Our Story

Rooted in Passion: The Journey of The Bear Necessities Acres

Welcome to Bear Necessities Acres! We are a small, family-run flower farm nestled in the heart of Southern Manitoba. Our blooms grow across two unique sites: one just west of Thornhill (Zone 4a) and the other north of Manitou (Zone 3b). This rare "dual-zone" setup allows us to experiment with a variety of climates and growing conditions right here in the prairies.

My name is Nika Seward, and my love for flowers began thousands of miles away. Some of my earliest memories are of the vibrant roses, birds, and fresh fruit in my grandmother’s garden in Tashkent, Uzbekistan (then Soviet Union). That childhood spark followed me through my teenage years in Germany and finally to Canada, where my family immigrated in 2009.

Though I grew up in city apartments, I never stopped dreaming of wide-open spaces, a family farm, and rows of flowers. In 2013, that dream became a reality when I moved onto my very own piece of land. After a decade of collecting dahlias and honing my craft, a simple question from a co-worker in 2023—“What are you waiting for?”—pushed me to finally launch this business.

Why dahlias? I like to say that while many (myself included) start with easy blooms like zinnias, all roads eventually lead to the dahlia. They are a beautiful puzzle to solve—challenging, diverse, and breathtaking in every shade but blue. I still work off the field, but this farm is what feeds my soul.

My curiosity didn't stop at the garden gate. My passion eventually led me to the scientific side of the soil and plants. As of March 2025, I am officially a Certified Horticulturist. I am so excited to bridge my lifelong love for plants with this new formal education, putting every bit of science and experience into the field to make The Bear Necessities Acres the best it can be.