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.
Belle Pétaleis a boutique floral design studio located in Lakewood, outside Tacoma, Washington. For owner Teresa Rao, each of her made-to-order floral arrangements is created with a custom palette of seasonal flowers sourced in the Pacific Northwest from local flower farmers. Teresa credits three influences for her aesthetic: “My spirit is American; my heart is Mexican; and my soul is French.” Her childhood summers consisted of trips to Guadalajara, Mexico, where her family is originally from, and where the Spanish and French influences are profoundly evident in the Mexican cuisine, architecture and traditions – it’s where she fell in love with an old-world sensibility. Now, as an ardent gardener, homemaker and creative, Teresa continues to draw inspiration from her Mexican heritage, romantic gardens, European art and home interiors to create classic, seasonal, French-inspired floral designs. Belle Pétale incorporates all of this into design elements that accentuate the French floral style: poetry, structure, and nature – with a polished presentation. Join me on a visit to Teresa’s new studio in Lakewood, where we discuss her focus on blooms and events. We wrap up the interview with a Bastille Day floral design demonstration!
Teresa Rao of Belle Pétale
Teresa Rao is a Tacoma-based Slow Flowers member who we first introduced you to in the pages of our 2021 book, Where We Bloom. The feature documents her transition as an avid gardener with a 16-year corporate training career to a studio floral designer. In the story, she discusses having a love for “all things French,” which explains her choice of Belle Pétale as a studio name.
In the new Belle Pétale Studio with Teresa Rao and Debra Prinzing of Slow Flowers Podcast
It has been a joy to watch this floral entrepreneur’s business evolve in the subsequent five years. Through her studio Teresa continues to support local floral sourcing, as she continues to weave the language of flowers into her designs, delighting customers with the meaning and messages of the arrangements they order. There is always a French flair, and now, Belle Pétale has a new studio in the community of Lakewood, outside Tacoma. I visited a few weeks ago and this really feels like Teresa’s “forever studio,” designed for both efficiency and to welcome larger workshops of up to 15 students.
We’ll catch up on the news of Belle Pétale’s branding re-fresh, and learn about Teresa’s future plans. And of course, I visited just before Bastille Day, the July 14th French national holiday marking the beginning of the French Revolution – so Teresa treated us to a blue-white-and red floral design to reflect the colors of the flag of France.
In Slow Flowers news, today’s episode marks our 13th anniversary of the Slow Flowers Podcast! The show debuted on July 23, 2013, with Episode number 100 – and little did I know that we’d continue going strong for 13 years, with nearly 700 consecutive weekly episodes ever since. The Slow Flowers Podcast is an award-winning podcast known as the “Voice of the Slow Flowers Movement.” We launched as the original, first-ever flower podcast, and for 13 years we have devoted this show to the business of flower farming, floral design, and the Slow Flowers sustainability ethos.
Join me in the celebration! We have brand new show graphics, designed by Niesha Blancas of Fetching Social, our longtime social media manager and branding maven. Each Wednesday you can enjoy this free Slow Flowers content two ways: Watch a brand new video interview on our YouTube channel (a feature we launched in 2021 for our 8th anniversary), and as always, listen via free downloads on slowflowerspodcast.com, or on iTunes, Spotify, anywhere you subscribe to podcasts.
Thank you to our Sponsors
This show is brought to you by slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to 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, My Patio Tree: Expertly Grown Plants, Perfectly Designed to Elevate Your Garden. Their second-generation family tree farm has curated the best-performing, cutting-edge, multi-zone varieties to enhance your garden, patio or special event. Every tree purchased supports Plant With Purpose, a nonprofit organization that restores hope by reversing global poverty and environmental damage. Learn more at mypatiotree.com.
Thank you to the Seattle 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 seattlegrowersmarket.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 1.6 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.
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!
The Snohomish County Flower Collective is a regional wholesale floral hub founded in 2023 to bring together nearly 40 growers under one roof. Frequently called the Sno-Co-Flo-Co, the group is based in the historic town of Snohomish, about 35 miles north of Seattle, and most of their members have farms in Snohomish and nearby counties. Their home base is at Fleurs Creative, a floral design studio owned by Alicia Schwede, a longtime Slow Flowers member, floral educator, and advocate for seasonal design. Having a centralized location is a win-win for both Alicia and the farmers. As a community that serves both florists and the general public with high quality, fresh, and local flowers, SnoCo Flower Collective is changing the face of agriculture in an already vibrant farming region. Most of the flower farms are women-owned and their commitment to elevating local flowers and supporting one another is a valuable model. Join me in a conversation with the leadership team’s Tracy Sundby and Beth Kendall, and a bonus chat with Alicia Schwede.
Where they grow: Snohomish County Flower Collective
The Flower Farmers gathered in front of Fleurs Creative
Community, not Competition is the motivating ethos for the Snohomish County Flower Collective. They say: “We believe that thriving farms start with thriving farmers. Our mission is to provide education, training, and resources that empower growers to build successful, sustainable businesses. By fostering collaboration over competition, we break down barriers, create an inclusive space, and ensure a vibrant future for local agriculture. Since our founding in 2023, our collective has been more than just a network—it’s a community. Together, we share knowledge, support one another, and strengthen the local flower movement. By working side by side, we’re not just growing flowers—we’re growing a stronger, more resilient future for small-scale farming.”
On the occasion of the collective’s rebranding and relaunch for season four, I visited last month and was treated to a beautiful experience. Today’s episode begins with a brief bonus conversation with Alicia Schwede, who many of you know for her Flirty Fleurs blog, and her studio, Fleurs Creative. Alicia’s own move to Snohomish, known for its amazing antiques, quaint main street with l9th century buildings along a river’s edge, and a thriving artists community, led to the purchase of a 1905 building, which she and her husband renovated and one portion of which is home to Fleurs Creative.
