SLOW FLOWERS with Debra Prinzing

I’ve mentioned a few times recently that the members of North Bay Flower Collective invited me to spend two days in Sonoma County last month to tour flower farms, visit design studios and learn more about the stories of their community. The origins of this visit date back a year when I met and interviewed […]

I first met Annie Schiller of William’s Wildflowers when she introduced herself via email in 2013. The subject line: Slow Flowers in South Florida. The note continued: I’m reaching out to you to say hello and to say thanks for your work. Our award-winning native plant nursery in south Florida, Florida Native Plants has just expanded to […]

It's not yet officially winter, but orchid season is upon us. And today's guest will tell us all about growing orchids for floral design. Please meet Joan Bateman, who with her husband Mark Srull own Orchidaceae. Joan and I have served together on the board of the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market for two years, and we work closely together on the market's marketing committee. I've wanted to feature an orchid episode for quite some time! Joan and I finally sat down a few weeks ago, surrounded by the beautiful plants she and Mark grow, to record this conversation and share it with you. Here's a little more about Orchidacead: Based in Walla Walla, Washington, Orchidaceae is an award-winning Northwest grower exclusively dedicated to quality orchids. With over 30 years of experience, Mark and Joan grow and supply orchids for weddings, special events, interior plantscaping, floral arrangements and to collectors around the country in search of esoteric orchid varieties. In 2002, the couple moved their nursery from Seattle to Walla Walla and embarked on a rural, flower farming lifestyle. They brought with them extensive experience in graphic design and marketing, and Mark’s enthusiasm for growing orchids, originally as a hobby that’s earned him numerous awards from the American Orchid Society. Orchidaceae has a reputation for having the most interesting new orchid hybrids. Its breeding program that includes Paphiopedilums, Zygopetalums, Angraecums, Cattleyas and a variety of unique species. The Phalaenopsis are selected to give floral stylists a distinct design edge with stunning color, interesting patterns and unique styles. Why Walla Walla? “Even though our major markets are in Seattle and Portland, the growing conditions are very positive here, because of the light,” Joan says.  “We’re excited to be a part of the market and have such a broad variety of our orchids available to Seattle buyers.” If you want to learn more about orchid growing and how to have success with orchids, check out the link to Orchidaceae's answers to the most common questions for orchid care. In the Pacific Northwest you can find Joan and Mark's beautiful plants at the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market and at the Portland Flower Market.   Listeners of the Slow Flowers Podcast have downloaded episodes more than 73,000 times. I thank you and others in the progressive American-grown floral community for supporting this endeavor. Until next week, you're invited to join me in putting more American grown flowers on the table, one vase at a time. And If you like what you hear, please consider logging onto Itunes and posting a listener review. THANK YOU to each and every one of you for downloading, listening, commenting and sharing. It means so much. The content and opinions expressed here are either mine alone or those of my guests alone, independent of any podcast sponsor or other person, company or organization. The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Wheatley and Hannah Holtgeerts. Learn more about their work at shellandtree.com.

I have another great conversation to share with you this week, one that is both unique to this guest's personal story while also thoroughly symbolic of so many who have embraced the Slow Flowers Movement. Andrea K. Grist is a wedding and event florist and owner of Lee Summit, Missouri, based studio, Andrea K. Grist Floral Art, which serves the Kansas City metro area. Andrea and I met through a Facebook conversation, which is similar to many of our social media/floral connections. Earlier this year, Andrea reached out and told me she had been listening to the Slow Flowers Podcast and that she also had been reading my books. That was a flattering connection, of course, but what impressed me since then, over the course of the past six or eight months, is that Andrea shared with me links to one of her blog posts discussing her visits to Missouri flower farms and featuring her designs and styled photo shoots using locally grown and American grown flowers. Eventually we set up a phone date to talk further and I asked Andrea to share her story on this podcast. Andrea has had a successful career for more than 20 years, but in recent years, she wanted to stretch herself as a designer and as a small business owner. She started seeking out what was going on in her profession and landed on the Slow Flowers Movement. Even though most florists in her area weren't asking for local flowers, Andrea began to do so. One vase, one bouquet at a time, her work is changing the conversation in her community and for her customers. Andrea is also a member of the Chapel Designers, and she recently self-published Gatherings in Bloom-Table Art for All Occasions with images by Freeland Photography. The book is filled with beautiful images of table decor, floral design, and hometown stories about her inspirations and floral passions. Meet and follow Andrea K. Grist here: Read Andrea's Blog Here Andrea on Facebook  Andrea on Twitter Preview and order Gatherings in Bloom here Before we sign off, I have an announcement to share. There is an abundance of holiday floral design and wreathmaking workshops going on right now, but one scheduled for next week promises to be unlike any other workshop I've heard about. On November 17th, New York-based Slow Flowers member Elena Seegers of Le Fleuriste will be teaching a fall centerpiece how-to with branches fruits and berries. Here's the fun twist: The workshop will be held at Fluent City and include French conversation and vocabulary. As Elena explained it to me Fluent City is a cool language start up where you learn and converse in different languages through social gatherings and workshops. "Students will learn how to choose and use branches and berries for their table designs, taught in a mixture of French and English." I don't know about you, but I would simply love to be part of this evening, which is affordably priced. [note: in the Podcast introduction I inaccurately stated a workshop price of $65. The actual price is $80 per student] Thanks to the Slow Flowers Tribe, this podcast has been downloaded more than 71,000 times.

