The Slow Flowers Podcast is the award-winning show known as the “Voice of the Slow Flowers Movement.” Launched in 2013 as the original flower podcast, we’ve devoted more than 10 years to covering the business of flower farming, floral design, and the Slow Flowers sustainability ethos. Listen to a new episode each Wednesday, available for free download here at slowflowerspodcast.com or on iTunes, Spotify, and other podcast platforms.
At Penflora, sustainable floristry meets thoughtful design. Founder Melissa Olson recently hosted me for a book-signing event at her Bay Area shop where we celebrated the publication of The Flower Farmers and enjoyed her beautiful floral design demonstration. It was one stop during a full weekend of floral, garden, and book events and you’ll love joining me on a tour through Melissa’s Slow Flowers-centered business. She founded Penflora in 2017 as a design studio that has expanded into a beautiful retail shop in Burlingame, just south of San Francisco, where the goods are curated and selected for the flower lover. After my reading and short introduction The Flower Farmers, Melissa demonstrated a seasonal arrangement complete with foraged garden elements and locally-grown blooms. It’s the perfect inspiration for autumn and I know you’ll connect with Melissa and her story.
Debra Prinzing (left) with Melissa Olson of Penflora Designs (right) (c) Niesha Blancas photo
Today, you’ll learn from Melissa Olson, owner of Penflora, a design studio and lifestyle store in Burlingame, California, just south of San Francisco.
I’ve met Melissa on a few occasions, including at the Slow Flowers Summit in 2021 when it took place in her backyard at Filoli historic home and gardens, and in Seattle when she traveled here to join the design workshop with Shane Connolly a few years ago. But I’ve been wanting to spend more time getting to know her and more about her path to florals.
When I knew I would be in the Bay Area for a weekend of book events, I reached out to schedule an interview for this podcast. That turned into Melissa suggesting we hold a book-signing in her shop. We both managed to achieve our goals and today, you’ll meet Melissa, join me on a tour of Penflora, and learn about her business model.
Growing up surrounded by nature and parents who loved to entertain, Melissa developed a deep appreciation for how plants and flowers can transform a space, whether in a garden, a vase, or as part of a thoughtfully designed interior or table scape. Melissa says she loves layers!
Penflora specializes in bespoke floral designs and is home to a unique and relaxing boutique where nature meets design through sustainable floristry and an offering of curated items and gifts. There’s a fabulous mix of vintage and contemporary items for gift giving and the home. It’s filled with a residential-style ambiance that enhances workshops, private parties, and (of course) shopping.
Melissa studied landscape design at Filoli, and she continues to provide commercial and Residential plant and floral design work for events and clients as a service of Penflora.
In Slow Flowers news, remember, you still have time to grab your Early Bird ticket to the Slow Flowers WORLDWIDE Summit, taking place January30-31, 2026. The speaker lineup is truly inspiring and as we start to record and capture the tours, design demonstrations and presentations on film, I’m more excited than ever! I have been previewing the expertise you’ll soon learn from Francoise Weeks, Joan Thorndike, Max Gill, Diane Szukovathy, Katherine Raz, TJ McGrath and many other floral luminaries! I’m also excited to be partnering with Dee Hall Goodwin of Mermaid City Flowers and Black Flower Farmers, a she is curating two sessions for the Summit.
Early Bird Promotion features five free sessions from 2025
You’ll enjoy your $50 discount on registration now through October 31stand receive a link to our bonus gift for early bird registrations: A special viewing of five sessions from the 2025 Slow Flowers Summit – that’s right, five free hours of floral education from past instructors, including Pilar Zuniga, Hannah Morgan, Kristin Griffith-VanderYacht, Mara Tyler, and Toni Reale (shown above). That’s an incredible value. Check out the details and grab your discounted registration – click on the link below.
This show is brought to you by slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 700 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, Flowerbulb.eu and their U.S. lily bulb vendors. One of the most recognizable flowers in the world, the lily is a top-selling cut flower, offering long-lasting blooms, year-round availability, and a dazzling petal palette. Flowerbulb.eu has partnered with Slow Flowers to provide beautiful lily inspiration and farming resources to help growers and florists connect their customers with more lilies. Learn more at Flowerbulb.eu.
