SLOW FLOWERS with Debra Prinzing show

SLOW FLOWERS with Debra Prinzing

Summary: SLOW FLOWERS is about making a conscious, sustainable choice in how you choose flowers. The podcast introduces listeners to the leading voices in the SLOW FLOWERS movement, from the field to the vase. Meet American flower farmers, eco-couture floral designers, innovative Do-It-Yourself designers and pioneering farmer-florists. Debra Prinzing, the leading advocate for American Grown flowers, hosts the conversation and encourages you to join the creative community.

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 Episode 653: Piedmont Wholesale Flowers – celebrating its 8th season and a new facility with flower farmer Stephanie Hall of Sassafras Fork Farm and market manager Julia Carpico | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 44:20

https://youtu.be/0k_5od_dD-4?si=Z-7qpZY3h6Ngv98P Stephanie Hall of Sassafras Fork Farm, Piedmont Wholesale Flowers, president ermitus (left) and Julia Carpico, Market Manager (right) Based in Durham, North Carolina, Piedmont Wholesale Flowers’ tagline is: farmer-founded, farmer-directed, farmer-grown. Today, you’ll hear an update as this Slow Flower member cooperative celebrates the start of Season Eight with Stephanie Hall of Sassafras Fork Farm and market manager Julia Carpico. Increasingly, Slow Flowers is enjoying the addition of flower collectives and cooperatives joining as members – a reflection of the decade-plus work we’ve been doing to advocate for a local and seasonal floral marketplace. This benefits everyone – from grower to florist and I’ve personally witnessed those relationships flourish and enhance our thriving community. Piedmont Wholesale Flowers' logo and some of its farmer-members Today, we’re checking in with the Piedmont Wholesale Flowers, a hub in the Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina area, as I catch up with Stephanie Hall of Sassafras Fork Farm, long-time Slow Flowers member, and with Julia Carpico, the PWF market manager. My relationship with many of the growers and florists involved in PWF dates to September 2016, when I was invited to attend a flower farmer potluck and teach a creative writing workshop there. What an inspiring visit! I was there for a few days, and during the visit, I recorded a podcast episode with Stephanie Hall – you can listen here. Later that fall I connected with Kelly Morrison of Color Fields Farm, another Raleigh area grower, and she told me about the origins of Piedmont Wholesale Flowers. That cooperative, one of the first to open after the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market landed on the map in 2011, is entering into its 8th season. Listen to my interview 2017 with Kelly on the start of Piedmont Wholesale Flowers. Piedmont Wholesale Flowers' new market space in downtown Durham But a lot of good things have changed, and that’s what today’s conversation is all about. Piedmont Wholesale Flowers has moved into a new, larger market space and has added two more market days for a total of 3 market days per week. With 14 member farms, this is a solid, well-run flower hub and I’m thrilled that we’ll all learn more today. Flowers fill the Piedmont Wholesale Market on Opening Day March 12, 2024 Find and follow Piedmont Wholesale Flowers on Instagram and Facebook. ROOTED FARMERS UPDATE: You may have heard Stephanie mention that PWF has recently moved to the Rooted Farmers platform. Rooted Farmers is sponsor of this podcast and longtime supporter of Slow Flowers. In fact, Slow Flowers members who want to sell through the Rooted Farmers’ platform enjoy a special discount. It’s a great opportunity! If you're a Slow Flowers member, you can join Rooted Farmers using the code: SF2024. This code will work for $75 off for first-time members on either the Essentials or Pro plan for farms. Thank you to our Sponsors This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 750 florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms. It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers. Thank you to Red Twig Farms. Based in Johnstown, Ohio, Red Twig Farms is a family-owned farm specializing in peonies, daffodils, tulips and branches, and a popular peony-bouquet-by-mail program. Learn more at redtwigfarms.com.

 Episode 652: Building a niche supplying flower seedlings for farmers and gardeners with Kate Skelton of Gratitude Flowers | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 37:44

https://youtu.be/3i5o9a1t70A?si=lI1ZNz1NcCMXUt-O In the run-up to spring’s arrival in a few weeks, join me on a visit to Gratitude Flowers outside Tacoma, Washington, a boutique home-based floral business, where Kate Skelton specializes in growing and supplying lisianthus starts to flower farmers and offering a wide array of cutting garden plants to her community. Kate Skelton of Gratitude Flowers At the end of last month, I took a Friday afternoon outing to Edgewood, a community located about halfway between Seattle and Tacoma near me, to visit today’s guest, Kate Skelton, owner of Gratitude Flowers. It’s a boutique, home-based floral business that reflects Kate’s passion for growing flowers from seed. The day was chilly, but beautiful, and the drive there gave me a front-row view of Mount Rainier in all its snow-capped glory. I was in a great mood, and Kate and her story lifted my spirits higher. Kate Skelton with tulips and a lisianthus bouquet I first me Kate last fall when Jodi Logue of Moss & Madder Farm hosted a flower farmers’ pie-and-coffee (you can watch or listen to that interview in Episode 633 from October 25, 2023). A lovely group of local growers, including several Slow Flowers members, came together on a Sunday afternoon to chat and network over delicious homemade pie and warm beverages at Jodi’s home in Olalla, Washington, on the Kitsap Peninsula. My conversation with Kate was fascinating, as I learned that she is a community college math professor who launched her flower nursery and seedling venture during the pandemic. Gratitude Flowers plant sale I also learned about her seedling offerings – especially lisianthus – which she grows for other flower farmers. Being a greenhouse owner and aspiring seed-starting gardener, I was intrigued. And after Gratitude Flowers joined Slow Flowers as a member, I knew that I wanted to feature Kate on the Slow Flowers Show. Healthy flower seedlings from Gratitude flowers Gratitude Flowers offers timeless farm-grown, organic, specialty plants for cutting gardens and seasonal floral blooms for floral enthusiasts. Kate plans to open for the season on Saturday, March 30th. Follow Gratitude Flowers on Instagram and Facebook for more details. Sign up for Gratitude Flowers' newsletter. Download Kate's Lisianthus Growing Guide. Lisianthus Growing GuideDownload Slow Flowers Member (Virtual) Meet-Up for March Photo courtesy of District 2 Floral Studio: (c) Mike Machian Photography Don’t forget to pre-register for the March 8th Slow Flowers Member (Virtual) Meet-Up – 9 am PT/Noon ET. The topic: Native Flowers for Farmers & Florists. We are so excited to welcome a panel of four members who will help us think about the possibilities of integrating native perennials and other native plants into farming and design efforts. They include: Holly Lukasiewicz of District 2 Floral Studio, Omaha, NebraskaDeborah Majerus of Iron Butterfly Farm and Lodging, Rochester, MinnesotaKate Watters of Wild Heart Farm, Rimrock, Arizona Click here to pre-register for our March 8th Member Meet-Up Thank you to our Sponsors This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 750 florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms.

