting when she got back in early 2021. Bequita’s was in business. She encouraged her customers to visit the farm and enjoy the rural atmosphere on state Highway 107 along with the homemade biscuits provided by her mother.

Rodriguez also took her RGV-grown flowers and brand to area markets and did some pop-up retailing to expand awareness of her products. Business opportunities came along with floral arrangements for weddings, baby showers and holidays, especially Valentine’s Day. Rodriguez over the course of three years was building up to having a storefront, which she viewed as a business necessity.

“I needed a place where people are walking around and I could get some foot traffic,” she said. “It’s hard to get walk-ins on 107.”

‘Cool Area’

One area Rodriguez could imagine getting that foot traffic was on the 400 block of West Van Buren near downtown Harlingen.

She became acquainted with that part of the city during her visits to Bandera Coffee, a popular indie coffee shop in Harlingen. Another local favorite, Don Gollito restaurant, is a neighboring business. This section of Van Buren also includes arts and ceramic shops along with an upscale martini lounge.

A next-door space to Bandera opened up in mid-2024 and Rodriguez decided to seize upon the availability. Opening in September, she began arranging and organizing her shop with flowers, books, accessories and other knick-knacks that gives customers a sense of ease and calm upon walking into Bequita’s. 

A street veggie-food festival event occurred not long after Rodriguez opened her business. It led to sell-outs of her flowers. 

“I think this is a cool area,” she said. “It’s walkable.”

And big windows upfront, she says, “are perfect” in displaying her flowers and inventory.

Offering Insights

The mix of customers at Bequita’s ranges from gardeners who know everything to newbies looking to get started.

A customer during a recent afternoon asked for Rodriguez’s advice on indoor plants, which is one of Bequita’s specialties. She can also offer plenty of insights on what flowers to plant and the right seasons to grow them amidst the usually warm and humid Valley climate.

“Many of my customers want to start growing but don’t know where to start,” Rodriguez said. “I try to guide them.”

Rodriguez says a longtime interest in interior design leads her to creatively tinkering with the look and feel of her shop. It would appear she has achieved the feel and vibe of the shops in New England that sparked an inspiration to open a business that is similar but unique to where she grew up. The RGV-grown flowers affirm she is back home.

Bequita’s Blooms & Botanicals is located at 413 W. Van Buren Avenue in Harlingen and opens daily – except Mondays – at 11 a.m. Rodriguez’s business number is 956-320-8575. Bequita’s products and photos can be found on Instagram and Facebook.