Thank you to Johnny’s Selected Seeds, an employee-owned company that provides our industry the best flower, herb and vegetable seeds — supplied to farms large and small and even backyard cutting gardens like mine. Find the full catalog of flower seeds and bulbs at johnnyseeds.com.
Thank you to A-ROO Company, your one-stop shop for in-stock floral packaging. From sleeves and wraps to labels and tags, visit a-roo.com for their full selection of eco-friendly items or to start the process of developing a look that is uniquely yours.
Thank you for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than 1.5 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 believe in the importance of our domestic cut flower industry, the momentum is contagious. I know you feel it, too. If you’re new to our weekly Show and our long-running Podcast, check out all of our resources at SlowFlowersSociety.com.
Thank you for listening! Sending love, from my cutting garden to you! (c) Missy Palacol Photography
I’m Debra Prinzing, host and producer of the Slow Flowers Show & Podcast. The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. 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. Next week, you’re invited to join me in putting more Slow Flowers on the table, one stem, one vase at a time. Thanks so much for joining us today and I’ll see you next week!
Compared to the way today’s guests view the role of herb plants for the landscape, for culinary and medicinal purposes, and especially for floral design, I feel like the herb repertoire in the Slow Flowers Cutting Garden is in need of a major makeover. Learning from herb-lover and edible landscape designer Stefani Bittner of Homestead Design Collective and Rose Loveall, herb grower and nursery owner at Morningsun Herb Farm, both based in the San Francisco Bay Area, has been so eye-opening and enriching. We recently collaborated on a Flower & Herb event to celebrate The Flower Farmers book while also exploring herbs for the garden and the vase. You might be surprised at some of the herbs Stefani and Rose use for floral design, and trust me, I now have a big order of scented geraniums heading my way – just in time to get them established in my greenhouse before the season ends. Immerse yourself in today’s herbal extravaganza – I just wish you could smell all the plants we discussed.
Stefani Bittner, Rose Loveall, and Debra Prinzing at Morningsun Herb Farm
Today’s episode was filmed and recorded last weekend when I was on a book tour for The Flower Farmersbook. Slow Flowers members around the Bay Area partnered with me to fill four glorious days of talks, readings, floral design demonstrations, and community connections. It was a fabulous autumn weekend and I’m excited to share it with you.
My conversation with Slow Flowers member Stefani Bittner of Homestead Design Collectiveand her frequent collaborator, Rose Loveall of Morningsun Herb Farm took place during an herb-and-floral-filled morning at Rose’s nursery, located in the countryside of Vacaville, California, on 3 acres, between Sacramento and San Francisco.
Herb and floral arrangement designed by Stefani Bittner
Stefani harvesting design ingredients in Rose’s cut flower garden at Morningsun
This is a two-part plant tour, followed by Stefani and Rose’s presentation on growing herbs for the cut flower garden and design tips.
Rose Loveall-Sale is owner of Morningsun Herb Farm, a family-owned nursery specializing in culinary, medicinal and specialty herbs. She has spent the last 30 years growing more than 700 varieties of herbs and perennials, starting the nursery as a weekend venture and expanding it to a plant lover’s destination, as well as a mail order nursery. Rose is originally a forester by education (University of California, Berkeley), but she discovered that herbs were her favorite plants to grow and enjoy. An M.S. in Environmental Horticulture from the University of California at Davis rounded out her education and piqued her interest in owning and operating her own nursery. Her family’s farm in northern California proved the perfect spot for her horticultural endeavors.
Rose and her team propagate and sell culinary, medicinal and landscaping herbs, as well as many unusual perennials for hummingbird and butterfly gardening, drought tolerant perennials, scented geraniums, succulents, and heirloom vegetables in the spring and fall. They specialize in a huge selection of lavender, propagating over 45 varieties in our greenhouses.