 Episode 651: Growing and Designing With Fragrant Flowers with Stefani Bittner of Homestead Design Collective | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 37:04

https://youtu.be/4Ukh0fb2cHU?si=dLk4LlRqhVLk4Ydp Today, you’re invited to inhale and enjoy the fragrance of flowers, herbs, and foliage. Stefani Bittner of Homestead Design Collective uses sensory plants as a way to immerse her clients in nature. She is the co-author of forthcoming book, “The Fragrant Flower Garden: Growing, Arranging, and Preserving Natural Scents,” and we’re delighted to learn from her. Alethea Harampolis (L), Stefani Bittner (R) - photo by David Fenton The Fragrant Flower Garden Welcome to Stefani Bitter, returning for her second appearance on the Slow Flowers Podcast. A garden designer and Slow Flowers member, Stefani is the owner of Homestead Design Collective, based in Lafayette, California. Follow the link below to listen to my 2017 interview with Stephanie on the publication of Harvest – Unexpected projects using 47 extraordinary garden plants. https://www.slowflowerspodcast.com/2017/03/22/episode-289-redefining-harvest-with-designers-and-authors-stefani-bittner-and-alethea-harampolis-of-homestead-design-collective/ Modern potpourri She appeared on the episode with co-author Alethea Harampolis, and they have collaborated on the new book, “The Fragrant Flower Garden: Growing, Arranging, and Preserving Natural Scents” (Ten Speed Press, 2024). The Fragrant Flower Garden invites gardeners and growers to design with fragrance in mind and encourages readers to choose plants that can be smelled, awakening the senses. A garden for all the senses, including fragrance, designed by Homestead Design Collective By connecting people with fragrance in the garden and vase – or by preserving fragrance for longer enjoyment -- we have a richer, more visceral relationshp with nature, they authors say. This means making floral teas, natural perfumes, flower tinctures, modern potpourris, and more applications for scented plants. The idea of creating beauty products from the garden appeals to anyone who desires a non-synthetic alternative to the plethora of chemicals used in beauty and bath products. “Keep in mind that scent is subjective, emotive, and personal,” Stefani points out. I’m a huge fan of this book and its mission – to engage with plants through the senses – especially scent. When Robin Avni and I were collecting our top themes for the 2024 Slow Flowers Floral Insights & Industry Forecast, we wanted to include fragrant flowers and gardens. Stefani generously shared a preview of the new book, along with photography by David Fenton, which we highlighted in Insight #7 – the Garden Eclectic. In our insight, we encouraged flower farmers, gardeners, and florists – to lead with fragrance as a way to engage customers’ emotional memories with the scent of flowers. Soaking in the citrus orchard “You can preserve the scent, perhaps making a flower tincture. You can make perfume, a hydrosol, or an updated potpourri,” Stefani suggests and several projects are included in the book to introduce the idea of “preserving fragrance.” As Stefani and Alethea write, floral customers are not farmers, but they are inspired by the farm, and they want to translate what they see into their lifestyle. “Just like food, they want to enjoy garden scents, and that’s what really speaks to them about those sensory bouquets.” Find and follow Homestead Design Collective on Instagram Take a virtual tour of Trulli Trazzonara, Stefani's vacation rental in Puglia, Italy. Talk about agrotourism! I am so enchanted by this destination and how she plans to integrate her design an...

 Episode 650: Cooperative Flower Network of Edmonton, Alberta – a new local flower hub with grower-members Moira MacKinnon and Sarah Laudin | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 50:02