I've had today's first guest on my "wish list" for a couple years and due to both of our travel schedules, it has taken nearly two years for us to connect in the same time and place with a quiet moment to record today's interview. Our paths finally crossed when Françoise Weeks and I were in Detroit at the same time for The Flower House festivities. Françoise traveled to Detroit earlier in the week to teach a two-day workshop hosted by our second podcast guest Susan McLeary of Passionflower Events.  And I was in town to co-host the final Field to Vase Dinner of 2015. The Flower House, subject of last week's podcast, prompted Susan to ask Françoise to collaborate with her on the first floor kitchen, called "Fruits of Labor." The three of us sat down for this recording on the morning after the hugely successful Field to Vase Dinner. They were staying in a restored loft apartment in an historic Detroit neighborhood and suggested I come over to record the interview. When I arrived, Susan and Françoise were concentrating on assembling a bridal bouquet, boutonniere and floral crown for a last-minute elopement that was to occur at The Flower House the following day. It was a lovely moment to talk with both Françoise and Susan as their hands shaped and formed tiny botanical elements into the most delicate, textural creations. Françoise hails from Belgium, and you can hear the gentle traces of her Flemish accent when she speaks. She has been living in Portland for many years, which is where she developed her studio design business, created flowers for hundreds of weddings and shaped her distinct brand of European-inspired floral design. Françoise and I have known one another for several years as residents of neighboring states; in fact I first met her in 2010 while on a scouting trip to Portland for The 50 Mile Bouquet. Since that time, it has been so inspiring to watch Françoise's career explode as an in-demand floral educator whose workshop series and classes are often sold-out with waiting lists. Here's a little more about Françoise: Françoise was born in Belgium in an area romanticized by the flower arrangements of the Dutch and Flemish painters of the 17th and 18th centuries. Honing her talents through training with the florists of Antwerp, Françoise discovered her signature—a unique lush and textural style, heavily imprinted by her love of nature and art. Since 1996 she has translated her passion into creations of flowers, herbs, fruits, vegetables and foliage in a way that the masters could only paint. Her portfolio runs the gamut from elegant natural simplicity to the abundant and bountiful; she consistently delivers the unexpected. Françoise’s first priority is to realize the ideas and needs of her clients and bring to the process her attention to detail and unique creativity. Recently her work has emerged into two distinctive styles: URBAN WOODLANDS—contemporary stylings of mosses, lichens, bark and forest floor gatherings and FLORAL FORWARD—exquisite botanical haute couture creations of purses, headpieces and shoes. She shares her knowledge of floral design and mechanics with professionals and students from around the world in intimate studio classes and workshop settings. Françoise has been the subject of numerous magazine articles throughout the United States and Europe. My conversation with Françoise naturally transitioned to Susan McLeary, once her student; now a good friend and fellow floral educator. Susan and I met in 2014 when I spoke to the Chapel Designers in New York City at the invitation of Holly Chapple.

Before I introduce you to Elizabeth Artis of Espe Floral + Foliage of Portland, I want to share a few words of gratitude that came my way this week. One of the special benefits enjoyed when you or your businesss is part of the Slow Flowers commu...