Follow the link to the waiting list for the forthcoming details for their 2026 retreat to Puglia, Italy, at Trulli Trazzonara, Stefani’s vacation rental there. I’m fascinated with their plans and want to share them with you.
As a post-script, I want to highlight The Flower Farmers’ HERB EXPERT, whose story I shared with the audience at our Herb & Flower workshop at Morningsun. I’ve been so inspired by Xenia D’Ambrosi, owner of Sweet Earth Co., whose story is featured in the book. As a bonus for you, here is Xenia’s list of her 10 favorite herbs – excerpted from her chapter – it’s a great starting point for gardeners and flower lovers and the perfect reference for your herb plant shopping!
Join Us to Tour Holland and Belgium for a Slow Flowers Experience
Flower & Garden Inspiration in Holland and Belgium with Debra Prinzing (top) and Lorene Edwards Forkner (bottom)
Speaking of garden travel, remember that I’ll be leading a luxury garden and floral river cruise and tour through Amsterdam and Belgium next spring. Lorene Edwards Forkner, author of Color in and Out of the Garden, will be my partner and our artist in residence on this excursion scheduled for April 19-29, 2026. Nearly half of the cabins are already spoken for on this one-of-a-kind tour, so check out the link below to learn more. It’s a Slow Flowers Experience and I hope you can join us!
This show is brought to you by slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 700 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, Flowerbulb.eu and their U.S. lily bulb vendors. One of the most recognizable flowers in the world, the lily is a top-selling cut flower, offering long-lasting blooms, year-round availability, and a dazzling petal palette. Flowerbulb.eu has partnered with Slow Flowers to provide beautiful lily inspiration and farming resources to help growers and florists connect their customers with more lilies. Learn more at Flowerbulb.eu.
Thank you to Longfield Gardens, which provides home gardeners with high quality flower bulbs and perennials. Their online store offers plants for every region and every season, from tulips and daffodils to dahlias, caladiums and amaryllis. Check out the full catalog at Longfield Gardens at longfield-gardens.com.
Our final sponsor thanks goes to Rooted Farmers. Rooted Farmers works exclusively with local growers to put the highest-quality specialty cut flowers in floral customers’ hands. When you partner with Rooted Farmers, you are investing in your community, and you can expect a commitment to excellence in return. Learn more at RootedFarmers.com.
Thank you for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than 1.5 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 believe in the importance of our domestic cut flower industry, the momentum is contagious. I know you feel it, too. If you’re new to our weekly Show and our long-running Podcast, check out all of our resources at SlowFlowersSociety.com.
Thank you for listening! Sending love, from my cutting garden to you! (c) Missy Palacol Photography
I’m Debra Prinzing, host and producer of the Slow Flowers Show & Podcast. The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. 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. Next week, you’re invited to join me in putting more Slow Flowers on the table, one stem, one vase at a time. Thanks so much for joining us today and I’ll see you next week!
A visit to Japan for two weeks in September was the ultimate dream come true. My husband Bruce and I, joined by three dear friends, experienced some of the country’s incomparable beauty, culture, history, and tradition during our time in Kyoto and Tokyo. We watched World Class athletes compete in Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium at the World Track Championships, ate authentic ramen, sushi, and tempura, and put in our 10k+ steps each day. I also had the wonderful experience of spending one day away from my traveling companions, immersed in Japan’s emerging slow flowers community. Thanks to Megumi Hagiuda, my guide and translator, I visited an organic flower farm, stopped by several flower shops, and enjoyed floral-centric menus at two amazing restaurants. The day culminated with a community meal where I met with more than one dozen slow flowers-minded professionals representing many facets of the floral industry. Today’s episode is a recap of some of those highlights!
Scenes from the beautiful teahouse and gourd arbor at Yoshigaki Organic Flower Farm, a century-old, third-generation flower farm in Asao Ward, Kawasaki City, about 50 miles outside of Tokyo
Bruce Brooks & Debra Prinzing Japan, September 2025 (photographed at Ginkakuji Temple (Silver Palace) in Kyoto
As you heard in my opening summary, I just spent two weeks traveling with my husband and friends in Japan. Two weeks barely introduced me to the wonder and mystery of this beautiful country. I left wanting to return and experience Japan’s gardens and landscape during a different time of year, like spring or fall. Let’s just say September is still the hot and humid summer season. I marveled at how cool and crisp everyone there looked in their fashionable wardrobes! So I’m taking notes!