https://youtu.be/QGiRs_UnZw0?si=V4GKZrTbztynvsgC Sarah Laudin of Sunshine Blooms (left) and Moira MacKinnon of Love & Fantasy Flowers (right), members of Cooperative Flower Network of Edmonton, Alberta Pickup day with members of the Cooperative Flower Network Join me today to learn all about local flowers in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, where a group of 11 flower growers have formed the Cooperative Flower Network to bring Alberta-grown botanicals to the floral community. This vibrant flower market and distribution hub supports local cut flower growers and supplies buyers with locally grown, unique and high quality blooms. I’m especially thrilled to welcome two of the growers, including Cooperative co-founder Moira MacKinnon, owner of Love & Fantasy Flowers, and Sarah Laudin, owner of Sunshine Blooms Farm – both are Slow Flowers members and we’re thrilled that the Cooperative Flower Network is also a new member. But the BIG news is that CFN will be a partner of the Slow Flowers Summit this coming June when we come to Alberta, with a generous donation of seasonal, Alberta-grown botanicals that will flower the event. Our attendees will get their hands on this beautiful product, and you’ll experience first-hand one of the best-selling point noted by CFN on its website: The question: What sets CFN apart from other floral wholesale services? The answer: Our product is FRESH and we have a guarantee on your orders! We work so closely with our farming community to get you the very best local product. No rehydrating required, no crushed Dahlias from dry packing, and no unwanted substitutions! https://youtu.be/lBPyBW9J4O0?si=U6YOH7AmWn6i1yFi During our video interview and my conversation with Sarah and Moira, we preview a new video about the Cooperative Flower Network, produced by Cooperatives First, a nonprofit formed to assist cooperatives in Western Canada. Cooperatives First offers courses, workshops, and important assistance to emerging communities as they form cooperatives. Follow Cooperative Flower Network on InstagramFollow Love & Fantasy Flowers on Instagram and FacebookFollow Sunshine Blooms Farm on Instagram and Facebook News of the Week! I hope today’s episode inspires you to join us in Banff at the Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity, June 23rd-25th at the 7th Slow Flowers Summit. Please check out the link to register below, and learn more about our speakers, agenda, and programming that will inspire you over two days in the Canadian Rockies! Slow Flowers Summit 2024 - Details & Registration Slow Flowers Member Meet-Up for February Don’t miss this Friday’s Slow Flowers member virtual meet-up on February 23rd, with special guest Lennie Larkin of b-side farm, author of Flower Farming for Profit – we’ll hear her insights on pricing and profitability for flower growers – Preregistration is required and you can find the link in today’s show notes – bring your questions and I hope to see you there! Click to Pre-Register for our February 23rd Slow Flowers Member Meet-up Thank you to our Sponsors This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 750 florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms. It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers.

 Episode 649: Flowers as Art: Botanical Couture and Floral Installations with Jennifer Reed of Jennifer Designs | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:05:12

https://youtu.be/ORL7qgHtW7c?si=MqxFzfBunMwYY15l Happy Valentine’s Day everyone – if you’re listening on February 14th, it's the day we released Episode 649. I hope you’ve had a great one. Jennifer Reed of Jennifer Designs Today’s guest, Jennifer Reed of Jennifer Designs based in Mullica Hill, New Jersey, regularly conjures up amazing botanical displays at the Philadelphia Flower Show, the largest indoor garden show in the country. Today, she’s joining me to preview America in Bloom, her most ambitious exhibit ever. The Philly Show draws gardeners and flower lovers eager for an early dose of springtime. She’s calling the large floral display a botanical road trip of a lifetime, as it celebrates flowers blooming across the U.S. – and in the exhibit’s description, Jennifer writes: “There’s nothing better than hitting the open road and experiencing the beauty of our nation’s public gardens, arboreta, and natural landscapes along the way!” Tammy Tulip by Jennifer Reed for American Flowers Week 2021 The Romance of Peonies by Jennifer Reed for American Flowers Week 2023 Another reason I invited Jennifer to chat with me for this episode is to share her advice to aspiring botanical couture designers thinking about submitting a floral fashion to be part of Slow Flowers’ American Flowers Week campaign later this year. We will review the two floral fashions Jennifer designed for the 2021 and 2023 campaigns – including seeing photos of her work and hearing her secret tips for success. Thanks so much for joining me today! Here are links to the feature stories we included in past issues of Slow Flowers Journal about Jennifer’s two Botanical Couture looks – including Summer 2021 with Tulip Time, and last summer’s cover look – Jennifer’s dreamy and romantic peony gown. botanical couture deckDownload Happy Valentine's Day https://vimeo.com/912050579 Slow Flowers on The Weather Channel - click to watch Slow Flowers has enjoyed some fun news coverage, including with INC. Magazine and The Weather Channel. We’re thrilled that the press is paying attention to the importance of local and seasonal flowers for gifting bouquets and arrangements. It's also the beginning of flower & garden show season, with today’s opening of the 2024 Northwest Flower & Garden Festival in Seattle. If you attend, please come and say hello at the Main Stage, where Slow Flowers is hosting Blooms & Bubbles, the daily DIY flower and plant workshops! We’re excited to meet and great our members, seven of whom are teaching and speaking at the show. One more item of note – if you’re a newsletter subscriber, you’ve already seen the announcement that the February Slow Flowers member virtual meet-up will take place on February 23rd, postponed due to Valentine’s Day. Save the date for next Friday’s session with Lennie Larkin of b-side farm and author of Flower Farming for Profit – we’ll hear her insights on pricing and profitability for flower growers – Preregistration is required – bring your questions and I hope to see you there! Click here to Preregister for the February 23rd Slow Flowers Member Meet-Up Thank you to our Sponsors This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 750 florists, shops, and studios who design with local,

 Episode 648: Our pre-Valentine’s Day Virtual Tour of American-grown flowers with Joost Bongaerts and the Florabundance team | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 38:11