Last month we visited Santa Cruz, California, to hear from Christof Berneau of the UC Santa Cruz's Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems. On that same trip I met up with mom & daughter flower farmers Nancy Abramson and Haley Wall of Rooster Ridge Farm, a USDA Certified Organic and California Certified Organic farm located in nearby Aptos. I briefly met Nancy and Haley in 2012 when they attended the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers annual conference in Tacoma, where I had been invited to speak about The 50 Mile Bouquet. I remember their unbridled enthusiasm and at the time I recall thinking what a great "story" they would be. Fast-forward to 2015 and we reconnected through Teresa Sabankaya of Bonny Doon Garden Co., a recent podcast guest. Teresa hosted a Slow Flowers/Slow Coast gathering in the Santa Cruz area when I was there in March and Nancy and Haley attended. They reminded me that I had an open invitation to visit them at Rooster Ridge. That visit took place in June. Nancy and Haley welcomed me and led a wonderful walking tour of the grounds, which includes orchards, a vineyard, cutting gardens and production fields. We enjoyed some delicious refreshments on the deck of the family home. And then we recorded this podcast. This is a bountiful 20-acre place where flowers, herbs and fruit flourish. The farm is a labor of love for Nancy, and now, for Haley, who is also providing floral design services for brides and other local clients. You can find Rooster Ridge's harvest at Aptos area farmers' markets and pop-up flower stands in the community. From cut flowers to citrus and avocados to an abundance of herbs, Rooster Ridge is deeply connected to its region. Florists, supermarkets, and farmers market customers are delighted with the quirky, uncommon ingredients gathered into the mixed bouquets. Our podcast interview asks Nancy and Haley to share how they grow, market and design, and how they develop new market opportunities. Thanks for joining me today as we toured an organic California cut flower farm where sustainable practices and growing profitable crops are guiding principles. As Nancy so aptly said, "Being a farmer is a lifestyle choice. " I'm so glad she and her family has found a way to make a living from their land, and to share their beautiful flowers with their community, offering seasonal and local alternatives to imported stems. Listeners like you have downloaded this podcast nearly 59,000 times. THANK YOU to each and every one of you for downloading, listening, commenting and sharing. It means so much. Until next week, you're invited to join me in putting more American grown flowers on the table, one vase at a time. And If you like what you hear, please consider logging onto Itunes and posting a listener review. The content and opinions expressed here are either mine alone or those of my guests alone, independent of any podcast sponsor or other person, company or organization. The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Wheatley and Hannah Holtgeerts. Learn more about their work at shellandtree.com.

Author/photographer, lecturer and radio host Ken Druse has contributed to nearly every garden and home design magazine in America. He is probably best known for his books, which the New York Times called “bibles for serious gardeners.” The American Horticultural Society chose his book, The Passion for Gardening, as best book of the year; and the Wall Street Journal recommended it as one of the “five garden books to own.” Ken has authored 20 gardening books, including recent titles PLANTHROPOLGY: The Myths, Mysteries, and Miracles of My Garden Favorites and Natural Companions: The Garden Lover's Guide to Plant Companions, which features both Ken's photography and that of digital artist Ellen Hoverkamp. In 2004, the Garden Club of America awarded Ken the Sarah Chapman Francis medal for lifetime literary achievement. In 2013 Garden Writers Association awarded Ken the gold medal for photography and the silver medal for writing. In 2013, the Smithsonian Institute announced the acquisition of the Ken Druse Collection of Garden Photography, comprising 100,000 images of American gardens and plants. I have interviewed Ken for stories about his work that appeared in the San Diego Union Tribune and the Los Angeles Times, so it is with great pleasure that I welcome him to the Slow Flowers Podcast. Ken is a pioneer of gardening podcasts, having been on the air for a decade with his national podcast and public radio show "Ken Druse Real Dirt," which listeners can hear through their computers and iPods. We're here today to discuss Ken's timely new book, The New Shade Garden: Creating a Lush Oasis in the Age of Climate Change, published in May by Stewart Tabori & Chang. Ken reveals the low-stress environment of shade (cooler temperatures; fewer water demands) and how shade is extremely beneficial for our plants, our planet and us. The thriving garden of the future might just exist in the understory! I come to floral design from the residential garden and a love of plants. And the floral designers in my world are always on the lookout for uncommon, ephemeral lovelies. Guess what? Many of those special fronds, flowers, leaves and branches can be found in the shade garden. Learning from a master like Ken Druse is a huge treat -- I hope you found what he shared as inspiring as I did. I highly recommend this comprehensive guide to "all things shade." For gardeners and floral designers alike, "The New Shade Garden" is packed with inspiration and with ideas for having a lush, textural and fragrant garden where many colors exist! And just for fun, to get a flavor of Ken's wonderful and welcoming interview style (and to hear his radio-perfect voice!) here are links to the two Ken Druse Real Dirt episodes where I appeared as his guest: May 11, 2012, "Field to Vase" March 22, 2013, "The Local Flower Movement's Champion" On his web site, Ken writes:  Spending time in nature, especially nurturing plants, strengthens our connection with the natural rhythms of life. In the garden, we often experience a kind of "meditation therapy"--weeding actually becomes a time to sort through the other parts of our busy lives.  I couldn't agree more, and like Ken, I see the garden as a metaphor for life. On August 15th, if you are in the Northeast, you have a chance to hear Ken Druse lecture on shade; take his hands-on garden-photography workshop; shop a rare-plant sale; and tour the garden of fellow garden writer, editor and podcaster Margaret Roach in Copake Falls, New York as part of the Garden Conservancy Open Day in her area. Here are details for purchasing tickets and to find the full day's schedule. Follow Ken Druse on Facebook here. Find Ken Druse on Great Garden Speakers here. Ken Druse's "The New Shade Garden" floral arrangement includes: Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle' Foliage from three different hostas Flowers from two hosta varieties