In the Harvest! Debra and Megumi, photographed at Yoshigaki Flower Farm
I first met Megumi Hagiuda in 2023 when she traveled to Bellevue, Washington, for our Slow Flowers Summit. She was immediately adopted by a group of Slow Flowers members, and made some lasting friendships. We learned a bit about Megumi’s background and her journey from owning a Tokyo-based flower shop called Afrika Rose, which was followed by her shift to promoting organic flower farming and sustainable floral design in Japan.
Watch this BONUS session above: Earlier this year in January, during the Slow Flowers Worldwide Summit, our first online conference, Megumi recorded a presentation about Slow Flowers Japan. We featured the presentation as one of our four international bonus sessions. Megumi invited organic flower farmer Ai Takahashi of Green Field Flowers to co-present with her and together, the two women introduced our community to the business aspects of Japan’s small but growing organic floral industry, shared the story of Green Field Flowers, and discussed the Slow Flowers advocacy work that Megumi began in 2022 with two other colleagues.
A day on the organic flower farm with (from left): Shiho Yoshigaki, Debra, Megumi, and Kazuya Yoshigaki
It was so serendipitous to hear from Megumi earlier this summer when she reached out to suggest I come to Japan and host a Slow Flowers Summit in person. I told her about my September trip and asked if we could get together. The result was an incredibly generous, day-long itinerary that Megumi planned for me.
Shiho Yoshigaki (left) and Megumi Hagiuda (right), photographed at Yoshigaki Organic Flower Farm
Today’s podcast features highlights of that day, including interviews with husband-and-wife team Kazuya and Shiho Yoshigaki, owners of Yoshigaki Organic Flower Farm, a century-old, third-generation flower farm in Asao Ward, Kawasaki City, about 50 minutes by train from the city center. Megumi served as translator for Kazuya and Shiho, and you’ll hear her speaking in English after their comments. I am so grateful that she helped facilitate these inspiring conversations.
Megumi (left) and Kazuya Yoshigaki (right)
My delightful morning at Yoshigaki included my first time drinking a refreshing tea made from the leaves of a plum date tree, which Megumi said is called the mame gaki in Japanese, translated as “bean shaped persimmon.” We also harvested zinnias, salvia, cosmos, and asclepias for our bouquet-making – what a full and enriching morning.
Megumi and Debra enjoyed a fantastic, floral-garnished meal at Lorans
Afterwards, we returned to Tokyo for a fun lunchtime stop at Lorans. Lorans is a flower shop and café with many unique facets, including providing employment for individuals with disabilities who make floral gifts from dried botanicals – wall hangings and arrangements. This mission-driven company operates several locations in Tokyo, owns a cut flower farm, and design studio. Manager Mie Sato joined Megumi and me and led us on a tour of the production facility – so impressive.
Debra Prinzing with Mari Yamaoka of Ginko Flowers
The next interview you’ll hear today features our visit to GingkoFlowers, a charming plant and flower shop owned by Mari Yamaoka. Mari is fluent in English having studied floral design in Switzerland, so you’ll hear her introduce us to her design philosophy, and her commitment to sustainability. She also introduces us to Fladambo, her innovative flower and plant stand made from recycled cardboard. It’s replacing the metal easels that are often disposed of in land fills and she sells the product wholesale to other florists across Japan.
Dinner with members of Japan’s Slow Flowers community at Hibino
A special note about our dinner gathering. Thank you to the owners and head gardener of Hibino, a creative bistro that embraces seasonal cuisine, including edible flowers, herbs, and fruits grown in their own farm. They participated in the conversation, and I was especially delighted by the herb-centric floral arrangements created by Takeyuki Shiraiwa for our event.
The Japan Slow Flowers Tour and the Summit Presentation each run about 35 minutes, so feel free to watch in two parts. You can listen here or watch the replay video – which I encourage you to do!
