n the peaceful woods of South Durham, just 15 minutes from the University of North Carolina’s campus, a small farm is blooming with color, care, and community spirit. Anya and Jason McBrayer have turned their land into a unique space that not only grows vibrant flowers but also produces therapeutic mushrooms — a place where healing and horticulture grow hand in hand.
Anya McBrayer runs One Fun Gal Flowers, a charming self-serve flower shed at the front of their property. Though the shed has only been around for about a year, her journey with flowers began long before. Raised in Florida, Anya grew up gardening with her parents, learning to grow food — and eventually, falling in love with flowers.
“I’ve always loved flowers,” she said. “When I became an adult, I just kept learning more about growing them.”
Today, her shed features seasonal blooms like tulips, ranunculus, peonies, and anemones. Each flower is carefully cultivated over months to ensure long-lasting beauty and freshness for her customers.
Gardening took on a deeper meaning for Anya after the unexpected loss of her father last year. Her time in the garden became more than a hobby — it became a source of emotional healing.
“This has been very important in my own healing process,” she shared. “When I’m out here planting or harvesting, I feel connected to my parents.”
Despite the time and care poured into the farm, the McBrayers balance much more than flower beds. Both Anya and Jason work full-time in healthcare while raising two children and caring for several animals. The farm is their passion project — a labor of love squeezed into early mornings, evenings, and weekends.
The McBrayers’ harvest extends beyond flowers. Jason McBrayer runs One Fungi Mushroom Farm, where he grows medicinal mushrooms like lion’s mane, reishi, maitake, and cordyceps. He crafts them into health-focused products such as gummies and coffee, which are available both online and at the flower shed.
Jason’s interest in mushrooms began during his personal sobriety journey. While taking walks to clear his mind, he started noticing mushrooms on the trail.
“I started identifying them, taking them home, learning more, and then trying to grow my own,” he said.
Today, Jason believes his mushroom products support better energy, immunity, memory, and focus. But the best part for him is the opportunity to help people feel better.
Tree Barber, known as @flowersby.tree on Instagram, is a florist and friend who helps out at One Fun Gal Flowers. They say the McBrayers welcomed them like family from the start.
“They are profoundly incredible people,” Barber said. “Meeting them changed my life.”
Barber shares the McBrayers’ mission to bring happiness through plants.
“It’s such a nice feeling to create something unique for each person,” Barber said. “It just makes you happy.”
For Anya, the most rewarding part of her work is brightening someone’s day. She points to studies that show people with fresh flowers in their homes tend to feel happier — and she sees that joy firsthand.
“There’s this magical quality to flowers,” Anya said. “You bring home a bouquet, place it in a vase, and watch it open and change. It’s amazing. I love that I get to give that experience to people locally.”
Through flowers and fungi, the McBrayers are not just growing plants — they’re growing joy, connection, and healing in their corner of Durham.