Today's episode celebrates the 2nd anniversary of the Slow Flowers Podcast. This podcast has been downloaded more than 57,000 times during the course of two years -- and that means more and more people are hearing the message of American grown flowers and the farmers and florists who bring those blooms to you. The popularity of this podcast shouldn't be measured in numbers alone, but here is a telling metric: On our first year anniversary, I remember being thrilled that 15,000 individual episodes had been heard. In our second year, for the same 12-month period, 42,000 individual episodes have been downloaded -- that's nearly triple the frequency. I'm honored and humbled that you're listening today and that so many wonderful voices have agreed to be part of this podcast celebrating American flowers. I've invited Kasey Cronquist to be my 2nd anniversary guest, a role he is repeating after last year's first anniversary episode. It's fitting to have you hear from Kasey especially because he's one of the most significant people in the local flower movement. He has certainly influenced my journey through America's fields and design studios and he's been a kindred spirit in the cause about which we care so deeply - saving and nurturing the domestic cut flower industry - from field to vase. Kasey is the CEO and Ambassador for the California Cut Flower Commission. He's served in this capacity since 2007. He also administers the Certified American Grown Flowers brand program. To learn more about Kasey, listen to our previous recorded interviews: Episode 107 (September 18, 2013) American Grown Flowers from a California Point of View Episode 151 (July 23, 2014) An All-American Celebration for our One-Year Anniversary Here's where you can find and follow him: Kasey Cronquist's Field Position Blog Twitter: @kaseycronquist and @cagrown Instagram: @kaseycronquist TAKE ACTION!!! Here's how to support the efforts of the Congressional Cut Flower Caucus by asking your own Representative to join! I'm eager to begin Year Three, sharing more conversations with listeners like you. THANK YOU for downloading, listening, commenting and sharing as part of the Slow Flowers Community. And a very special thanks to the flower farmers, floral designers, authors, educators and marketers whose voices have appeared on the Slow Flowers Podcast this past year. I'm sharing a $35 off promotional discount for you to attend any of the remaining six Field to Vase Dinners in 2015. Reserve your seat at the flower-laden table by clicking here and use the code SLOWFLOWERS. Until next week, you're invited to join me in putting more American grown flowers on the table, one vase at a time. And If you like what you hear, please consider logging onto Itunes and posting a listener review. The content and opinions expressed here are either mine alone or those of my guests alone, independent of any podcast sponsor or other person, company or organization. The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Wheatley and Hannah Holtgeerts. Learn more about their work at shellandtree.com.

Last month, my travels returned me to one of the most prolific flower growing regions in the U.S. - Monterey Bay, California. I was there to co-host the Field to Vase Dinner Tour at Pajarosa Roses, a fantastic American flower farm known for luxury r...