Thank you for joining me today! I truly loved my day of flowers with Megumi and friends. I hope you get to visit in person some day!
Thank you to our Sponsors
This show is brought to you by slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 700 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, Flowerbulb.eu and their U.S. lily bulb vendors. One of the most recognizable flowers in the world, the lily is a top-selling cut flower, offering long-lasting blooms, year-round availability, and a dazzling petal palette. Flowerbulb.eu has partnered with Slow Flowers to provide beautiful lily inspiration and farming resources to help growers and florists connect their customers with more lilies. Learn more at Flowerbulb.eu.
Thank you to the Association of Specialty Cut Flowers. The ASCFG is a gathering place for specialty cut flower growers of all levels of experience. It is a hub of knowledge, where seasoned experts and budding enthusiasts come together to learn, share, and support one another. The ASCFG is dedicated to empowering its members with the knowledge and resources needed to thrive in the world of cut flower farming. From educational workshops and conferences to online resources and publications, they provide a wealth of information and support for all things related to growing exceptional cut flowers. Learn more about the ASCFG and how to be a part of it at ascfg.org.
Thank you to the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market, a farmer-owned cooperative committed to providing the very best the Pacific Northwest has to offer in cut flowers, foliage and plants. The Growers Market’s mission is to foster a vibrant marketplace that sustains local flower farms and provides top-quality products and service to the local floral industry. Visit them at swgm.coop.
Thank you for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than 1.5 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 believe in the importance of our domestic cut flower industry, the momentum is contagious. I know you feel it, too. If you’re new to our weekly Show and our long-running Podcast, check out all of our resources at SlowFlowersSociety.com.
Thank you for listening! Sending love, from my cutting garden to you! (c) Missy Palacol Photography
I’m Debra Prinzing, host and producer of the Slow Flowers Show & Podcast. The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. 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. Next week, you’re invited to join me in putting more Slow Flowers on the table, one stem, one vase at a time. Thanks so much for joining us today and I’ll see you next week!
Anne Long likes to call herself a cheerleader for dahlias and many other flowers that she wants gardeners and growers to experience. “I love ridiculously gorgeous flowers that look like they are out of a high-end magazine,” she proclaims. “And I want my neighbor to have them on her kitchen table.”At the peak of dahlia season here in the Pacific Northwest, I sat down with this passionate founder of The Dahlia House in Mount Vernon, Washington, to learn more about her gardening hobby-turned-tuber business. The gorgeous display of thousands of vibrant, healthy dahlia varieties was mesmerizing, with about 500 different cultivars for the 2026 tuber season. Anne also devotes an area of her field to showcase unique selections from her favorite dahlia hybridizers, Kristine Albrecht of Santa Cruz Dahlias, and Hailey Sly of River Merle Farm. The Dahlia House has expanded its catalog to include ranunculus and anemone corms, seeds, floral art, as well as freesias and gladiolas for 2026. Join me on a visual tour and an insightful conversation that left me thinking I should rip out everything in my raised beds and devote my life to dahlias!
Anne Long, owner of The Dahlia House in Mt. Vernon, Washington
For the past three years or so, I have connected annually with Anne Long of The Dahlia House at the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival. Her award-winning retail booth was located quite close to the Blooms & Bubbles mainstage, where I produce the daily floral design workshops. So a friendship began with our mutual interest (and my admiration for the beautiful display created by Anne and her team). I mean, how do you make dahlia tubers look sexy in February? At The Dahlia House display, the booth resembled a charming white cottage-style farmhouse, complete with framed art photographs of the flowers for which you can order tubers and corms.
Dahlia season at The Dahlia House
Anne joined Slow Flowers as a member and I made a note to schedule a visit to see her flowers in person and learn more about her story. In early September, I we spent a morning in the dahlia fields.
