Summary: 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 <a href="http://francoiseweeks.com/" target="_blank">Françoise Weeks</a> and I were in Detroit at the same time for <a href="http://www.theflower.house/" target="_blank">The Flower House</a> festivities. Françoise traveled to Detroit earlier in the week to teach a two-day workshop hosted by our second podcast guest Susan McLeary of <a href="http://www.passionflowerevents.com/" target="_blank">Passionflower Events</a>. And I was in town to co-host the final <a href="http://www.americangrownflowers.org/FieldToVase/" target="_blank">Field to Vase Dinner</a> 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 <a href="http://hollychappleflowers.com/about/chapel-designers/" target="_blank">Chapel Designers</a> in New York City at the invitation of Holly Chapple.