This week's Slow Flowers Podcast guest is Tammy Myers, a Seattle studio florist with a focus on 100% American-grown flowers. Scroll down to read more, find links and to see photos of her design work. It was completely fitting to interview Tammy during American Flowers Week, which just wrapped up July 4th with a fantastic level of involvement from flower farmers and floral designers all over the country. From boutique growers to the largest flower farms in the country; from studio florists to grocery stores and wholesalers, too, we celebrated American Flowers Week as a grass roots education, promotion and advocacy campaign to highlight our nation's flowers and foliage -- and to raise awareness among consumers, the media and policymakers about supporting domestic flowers! On Twitter and Instagram alone, mentions of #americanflowersweek generated more than 400k impressions in one month. That's pretty exciting for what was a mere idea six weeks ago! Huge thanks to our top participants - without their intentional involvement and embrace of American Flowers Week, we would never have created so much beautiful buzz about this grassroots campaign. Top post honors go to Farmgirl Flowers of San Francisco and Los Angeles for generating more than 3,500 likes on Instagram with a special "firecracker" bouquet promotion designed just for American Flowers Week. You rocked it, Farmgirl Team. Others whose posts generated lots of engagement include Bare Mt. Farm, a boutique flower farm in Oregon's Willamette Valley, with a dazzling photo of peachy trumpet snapdragons; Verbena Flowers & Trimmings of Roseville, Calif., Mom Karen Plarisan and daughter Karly Sahr posted a charming American flowers week bouquet they grew and designed with the "support your local farmer" message and Betany Coffland of Chloris Floral in Sonoma County, posted a romantic bouquet that wowed with the American Flowers Week message. April Lemly of Portland's Kamama Flowers was our most frequent and active participant, followed closely by Sarah and Steve Pabody of Triple Wren Farms, of Lynden, Washington. All together, the metrics are super impressive! One more announcement before I introduce today's guest. Next week, I'm heading to Boulder, Colorado to co-host the fourth Field to Vase Dinner at The Fresh Herb Co. Owned by Chet and Kristy Anderson, past guests of this podcast. Their beautiful Rocky Mountain flower farm will be transformed to an amazing venue for more than 100 diners who want to celebrate local flowers and local food in a gorgeous setting. How cool is that? The event takes place on Saturday, July 18th. Food and Wine magazine calls the Field to Vase Dinners "summer's ultimate al fresco dinner party," and the Wall St. Journal declares the dinners "a feast among the flora." You won't want to miss it! Supporters of Slow Flowers can take advantage of a special promotional discount to reserve seats and save $35 off the dinner at The Fresh Herb Co., or at future field to vase dinners in Brooklyn, Portland, Seattle, Washington, D.C., Detroit and San Diego. Click here and use SLOWFLOWERS when you check out. I hope to see you! I'm so pleased today to introduce you to Tammy Myers of First & Bloom, a floral design studio based in Seattle, specifically operating in the eastside suburbs of Issaquah, Redmond, Bellevue, Fall City and beyond. The very first thing you read on First & Bloom's Web site is this message: "From America with Love. Love just a little more by supporting your local farmers." Tammy writes "We're Different by Design. We know your love of locally-grown and organic foods. Now surround yourself with gorgeous locally grown flowers from yours truly, the American farmer!" She continues: First & Bloom only buys local and sustainable flowers, but what does that really mean?  Simply put, I only sell flowers grown in the United States. Absolutely zero flowers are grown outside the US.