When your sneakers match your flowers! Anne Long of The Dahlia House
You can read the full story of Anne’s highs and lows as a dahlia gardener on her website. LINK is here so you can dive in and read more. The narrative includes this recap: By 2020, when Anne was feeling like “a Flower Boss Queen,” something drastic happened. And she had to dig out of a few devastating years of failed crops. Anne decided to start a flower business, mainly to have a business license so she could afford to replace her tuber stock at wholesale prices. She ordered up all of her favorites and listed the extra tubers for sale on my website. The story continues, as Anne writes: Guess what? I was completely sold out! Dahlia mania is real.
Anne Long with Stephanie Ware of Melodic Caring Project
At the end of the episode, we added a five-minute bonus interview when Anne introduces her friend and farm host, Stephanie Ware, of Melodic Caring Project, a nonprofit organization that serves patients worldwide through live-streaming musical performances and more. The Dahlia House and Melodic Caring Project have teamed up for several years to promote this important cause, and it was really interesting to learn more about this collaboration.
Anemones with a selection of Pots by Emma (daughter Emma Long’s pottery company)
Dahlias with a Pots by Emma vessel
Thank you for joining me today! I’m so grateful to Anne Long of The Dahlia House for her support and membership in the Slow Flowers Society.
This show is brought to you by slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 700 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, Flowerbulb.eu and their U.S. lily bulb vendors. One of the most recognizable flowers in the world, the lily is a top-selling cut flower, offering long-lasting blooms, year-round availability, and a dazzling petal palette. Flowerbulb.eu has partnered with Slow Flowers to provide beautiful lily inspiration and farming resources to help growers and florists connect their customers with more lilies. Learn more at Flowerbulb.eu.
Thank you to A-ROO Company, your one-stop shop for in-stock floral packaging. From sleeves and wraps to labels and tags, visit www.a-roo.com for their full selection of eco-friendly items or to start the process of developing a look that is uniquely yours. Learn more at a-roo.com.
Thank you to Charles Little & Company for supplying our industry with some of the most beautiful and sustainably-grown design ingredients, available nationwide through their website at charleslittleandcompany.com. Based in Eugene, Oregon, the farmers at Charles Little & Company have been growing and drying flowers since 1986. New products and dried flower collections are added to their website at the first of each month. Check it out at charleslittleandcompany.com.
Thank you for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than 1.5 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 believe in the importance of our domestic cut flower industry, the momentum is contagious. I know you feel it, too. If you’re new to our weekly Show and our long-running Podcast, check out all of our resources at SlowFlowersSociety.com.
Thank you for listening! Sending love, from my cutting garden to you! (c) Missy Palacol Photography
I’m Debra Prinzing, host and producer of the Slow Flowers Show & Podcast. The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. 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. Next week, you’re invited to join me in putting more Slow Flowers on the table, one stem, one vase at a time. Thanks so much for joining us today and I’ll see you next week!
At The Little Farm on Olga Road on Orcas, Carol Wetzel and Allan Tone live in a small house and have devoted much of the surrounding three acres to growing a food-herb-and-flower farm and seasonal plant nursery to serve their neighbors and island visitors, including destination wedding clients. The Little Farm is a Big Endeavor that began when Carol and Allan arrived at the beginning of the Pandemic. The move was possible because they also own a small software company and are able to operate it remotely. So you might think The Little Farm is a side hustle, but it’s much more than that, as the couple embraces permaculture, environmental biodiversity, and organic practices while caring for a once-neglected hayfield turned magical, plant-centered experience for everyone who enters its gates. Join us on a tour of The Little Farm and a conversation with Carol – I know you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.
Allan Tone and Carol Wetzel, founders of The Little Farm on Olga Road, Orcas Island, Washington
I recently mentioned that I’ve been busy in the field, gathering stories and interviews to share with you in anticipation of my upcoming 2-week trip to Japan, so today, you’re in for a real treat – a visit to The Little Farm on Olga Road, based in Eastsound on Orcas Island and owned by Carol Wetzel and Allan Tone. I reached this gorgeous destination in a tiny airplane piloted by Allan. The short but breathtaking flight in and of itself was like a luxury vacation toone of the most popular of the beautiful string of islands that make up the San Juan archipelago.