https://youtu.be/ELg88cQ6nyo?si=gry7Oz55FQGIOta7 It’s nearly Valentine’s Day and if you’re panicking about your flower order, today’s episode is just for you. We’re taking a virtual tour of Florabundance in Carpinteria California, to learn from Joost Bongaerts about the domestic US-grown flower sourcing options for this important floral holiday. If you’re a longtime listener of the Slow Flowers Podcast, you may recall today’s guest Joost Bongaerts, owner of Florabundance, based in Carpinteria, California. We featured a conversation with Joost back in April 2014, on Episode 139 during our very first year of the Slow Flowers Podcast. At the time, I was interested in sharing his story because Florabundance was one of the first if not the very first wholesalers who regularly offered US-grown flowers and foliage. It's been a decade – can you believe it? And we’re grateful for Florabundance’s decade-long membership in the Slow Flowers Movement, as well as the advice and insights Joost has personally shared with me over the years. Now that the Slow Flowers Show has a video component, I thought of Florabundance when we were thinking of a good pre-Valentine’s Day episode – nothing like a beautiful floral show-and-tell to wow and inspire, right? American Grown tab on Florabundance's home page I asked Joost if he would join me to walk through the many US-grown flower options that florists can order for Valentine’s Day. So many of our members, retail florists and studio florists, use Slow Flowers’ mission as part of their branding – to support local and domestic flower farms through their own sourcing practices. He was joined by sales manager Debbie Kline and Jenna Foster, the main buyer who works with boutique flower growers. To be perfectly honest, in most parts of the U.S., getting local flowers in mid-February is next to impossible. This is slowly changing as flower farming innovations are leading to season extension methods (like winter tulips and early greenhouse crops like anemones and ranunculus), but if you’re not able to find those in your region, ordering from a place like Florabundance is a great option. Here's a bit more about Joost Bongaerts:Born in 1959 in Den Haag, The Netherlands, Joost grew up in the Netherlands. His father managed agricultural land holdings all over the country. Joost spent summers working on his family’s farm in northern Holland and became interested in agriculture and horticulture as a result. He studied at Wellant College in Gouda, graduating with a degree in Plant Science. Joost also spent a semester at Michigan State University as part of an exchange student program, which led to his desire to work and live in The United States. Joost began his professional career in 1981 marketing fresh cut flowers from Holland for The Dutch Flower Auctions & Exporters Organizations, first in Holland and then in Livonia, MI. From 1983 to 1991 Joost worked for several Dutch Flower Bulb Companies selling flower bulbs and perennial plants to specialty cut flower growers in The United States and Canada. In 1991 Joost and his wife Alexandra opened Bonfleur (Bongaerts Flowers), a European-style retail flower shop in New Canaan, CT, which they sold to their manager in 2002. During this time, Joost also imported flowers from Holland and was president of First American Florist, an online wholesale flower company shipping flowers from Holland. He started to do business with Florabundance, becoming a partner in 2002 and eventually full owner in 2008. Joost’s background and experience in selling flower bulbs to growers, importing cut flowers and running a successful retail flower shop provides a unique perspective from which he has developed the Flor...

 Episode 647: Meet Elizabeth and Mike Zawislak of Bluegreen Gardens, a Lancaster, Ohio-based boutique flower farm | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 51:20

https://youtu.be/Os-7JfjA8II?si=3ffXygXf3klfZPnO Today, I’m delighted to welcome Elizabeth and Mike Zawislak of Bluegreen Gardens to the Slow Flowers Podcast. Bluegreen Gardens is a boutique cut flower farm specializing in high-value product supplied to wedding and event florists in the greater Columbus, Ohio. Elizabeth and Mike Zawislak and their Bluegreen Gardens family As you’ll hear in our conversation, I first met Mike and Elizabeth in person in 2018 when I hosted a Slow Flowers meet-and-greet during the Team Flower Conference in Orlando. We all enjoyed our time together, and I’m thrilled to share their story with you today. Bluegreen Gardens Elizabeth and Mike's flower love story started with their individual love of the outdoors instilled in when they were young. They both followed that interest through life as young adults, which eventually led both to Longwood Gardens, the nation's premier public garden in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. They continued to work in gardens on the east coast until their engagement, when they decided to move from Wilmington, Delaware, to Elizabeth's hometown of Columbus. Bouquet by Bluegreen Gardens Planning their wedding, including its design and vision, impressed on them that their horticulture experience, their love of flowers, the outdoors, and design could become a family business. Bluegreen Gardens was launched in 2016 with the purchase of farmland in Lancaster, Ohio. On the farm with Mike and Elizabeth The property was in the same family for many years and was used most recently as a horse pasture and dumping ground. Elizabeth and Mike’s goal, in addition to raising beautiful flowers, is to restore the eco-system there, and to maintain its natural beauty. They use sustainable practices in both the flower field and floral design studio. And they are allowing most of their property to remain in its natural state of woods or meadow to support wildlife. Find and follow Bluegreen Gardens at Facebook and Instagram Thank you to our Sponsors This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 750 florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms. It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers. Thank you to Mayesh Wholesale Florist. Family-owned since 1978, Mayesh is the premier wedding and event supplier in the U.S. and we're thrilled to partner with Mayesh to promote local and domestic flowers, which they source from farms large and small around the U.S. Learn more at mayesh.com. Thank you to The Gardener's Workshop, which offers a full curriculum of online education for flower farmers and farmer-florists. Online education is more important than ever, and you'll want to check out the course offerings at thegardenersworkshop.com Thank you to Store It Cold, creators of the revolutionary CoolBot, a popular solution for flower farmers, studio florists and farmer-florists.  Save $1000s when you build your own walk-in cooler with the CoolBot and an air conditioner.  Don't have time to build your own?  They also have turnkey units available. Learn more at storeitcold.com.   Thank you for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than one million times by listeners like you. Thank you for listening, commenting and sharing – it means so much. As our movement gains more supporters and more passionate participants who ...

 Episode 645: The Mum Project Update with Jessica Hall of Harmony Harvest Farm | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