We are in the middle of celebrating the inaugural American Flowers Week, June 29th through July 4th. We created American Flowers Week as a grass roots education, promotion and advocacy campaign to highlight our nation's farms, florists, flowers and foliage -- and to raise awareness among consumers, the media and policymakers about supporting domestic flowers! If you haven't joined in, there is plenty of time to get involved. The easiest thing you can do is to make a red-white-and-blue bouquet using all American-grown, local and seasonal blooms. Please post that photo on your social sites and tag #americanflowersweek. I believe this effort will grow from a small idea into a significant annual event - and by adding your voice (and creativity) to American Flowers Week, you're helping sing the praises of our homegrown blooms. I'm so pleased today to introduce you to Jennifer Haf and Larissa Flynn of BLOOM Floral Design based on the beautiful North Michigan shore, in the communities of Petoskey/Charlevoix. Jennifer founded BLOOM floral design in 2008 in response to her love for sharing cut garden flowers from her Northern Michigan backyard. Having since studied under some of the most celebrated designers and with her team executed hundreds of regional and destination events, Jennifer radiates her love for all things natural into the designs BLOOM creates. With a talented design team, BLOOM offers exclusive services to Northern Michigan and destination wedding clients -- in fact, for 65 ceremonies this year alone. Along with Jennifer, you'll also meet Larissa Flynn, the creative director for BLOOM. Trained as a graphic designer and fine artist, with extensive gallery and arts management experience, Larissa joined the floral business several years ago after meeting Jennifer and realizing they were creative kindred spirits. I love the philosophy of BLOOM, as described on the studio's web site: We believe that flowers are most beautiful in their natural state.  When combined with other blooms in a customized palette, color and texture create a distinctive design that exudes the feeling you wish to create.  BLOOM sources flowers from only the finest growers, sourcing as much as we can locally and domestically.  Hand selected from tried and true varieties of the highest standards, our blooms will be sure to please. Behind the scenes our creative team works meticulously at our production design studio where all of the magic happens the week leading up to your event.  Hand processing all of our flowers and prepping and designing each arrangement per event, our designs will charm and delight you and your guests. As you will hear in our conversation, I recorded the interview with Jennifer and Larissa rather spontaneously - at a gathering hosted by Lisa Waud of pot and box and Detroit's The Flower House, a prior guest of this podcast. I had flown to Detroit for a 24-hour visit to attend the preview for this amazing art installation, which will be held over the weekend of October 16-18. Jennifer and Larissa will create the florals for one of the rooms at The Flower House and I can't wait to see what kind of botanical magic they conjure up. Please follow links to all of BLOOM's social sites, shared below. These are talented Slow Flowers floristas you will want to follow: BLOOM on Facebook BLOOM on Twitter BLOOM on Pinterest BLOOM on Instagram Here's a gallery of the beautiful design work from BLOOM Floral Design, used with their permission. These gorgeous images give me a keen sense of place and an appreciation for the character of their region's landscape, climate and flora. A large percentage of their floral elements are local, Michigan-grown flowers. You'll want to visit Northern Michigan at the peak of the season to see these lovelies yourself! Listeners like you have downloaded this podcast more than 54,000 times.

Today, we're celebrating the 100th episode of the Slow Flowers Podcast, a weekly program that's all about American Flowers and the people who grow and design with them. Reaching ONE HUNDRED EPISODES represents a significant milestone, as we have brought you hours and hours of programming on the vital topics ranging from saving our domestic flower farms to supporting a floral industry that relies on a safe, seasonal and local supply of flowers and foliage. To me, it’s all about making a conscious choice and I invite you to join the conversation and the creative community. This podcast is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, nationwide online directory to florists, shops, and studios who design with American-grown flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms.  It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers. To commemorate the 100th episode of the Slow Flowers Podcast, we're launching a very cool and I believe significant week-long education and outreach campaign that will kick off next Monday, June 29th and run through Saturday, July 4th. Inspired by British Flowers Week, which has been the subject of two recent podcast episodes, the Slow Flowers Podcast and the Slowflowers.com online directory present: AMERICAN FLOWERS WEEK. We're kicking off American Flowers Week with a fabulous logo identifying the campaign, designed by Iowa-based illustrator and artist Jean Zaputil of Studio Z Design & Photography. You are welcome to visit our new American Flowers Week web site where you can download and use the logo and other resources for your own promotional efforts efforts. Click here to find our Press Kit and links to a Flickr gallery featuring local flowers and floral arrangements representing all 50 states. I encourage you to join in the campaign by posting your own images of the beautiful American flowers you grow or the distinctive bouquets you design using domestic and local stems. Please tag your photos with #americanflowersweek and let's get this topic trending. Here's an encouraging thought: Last year the hashtag #britishflowersweek generated 1.5 million social media impressions - that's seriously powerful-- and there is no reason we can't do something similar to raise awareness of our farms and our flowers here in the U.S. Since this is just our first year, American Flowers Week will rely on grassroots efforts of everyone who hears about it. In future years, we expect to bring more partners into the campaign and spread the news widely throughout the media, industry, and at the consumer level. Please join me - as I always say - in the conversation and in the creative community. Our guest today is a man who helped me make good on a promise to showcase local flowers when I presented as a featured designer at Art in Bloom, an annual flower and art extravaganza at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. My presentation was scheduled for May 1st, with a morning design demonstration, followed by an afternoon design workshop for 25 students. When the program chairs invited me to be part of Art in Bloom, I specified that I would come and present on the condition that we feature locally grown flowers. In concept, that seemed like a good idea. But spring arrived late in the Twin Cities and when time came to start ordering flowers for my presentation and workshops (and I'm talking a lot of flowers because of the generous budget I had to work with), the local wholesaler informed me that the only thing LOCAL that I could be assured of were pussy willows. I went into a bit of a panic until Slowflowers.com member Christine Hoffman, owner of Foxglove Market & Studio in St. Paul, Minnesota, and a past guest of this podcast, gave me a few suggestions. Len Busch Roses was one of them. And with just four days notice - and only one week before the uber-busy floral holiday of Mother's Day, Jason Lenz made it possible for me to have a bounty of Minnesota-grown flowers!