Specialty Cut Flowers from The Little Farm on Olga Road
Overlooking a beautiful bay on Orcas Island, The Little Farm on Olga Road offers a spectacular seasonal array of perennials and annuals to enjoy in a multitude of ways. Carol and Allan’s cutting garden bounty begins in early spring with tulips, anemones, hellebores and irises; summertime welcomes fragrant sweet peas, followed by zinnias, cosmos, sunflowers, and specialty dahlias – all of which were thriving at their seasonal peak when I arrived. To come, the arrival of more than 60 varieties of heirloom chrysanthemums later this fall.
A social media post tells the story of The Little Farm’s origins
The Little Farm Soap Co. features all local and natural ingredients
What I learned on my visit is that The Little Farm is not just a flower farm. With three distinct orchards, a mini vineyard of wine and table grapes, hardy kiwi, and seasonal vegetables, the gates open to visitors who can enjoy a You Pick experience or shop in the Farm Stand that’s also stocked with fresh farm eggs, plant starts and a selection of the farm’s soap and skincare line made from locally sourced-tallow and essential oils pressed from the flowers.
The golden hour at The Little Farm (left) and Carol Wetzel (right)
Carol, a lifelong gardener and educator with a Doctorate in Education, says her real delight is the joy her garden creations bring to friends, neighbors and visitors on Orcas Island, people who want to immerse themselves in the wonderful world of flowering perennials and annuals.
Allan’s role at The Little Farm is evident everywhere you look, including artfully built barns, farm stand, hoop houses, and an innovative irrigation system. Allan is the President of Orcas Aviation Association, which provides Mercy Flights for individuals and family members that need a quick flight off the island for non-life-threatening treatment such as chemotherapy or other medical emergencies. He and a handful of volunteer pilots fly thousands of missions each year.
Some of what you’ll discover at The Little Farm on Olga Road
Their commitment to community and their Little Farm is inspiring and I’m delighted to share it with you today. I’m so grateful to Carol and Allan for their hospitality and for their membership in the Slow Flowers Society. I left my 24-hour visit to The Little Farm filled with a shared sense of wonder. As Carol and Allan continue to work hard and pay great attention to what brings joy to their visitors, their original vision for The Little Farm and what it represents is taking shape beautifully.
This show is brought to you by slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 700 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, Flowerbulb.eu and their U.S. lily bulb vendors. One of the most recognizable flowers in the world, the lily is a top-selling cut flower, offering long-lasting blooms, year-round availability, and a dazzling petal palette. Flowerbulb.eu has partnered with Slow Flowers to provide beautiful lily inspiration and farming resources to help growers and florists connect their customers with more lilies. Learn more at Flowerbulb.eu.
Thank you to Rooted Farmers. Rooted Farmers works exclusively with local growers to put the highest-quality specialty cut flowers in floral customers’ hands. When you partner with Rooted Farmers, you are investing in your community, and you can expect a commitment to excellence in return. Learn more at RootedFarmers.com
Thank you to Johnny’s Selected Seeds, an employee-owned company that provides our industry the best flower, herb and vegetable seeds — supplied to farms large and small and even backyard cutting gardens like mine. Find the full catalog of flower seeds and bulbs at johnnyseeds.com.
Thank you for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than 1.5 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 believe in the importance of our domestic cut flower industry, the momentum is contagious. I know you feel it, too. If you’re new to our weekly Show and our long-running Podcast, check out all of our resources at SlowFlowersSociety.com.
Thank you for listening! Sending love, from my cutting garden to you! (c) Missy Palacol Photography
I’m Debra Prinzing, host and producer of the Slow Flowers Show & Podcast. The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. 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. Next week, you’re invited to join me in putting more Slow Flowers on the table, one stem, one vase at a time. Thanks so much for joining us today and I’ll see you next week!