https://youtu.be/J85KKde0QOg?si=G_qU8ViQQmjc7jHQ Jessica Hall of Harmony Harvest Farm and The Mum Project PROMO CODE: Harmony Harvest has provided a promo code for our listeners and viewers. You can apply this to any retail or wholesale order SLOWMUMS I’m welcoming Jessica Hall of Harmony Harvest Farm back to the Slow Flowers Podcast today with an update on her Weyers Cave, Virginia-based farm’s expanding collection of specialty, old-fashioned, heirloom, and hard-to-find chrysanthemums for growers and gardeners. The Mum Project, as it is called by Jessica and her partners, mom Chris Auville, and sister Stephanie Duncan, reflects the ambitious journey on which these women have embarked to educate themselves and the entire floral community about the exquisite qualities of chrysanthemums. Harvesting mums at Harmony Harvest Farm They have networked extensively with other chrysanthemum aficionados, from members of the national chrysanthemum society to growers of public garden collections. Their goal is to expand the Harmony Harvest list of “mother” plants from which they can take cuttings, propagate more plants, and offer high quality plug to growers. In the process, they also are advocating for other flower farmers to get in on the mum game, offering educational resources and events to elevate understanding about growing mums. Beautiful apricot chrysanthemum petals To peruse the collection of mums – ranging from ‘Apricot Alexis’, with a blushy-salmon color and a cascade of curving petals, to ‘Vesuvio’, an ultra-weird creamy-ivory chrysanthemum that begs the question - "are you sure that's a mum?", there are more than 50 selections in the current inventory of plugs, or plant starts, offered at both retail and wholesale programs. Inside the high tunnel at Harmony Harvest Farm Let’s jump right in and join my conversation with Jessica. Because of the time of year, there isn’t much to see in terms of rows of colorful chrysanthemum plants, but Jessica did send us a small video she filmed inside one of the three chrysanthemum growing houses at Harmony Harvest. We’ll see that first and then move right into our conversation, recently recorded on January 11th. The Mum Project has a scope of more than 50 specialty chrysanthemum varieties Thanks so much for joining me today! As you heard us discuss, in collaboration with the USDA and other agriculture authorities in states across the US, Harmony Harvest Farm is compliant with all required regulations, training, and inspections. I don’t know about you, but I’m inspired and because I don’t have a lot of cutting garden space, I’m looking at my front garden border with a new point of view, thinking about where I can perennialize some of the juicy chrysanthemums among my grasses, shrubs, roses and other permanent plantings! PROMO CODE: Harmony Harvest has provided a promo code for our listeners and viewers. You can apply this to any retail or wholesale order SLOWMUMS News of the Week The New Year is off to a great start, and I love hearing from our listeners and viewers about how inspired they feel after learning from our guests. If I haven’t said it often enough, our programming is the “voice” of the Slow Flowers Movement and we love showcasing our members and their stories. As we think about the shifts, opportunities and changes in the floral landscape for 2024, I hope you took a moment to read the just-released Slow Flowers Floral Insights & Industry Forecast, our 10th annual report. I’ll share the link in our show notes for you to...

 Episode 644: Roadside Blooms’ Toni Reale – on taking risk to buy land and build a new flower shop in North Charleston, South Carolina | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 56:18

https://youtu.be/unM1Q5WXRgM?si=w--GNPRP6MHFBtwj Today’s guest is longtime Slow Flowers member Toni Reale, owner and creator of Roadside Blooms in North Charleston, South Carolina. Let’s learn about how she takes risks to grow her diversified floral and plant enterprise – I’m certain that you’ll gain some tips for your business!The shop specializes in weddings, events and everyday deliveries using near 100 percent American- and locally-grown blooms. Toni Reale, Roadside Blooms Toni founded Roadside Blooms with a story to tell and a mission to share, believing that beauty and sustainability don’t just co-exist, they work in concert. With over 10 years of experience in the event-planning and floral-design industries, Toni’s many adventures led her to successful entrepreneurship of a values-based enterprise. She has a Master’s degree in geology and taught geology at the College of Charleston; she converted a 1971 British ice cream truck into a mobile flower shop (the original Roadside Blooms) and is a leader of Charleston’s “green and local” movement, Toni has served on various nonprofit boards, including the Charleston Green Fair, and she was recognized as one of Charlie magazine’s "50 Most Progressive" in Charleston in 2014. Production day at the Seashore Farmers’ Lodge No. 767; Toni Reale (right) attaches a vibrant palette of Lowcountry S.C.-grown blooms, including those from Laura Mewborn of Feast & Flora Farm (left). Toni partnered with Laura Mewborn of Feast & Flora to create a beautiful botanical couture design for American Flowers Week 2019, collaborating with her friend Giovanni Richardson, a Sea Island Gullah Chieftess, who modeled the historically significant floral garment. I’ll share a link to their story in today’s show notes.   The Roadside Blooms team (Toni Reale is second from right) Let me tell you why I asked Toni to be my guest today. We have been tracking the innovation in the floral retail space over the past years, and when I learned that Toni expanded Roadside Blooms to a larger store this past summer, I wanted to learn more. As you may have heard in our 2024 Slow Flowers Floral Insights & Industry Forecast, which I shared in last week’s episode, one of our key insights is called “Floral Literacy.” I shared about the exciting retail news that Slow Flowers members represent a countertrend in brick-and-mortar retail, including Roadside Blooms’ new retail floral spaces, and others' new ventures, which are closely associated with values, community, and an unique approach to locally-sourced flowers. So let’s jump in and meet Toni Reale of Roadside Blooms. Toni filmed a few short video clips to share the interior and exterior of her new shop and I’ve edited those into my recent interview with her. Thanks so much for joining us today – I am so inspired by the story that Toni Shared and she gave me a jolt of encouragement that I hope you felt, too. Her approach to a collaborative entrepreneurship is her “secret sauce” for success. We wish her continued success in the coming year! Find and follow Roadside Blooms design studio on Instagram Follow Roadside Blooms retail shop on InstagramFollow Roadside Blooms retail shop on FacebookFollow Roadside Blooms on TikTok News of the Week! Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity The Slow Flowers Summit Early Bird Registration campaign has come to a close and we congratulate the folks who took advantage of the money-savings opportunity to grab early registration! Ticket sales continue through June – and if you’re already a Slow Flowers member, you’ll receive $100 off your registration,

 Episode 643: Slow Flowers Floral Insights and Industry Forecast for 2024 | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 42:58