Welcome to our second episode celebrating British Grown Flowers. It's timely because this is British Flowers Week in the UK, where flower farmers, florists, retailers and wholesalers across the country join forces to raise awareness among consumers and the media about the renaissance of their domestic floral industry. Take note, because we've got big plans here at Slow Flowers to launch American Flowers Week very soon. My guest today is more than just a professional contact. I've gotten to know her and spend time in her home and community and I'm so happy to call Sarah Statham a personal friend. Sarah and I were introduced virtually by British flower farmer Gill Hodgson of Flowers from the Farm, a UK-based organization of flower farmers and florists promoting British flowers. You may have listened to my podcast interview with Gill last year. When I knew I would be traveling to England last month, I reached out to Gill and suggested that I schedule a visit to Yorkshire, where her farm is based. As it turned out, Gill and Sarah teamed up to create an entire itinerary for me and my mother Anita, my traveling companion. Sarah and her husband James Reader opened the doors to their home to invite us to stay for three amazing, flower-filled days. Their generosity blew us away, and beyond that, Sarah made sure that we met many others in the local floral community. A highlight was a gathering and full-on British afternoon tea at the RHS Harlow-Carr Botanical Garden in Harrowgate. Forty kindred spirits gathered to listen to my short presentation about Slow Flowers and the American Grown flower movement, but I have to say that what I learned from them in return was so valuable. That afternoon we tagged along for one of the photo shoots of the Yorkshire community of growers and designers, all part of the PR campaign to coincide with British Flowers Week. The Yorkshire flower farmers commissioned the very talented Sarah Mason whose images of Yorkshire-grown flowers, flower farmers and florists have been showcased on this blog all week. On our last morning together, I turned on the recorder to interview Sarah about her own business, as well as about her British Flowers Week activities. You'll hear me refer to the fact that we are seated in a cottage in the Cotswolds and just to explain, Sarah and James brought my mom and me with them for the first day of their week-long vacation in a charming village called Snowshill. Yet another amazing bonus of this visit and of their hospitality. The co-creator of Simply by Arrangement, which she started two years ago with Christie Buchanan, Sarah Statham is a floral designer and educator based in Hebden Bridge, in Yorkshire. Christie calls herself a cook, but having eaten her delicious food, I'd say she's a chef extraordinaire.   Their artisan flower and food business. pairs floral workshops with delicious food, which easily turns the educational aspect of a day playing with flowers into an entire luxury experience. Simply by Arrangement also provide flowers and food for private clients as well as flowers for larger events and weddings. Sarah grows many of our flowers used in her own beautiful cutting garden (which, by the way, the bedroom in which I slept conveniently overlooked). Christie sources her menu ingredients locally from farms in Lancashire, where she is based. I know you'll enjoy my conversation with Sarah and please follow Simply by Arrangement at these social places. Simply by Arrangement on Facebook Simply by Arrangement on Twitter Simply by Arrangement on Instagram And if you find yourself in the UK, a Simply by Arrangement Workshop that feeds your creativity and tempts your palate is certainly in order. Sarah and Christie would love to include you at the table. After wrapping up our interview Sarah and I continued to chat about the similarities in our philosophies.

Today I am delighted to introduce the women behind an innovative flower farm/floral design business in Oakland, California called The FloraCultural Society. Anna Campbell, who owns the venture with her mother Linda Davis, has an extensive career in ...