Alicia Houston is the founder of Healer’s Harvest, based in Poulsbo, Washington. After moving to the Pacific Northwest from San Diego to care for her grandfather, a long-time veggie grower and farmers’ market seller, Alicia found her own passion for flower farming. Her lifelong interest in medicinal plants led her to take courses, attend workshops, and eventually launch Healer’s Harvest in 2022.Alicia provides floral designs for weddings, events, and pop-ups; she offers DIY flower buckets and hosts design workshops. She is committed to sustainability, using locally sourced flowers and eco-friendly techniques to create unique, seasonal arrangements that reflect the beauty of the Kitsap Peninsula where she lives. Join me on a field tour with Alicia as she harvests her healing floral ingredients for a beautiful design demonstration.
Alicia Houston of Healer’s Harvest
Now that we’re officially into September, I’ve been motivated to schedule as many in-person interviews for the Slow Flowers Podcast as possible. The floral palette is at its peak and yet there’s an awareness that we’ll soon arrive at the fall equinox. Knowing that I’m heading to Japan for two weeks, I spent the early part of September recording three back-to-back farm visits with beautiful video and delightful conversations. The first of those three is today’s interview with Alicia Houston of Healer’s Harvest.
Alicia, harvesting crabapple branches in Grandpa’s Orchard, Poulsbo, Washington
I met Alicia at the leased field where she has farmed annuals and dahlias for two seasons, land that Alicia recently learned she will have to give up. That’s bittersweet, but as she evolves her young floral enterprise, Alicia is discovering that there’s still plenty of garden space where she lives with her grandfather, as well as a possible new location for 2026. As she points out, with her increased focus on floral design and freelancing, Alicia has deepened her ties with other farmer-florists in the Kitsap Peninsula from whom she can source – even if her growing space is reduced.
Alicia’s modern, seasonal, Ikebana-inspired arrangement with a pin frog mechanic
Thank you for joining me today! I’m so grateful that Alicia and I met when she was just getting started. I think it was 2022 when she and her sister came to the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival and our membership manager, Tonneli Gruetter, brought them to the floral stage to introduce us. Fast-forward to 2025 and Alicia was a featured Blooms & Bubbles instructor leading one of our Slow Flowers floral design workshop. I love how these connections continue to deepen.
For the 2026 Slow Flowers Worldwide Summit in January, Alicia will join Dee Hall Goodwin, Monique Morris, and Marilyn Griffin on a panel discussion: Building a Farmer-Florist Business. As I mentioned last week, we’ve invited Black Flower Farmers to join Slow Flowers Society as the Summit’s co-host, and Dee is producing two of the sessions, including this one.We’ve just announced the full speaker lineup for the online Summit and Tickets will go on sale October 1st.
This show is brought to you by slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 700 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, Flowerbulb.eu and their U.S. lily bulb vendors. One of the most recognizable flowers in the world, the lily is a top-selling cut flower, offering long-lasting blooms, year-round availability, and a dazzling petal palette. Flowerbulb.eu has partnered with Slow Flowers to provide beautiful lily inspiration and farming resources to help growers and florists connect their customers with more lilies. Learn more at Flowerbulb.eu.
Thank you to the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market, a farmer-owned cooperative committed to providing the very best the Pacific Northwest has to offer in cut flowers, foliage and plants. The Growers Market’s mission is to foster a vibrant marketplace that sustains local flower farms and provides top-quality products and service to the local floral industry. Visit them at swgm.coop or seattlewholesalegrowersmarket.com.
And thank you to Longfield Gardens, which provides home gardeners with high quality flower bulbs and perennials. Their online store offers plants for every region and every season, from tulips and daffodils to dahlias, caladiums and amaryllis. Check out the full catalog at Longfield Gardens at longfield-gardens.com.
Thank you for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than 1.5 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 believe in the importance of our domestic cut flower industry, the momentum is contagious. I know you feel it, too. If you’re new to our weekly Show and our long-running Podcast, check out all of our resources at SlowFlowersSociety.com.
Thank you for listening! Sending love, from my cutting garden to you! (c) Missy Palacol Photography
I’m Debra Prinzing, host and producer of the Slow Flowers Show & Podcast. The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. 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. Next week, you’re invited to join me in putting more Slow Flowers on the table, one stem, one vase at a time. Thanks so much for joining us today and I’ll see you next week!