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTVga8HIZOM It's 2024~ Welcome to a New Year! This is the 10th year we’ve produced the Slow Flowers' Floral Insights and Industry Forecast, which originated in 2015 as a series of media presentations that we also shared with members and listeners. This episode is accompanied by two important, free resources. First, a video report that I recently recorded with Robin Avni, creative director of BLOOM Imprint, our Slow Flowers publishing venture. This is the video companion to today’s podcast. Click above to watch. We have also produced a 38-page digital magazine-style report, filled with deeper analysis of each of our 2024 insights. Click here to read the full report "Simplicity" Here's a bit more about Robin Avni. She is a creative veteran in the media and high-tech industries whose experience includes 15-plus years in the publishing industry and eight years at Microsoft in design and creative management. Robin has successfully managed innovative, award-winning design teams and high-profile projects and she has received numerous national design and photography editing awards for her own work. Robin has produced more than 15 books, including seven titles created for the BLOOM Imprint catalog. In 2004, following Microsoft, she founded bricolage*, a consultancy specializing in creative strategy, content development, and trend analysis focused on the home and garden. She has worked with Fortune 500 companies, national advertising agencies and award-winning media properties, applying timely actionable insights to their businesses. Let’s jump right in and embrace 2024 – we’re calling it The Year of Simplicity! I can’t wait for you to learn about each of the insights and the people who have influenced and inspired us to identify them. Click to read the Forecast Press Release News of the Week The Slow Flowers Summit Early Bird Registration campaign has come to a close and we congratulate the folks who took advantage of the money-savings opportunity to grab early registration! Ticket sales continue through June – and if you’re already a Slow Flowers member, you’ll still receive $100 off your registration, which is the equivalent of the Standard annual membership, so it basically pays for itself! In the coming weeks, we’ll be highlighting more of our speakers and more about some of the special experiences associated with joining our community in Banff, Alberta, Canada – June 23-25th! Click for More Details + Summit Registration One more item of note! If you missed the January Slow Flowers Newsletter that dropped a few days ago, click the link below to read it. This edition is filled with lots of floral goodness, free resources, news, and more. Click to read the January 2024 Newsletter Our Sustainable Wedding Expert: Jessica Stewart of Bramble & Blossom Join us on Friday, January 12, 2024 -- when we welcome Slow Flowers member Jessica Stewart of Pittsburgh-based Bramble & Blossom -- We’re calling this session our “secrets of a sustainable wedding florist.” Jessica will share her philosophy around communication during the sales process, including describing how you design for seasonality by sourcing from local flower farms; how to make this clear in contracts + proposals; and how she sources and plans for weddings and install...

 Episode 620:  Celebrating our 10th Anniversary! From the Slow Flowers Podcast Archives – an Encore with sustainable brands expert Kierstin DeWest and organic flower farmer Joan Thorndike of LeMera Gardens | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 43:56

Today is red letter day -- the 10th anniversary of the Slow Flowers Podcast! I launched the first-ever podcast about flowers on July 23, 2013 with Episode 100! Little did I know that this audio storytelling project -- it was called internet radio back then -- would take off and resonate with so many listeners! The Slow Flowers Podcast is the longest, continually-running podcast in the floral design and flower farming space Commemorating our 10-year-mark is so significant. It recognizes that the Slow Flowers Podcast is the longest, continually-running podcast in the floral design and flower farming space. We invite you to help us celebrate by sharing your stories of how the Slow Flowers Podcast has been an inspiring companion to you over the years! Post or send us a video tagged #slowflowerspodcast and we may feature you in our Slow Flowers social media feed! And, we're having a contest! Check out our IG stories on @SlowFlowersSociety, which we will run for the next 10 weeks -- you could win one of two priceless prizes! We'll select two winners among eligible entrants:1 - win a featured guest spot on a future episode of the Slow Flowers Podcast; and2 - win a chance to co-host an upcoming monthly Slow Flowers Member Meet-Up. We'll post the details on social media for you to follow along and participate. I have spent several weeks looking back over the 520 episodes we've produced in the past decade, trying to find a good way to honor our expert guests and their stories. So, starting today, for the next 10 weeks, we will highlight one episode from each year of the past decade and bring the best of the Slow Flowers Podcast to you. If you're a longtime listener, you might recognize these flower folks; if you're new to the Slow Flowers Podcast, I'm excited to introduce you to them for the first time. Today, we're starting with Episode 100 -- our very first episode. It's a fitting place to begin our retrospective. Kierstin De West First, in PART ONE of this podcast you'll hear from Kierstin De West, CEO and founder of Ci (Conscientious innovation), a market research and consulting firm known for its early embrace of the sustainable marketplace, which Kierstin led 2004 to 2018. As I mentioned in the original episode, I met Kierstin in 2011 when we were seated at adjacent tables in a restaurant at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. We struck up a conversation and the beginnings of a friendship over the course of one hour . . . before we both had to race to our respective flights. Later, I invited Kierstin to talk about her research into consumer attitudes regarding sustainability as the keynote speaker for the Garden Writers Association annual symposium in 2011, now known as GardenComm International.  Kristin and I discussed the research she conducted for her former company called The Shift Report, an omnibus study of 5,000 consumers in North America. What jumped out at me in this report was the idea of LOCAL values surpassing other topics that you might consider ranking higher on consumers’ sustainability checklist….such as Organic or Global Warming. Listen as Kierstin and I discuss this fascinating research and hear how insightful and prescient it was 10 years ago -- it is equally important today! Joan Thorndike, LeMera Gardens In PART TWO of this podcast, join my conversation with veteran organic flower farmer Joan Thorndike, owner of Le Mera Gardens in Talent, Oregon, which is near Ashland. We talked about what LOCAL means to Joan’s floral customers while taking a walk from Joan and Dan’s home to the vibrant farmer’s market in downtown Ashland.

 Episode 619:  Meet Erin Greene, King Estate Winery’s culinary garden manager, on growing organic and biodynamic food and flowers | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 33:44

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92-MtDibJcs I'm so happy to share today's episode with you because it came together through total serendipity, thanks to arrangements made by my friend Jenny Ulum, Senior Director of Communications at King Estate Winery in Eugene, Oregon. We were in Eugene last weekend to attend the USA Track & Field National Championships, and when in Eugene, Jenny and her husband Tim Gleason always host us at their home. Jenny and I go way back -- we were editors together in the 1980s at the long-ago shuttered Seattle Woman magazine, and have remained close friends ever since. I had reached out to two Eugene area Slow Flowers members, trying to line up an interview for this week while also having some time away with friends. Sadly, due to travel and other conflicts, both of the farmer-florists I approached weren't available. King Estates Winery Jenny over heard me discussing my dilemma and she said, "You should come out to the winery and meet our culinary garden manager, Erin Greene. She has been growing lots of flowers and designing bouquets for the restaurant and tasting room." (photo credit: Erin Greene, King Estates Winery (c) Andy Nelson). So we arranged a last-minute outing on Sunday morning, and I am so grateful for the experience. It was employee blueberry-picking day, so while my husband Bruce joined Jenny and Tim to pick something like 8 pounds of blueberries, I joined Erin to tour King Estate's cutting garden, apple orchard, and greenhouse production areas. I learned so much and you'll enjoy the conversation, too. King Estate Winery-grown flowers for the tasting room, designed by Erin Greene Flowers from the King Estate Winery cutting garden Here's a little bit more about Erin Green: Erin Greene, Culinary Gardens Manager, joined King Estate in 2018. Working closely with the culinary team, Erin is responsible for all annual vegetable, herb and edible flower production for use in the Restaurant. After earning a degree in Biodynamic Agriculture from Emerson College in the U.K., Erin operated her own farm, Nourish Gardens, in eastern Washington for four years and spent two years working for a 500-acre organic farm in California that served the finest farm-to-table restaurants in the Bay Area. A native of Washington State, Erin is thrilled to be back in the Pacific Northwest. “I love everything food-related, from seed to plate,” she says. When she’s not at work she can be found cooking in her kitchen, working in her home garden or out in the wilderness: camping, fishing, hiking and exploring Oregon with her husband and pup (farm dog Bertie). Biodynamic Compost production at King Estates Winery Biodynamics team, Director of Viticulture Ray Nuclo (right) and Viticulturist Edward Burke (left) in front of the compost pile. Thank you so much for joining me today! We fact-checked the scale of King Estates on-site compost program -- 800 tons of organic compost is produced at the winery each year. Bee Friendly Wine Tour Here are more details about the August 19th Bee Friendly Wine Tour taking place as part of The Oregon Bee Project. August 19th is actually National Honey Bee Day and the $35 ticketed event buys you two taste pours of wine, a taste of ale song beer, a box lunch and desert bite. Not to mention bee-themed events and a garden tour! (noon to 3 pm) and you'll learn about the native bees of Oregon and how they support biodiversity on farms, vineyards, orchards, and residential backyards.

 Episode 618: Fiber and Flowers: Elaine Vandiver of Gholson Gardens and Old Homestead Alpacas updates her story | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 38:02

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv9U3691n4w Hi all, last week, you met Anne Sumner of Walla Walla Flower Farm - what a fun episode, and I especially loved the bonus musical performance recorded in her flower field. Just down the road from Walla Walla Flower Farm, on Stateline Road, in fact, but on the Washington side, is a historic farm called Old Homestead. This is where Elaine and Mike Vandiver operate two complementary businesses -- Old Homestead Alpacas and Gholson Gardens. The Old Homestead at Old Homestead Alpacas and Gholson Gardens, Walla Walla, Washington Dixie, Winnie (middle, youngest) and Roxy (born the day after Debra's visit) Elaine is a past guest of the Slow Flowers Podcast (Episode 395 in 2019, which we also aired as an Encore episode last summer). What's new now is the gift of video! I'm so happy I was able to return to this beautiful farm for a visit. I filmed the entire tour, narrated by Elaine, as we visited her Alpacas, the Fiber House, the Dye House, and the Cutting Garden. I know you'll learn lots about how to balance dual farm operations, and you'll also be swept up in the story, thanks to Elaine's bubbly personality and spirit of generosity to share with the Slow Flowers community. You'll also meet her intern, Elena Schenkenberg, and hear how she was drawn to this place to learn more about slow flowers, slow fiber and slow fashion. Here's just a bit more by way of introduction: Elaine grows specialty cut flowers on her historic homestead in Walla Walla, Washington. As a seasonal grower, she cultivates rare, unique and heirloom varieties that are picked at their peak for customers who wish to snag a deluxe mixed bouquet from her stylishly functional flower cart at the Downtown Walla Walla farmer’s market (May through October). Elaine also offers weekly flower subscriptions, and assemble floral creations for local restaurants & wineries. Elaine with one of her friendly, fiber-producing alpacas Old Homestead Apacas is known for 100% farm-grown knitwear with Alpaca fiber that is hand-dyed using farm-grown heirloom dye plants. Elaine recently worked with local filmmaker CMBell Company to capture short video narratives of all four seasons at Old Homestead Alpacas and Gholson Gardens. The films are beautiful storytelling moments narrated by Elaine and you'll hear that audio -- winter and spring at the beginning; summer and fall at the end. Let's jump right in and meet or re-meet Elaine Vandiver! And check out the online shop - one of my favorite gifts to myself when I first visited was to purchase a lacy knit scarf of the finest alpaca yarn -- hand-dyed in calendula petals. Thank you to our Sponsors This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 850 florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms. It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers. Thank you to our lead sponsor, Farmgirl Flowers. Farmgirl Flowers delivers iconic burlap-wrapped bouquets and lush, abundant arrangements to customers across the U.S., supporting U.S. flower farms by purchasing more than $10 million dollars of U.S.-grown fresh and seasonal flowers and foliage annually. Discover more at farmgirlflowers.com. Thank you to the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market, a farmer-owned cooperative committed to providing the very best the Pacific No...

 Episode 617: A visit to Anne and Scott Sumner’s Walla Walla Flower Farm with a bonus fiddle-and-guitar performance | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 37:51

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BHac7fAq1Y Scott and Anne Sumner of Walla Walla Flower Farm performing in their fields Welcome, friends! I have such a lively and informative episode to share with you today. A few weeks ago - before we welcomed 150+ guests to the Slow Flowers Summit, I joined my husband Bruce to drive 5 hours east accompanying him on a short business trip. We drove across the state to Walla Walla in the southeast corner of Washington that's become a major winery and tourism hub.I can't travel anywhere without looking up our local Slow Flowers Society members and asking permission to visit their floral design studio, shop, or flower farm. On my last trip to Walla Walla (pre-covid), I visited flower farmer Elaine Vandiver of Gholson Gardens and recorded an audio interview, but our community is growing there! In the past year, Anne Sumner of Walla Walla Flower Farm joined our society. I was eager to meet her and learn her story, which you'll hear today. Walla Walla Flower Farm Walla Walla Flower Farm Is a small-scale, woman-owned and operated farm growing cut glowers in the beautiful Walla Walla Valley. Hailing from generations of Walla Walla Valley farmers and growing up working on the family farm, Anne Sumner has come back to her roots. After years of raising and homeschooling children, working as a registered nurse and most recently serving as a bank VP, Walla Walla Flower Farm feels to Anne like coming home. Scenes from Walla Walla Flower Farm Her mission and the mantra of WWFF is: Share Flowers. Share Joy.Anne certainly shared her flowers and her joy with me. When I learned that she and her husband Scott were soon heading to Idaho for a week-long fiddling convention, I asked if they would play some music and allow me to record it. I'm so happy to open and close this episode with their guitar-fiddle music. Thank you so much for joining me today! In case you missed it, we just dropped the July edition of our monthly Slow Flowers Newsletter -- it's filled with free resources, inspiring content, and news of our community. Click to read our July Slow Flowers Newsletter Click to subscrbe to the Slow Flowers Newsletter Thank you to our Sponsors This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 850 florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms. It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers. Thank you to our lead sponsor, Farmgirl Flowers. Farmgirl Flowers delivers iconic burlap-wrapped bouquets and lush, abundant arrangements to customers across the U.S., supporting U.S. flower farms by purchasing more than $10 million dollars of U.S.-grown fresh and seasonal flowers and foliage annually. Discover more at farmgirlflowers.com. Thank you, CalFlowers, the leading floral trade association in California, providing valuable transportation and other benefits to flower growers and the entire floral supply chain in California and 48 other states. The Association is a leader in bringing fresh cut flowers to the U.S. market and in promoting the benefits of flowers to new generations of American consumers. Learn more at cafgs.org. Thank you, Store It Cold, creators of the revolutionary CoolBot, a popular solution for flower farmers, studio florists and farmer-florists. Save $1000s when you build your own walk-in cooler with the ...

 Episode 616: Meet the Creatives who designed our American Flowers Week 2023 Botanical Couture Collection | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 51:55

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT9xryOm-OA In 2015, Slow Flowers introduced American Flowers Week, inviting flower lovers, gardeners, growers, and designers across the country to share their red-white-and-bluish blooms during June 28- July 4th. The promotion celebrates domestic flower farming and engages people everywhere with local botanicals. We use the hashtag #americanflowersweek to encourage flower fans to follow and enjoy the campaign's beauty and floral diversity. Since 2016 when American Flowers Week debuted its annual botanical couture collection with Susan McLeary's red-white-and-blue floral Afro, we have  commissioned more than 50 wearable looks, created by our member designers and flower farmers. So today, we're unveiling our 2023 Botanical Couture Collection -- it's a Haute Couture Harvest! You'll find social media assets featuring the Flower Farmers coast-to-coast artwork by April Lemly, as well as badges of each individual botanical couture look, and fun resources that you can download and print to share, like our 50 States of Slow Flowers coloring sheets that feature each official state flower and a map of the U.S. I'll be posting individual stories of our designers, flower farmers and creative teams during each day of American Flowers Week -- and you can read those at the website or on @slowflowerssociety on social media. American Flowers Week 2023 illustration by April Lemly Thank you to our Sponsors This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 850 florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms. It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers. Thank you to our lead sponsor, Farmgirl Flowers. Farmgirl Flowers delivers iconic burlap-wrapped bouquets and lush, abundant arrangements to customers across the U.S., supporting U.S. flower farms by purchasing more than $10 million dollars of U.S.-grown fresh and seasonal flowers and foliage annually. Discover more at farmgirlflowers.com. Thank you to Mayesh Wholesale Florist. Family-owned since 1978, Mayesh is the premier wedding and event supplier in the U.S. and we're thrilled to partner with Mayesh to promote local and domestic flowers, which they source from farms large and small around the U.S. Learn more at mayesh.com. Thank you to The Gardener's Workshop, which offers a full curriculum of online education for flower farmers and farmer-florists. Online education is more important this year than ever, and you'll want to check out the course offerings at thegardenersworkshop.com. Thank you to Details Flowers Software, a platform specifically designed to help florists and designers do more and earn more. With an elegant and easy-to-use system--Details is here to improve profitability, productivity, and organization for floral businesses of all shapes and sizes. Grow your bottom line through professional proposals and confident pricing with Details' all-in-one platform. All friends of the Slow Flowers Podcast will receive a 7-day free trial of Details Flowers Software. Learn more at detailsflowers.com. This Week's News A program note: I recorded this episode just prior to the kickoff of the Slow Flowers Summit, our 6th conference and an event I love to describe as a TED Talk for Flower Lovers. If you've followed along  on social media at @slowflowerssociety and @slowflowerssummit on IG, you will have see all sorts of fun posted by Niesha Blancas, our social media manger,

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