My 50 Mile Bouquet, created by Snohomish Country Flower Collective
Tracy Sundby of Freedom Flowers
Beth Kendall of Flower Farmer Girls
Next, I recorded a conversation with two of the four members of Sno Co. Flower Collective’s leadership team, Tracy Sundby, owner of Freedom Flower Farm; and Beth Kendall, owner of Flower Farmer Girls. Let’s welcome all to the Slow Flowers Podcast.
Alicia, with some of her favorite flowers, which she grows in her Snohomish, Washington garden.
And on a personal note, did you hear what Alicia said about the experience that lured her to the town of Snohomish? She credits an early outing when I took her to Snohomish after she first moved to Seattle. Secondly, she credits Slow Flowers for bringing together Alicia’s Fleurs Creative with the Sno Co Flower Collective. Isn’t it serendipitous what happens when we build community with authentic relationships – I was really touched by this and I know that you must have similar stories. The connections between floral designers and flower farmers are strong and interdependent!
Find and follow Snohomish County Flower Collective on Instagram and Facebook
Thank you to our Sponsors
This show is brought to you by slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to 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, My Patio Tree: Expertly Grown Plants, Perfectly Designed to Elevate Your Garden. Their second-generation family tree farm has curated the best-performing, cutting-edge, multi-zone varieties to enhance your garden, patio or special event. Every tree purchased supports Plant With Purpose, a nonprofit organization that restores hope by reversing global poverty and environmental damage. Learn more at mypatiotree.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 to Charles Little and Company. On August 25th, spend the day touring Charles Little and Company in Eugene, Oregon, as part of the ASCFG regional gathering. Learn how the farm operates seasonally with an emphasis on field grown crops for national sales and visit the farm stand and U-Pick fields that connect the farm to its community. Interact with Charles Little and Bethany Little to learn and be inspired. Lunch is included. Ticket details are at ascfg.org.
Thank you for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than 1.6 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!
Based on her recent design workshop for the Seattle Growers Market, Gina Thresher of From the Ground Up Floral shared a design demonstration during our Slow Flowers Member meetup in June – and we filmed the session to share today. Gina’s European Sustainable Armature Bouquet elevates floral artistry by moving beyond foam, glue and tape. She shares the method of creating a European-style natural bouquet armature, a sustainable design philosophy pioneered by legendary German Master Florist Gregor Lersch – and technique that’s beautiful and completely compostable. An International Master Florist, member of AIFD and EMC-trained, as well as a longtime Slow Flowers member, Gina demonstrates how to build an intricate structure using only organic and biodegradable materials, allowing floral compositions to dance within a sculptural framework. As a bonus, she shares a second design method using moss and raffia as the mechanic. You’ll want to add the ideas and inspiration she shares to your toolbox as you expand your skills and techniques.
Gina Thresher has trained with top florists in North America and Europe – and beyond – and she has achieved the highest credentials, from AIFD (American Institute of Floral Designers) and EMC (European Masters Certification) to IMF (International Master Florist). At the heart of her aesthetic and design philosophy, Gina is a garden-lover and a Slow Flowers member. Today, you’ll see her design a European-style armature with a beautiful array of seasonal flowers from her garden and from her neighbors (which she clipped with permission). She learned this method from Gregor Lersch, who teaches the IMF certification program. Gather your branches and get out your toolbox and drill bit to you can challenge yourself to this game-changing approach to floral design, suitable for hand-tied bouquets, arrangements, and installations.
Hand-tied bouquet using sustainable armature by Gina Thresher of From the Ground Up Floral
Supply List for Sustainable European Armature
Seasonal bouquet using Spanish Moss-and-Raffia ball as mechanic
Supply List for moss ball-bouquet mechanic
Gina’s second “bonus” demonstration (see final design, above) incorporates seasonal flowers that she sourced from the Seattle Growers Market. The mechanic uses natural, compostable materials, and you probably have them on hand.
The Content Retreat, July 20-22
The Content Retreat with Gina Thresher
And here are the details (and a promo code) about Gina’s upcoming workshop, The Content Retreat, taking place July 20-22, 2026 at Viva la Flora Studio in Ellicott, Maryland. The three-day course will set you up with three months of social media content and launch your future confidence in creating the posts, stories, reels, and blogs that showcase you and your brand. Polish your photography skills and learn about AI content scheduling, too. The workshop cost is $497 and Gina has shared a gift with our listeners, viewers, and members to save $100 off with code: SLOWFLOWERS.
This show is brought to you by slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to 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, My Patio Tree: Expertly Grown Plants, Perfectly Designed to Elevate Your Garden. Their second-generation family tree farm has curated the best-performing, cutting-edge, multi-zone varieties to enhance your garden, patio or special event. Every tree purchased supports Plant With Purpose, a nonprofit organization that restores hope by reversing global poverty and environmental damage. Learn more at mypatiotree.com.
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 1.6 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!
Designed by Alanna Messner-Scholl of Waverly Flower Co., the “Earth Dress” is a slender, floor-length gown that appears to grow from a demure pair of seed-embellished ballet flats. It seems fitting that a sustainable farmer-florist who once attended the Fashion Institute of Technology would conjure up this organic-looking garment using compost, soil, moss, roots, seeds, and vines. “I wanted it to be a concept piece with an organic, natural feeling,” Alanna said. Having designed botanical couture fashions for Slow Flowers Society’s past two American Flowers Week collections–both of which featured blooms, petals, and foliage straight from her cutting garden–Alanna wanted to highlight other aspects of flower-growing, so she turned to her potting shed. For 2026, she explores the lifecycle of a flower through botanical fashion. Her creativity helps us better understand what it means to grow and design. I know you’ll love our conversation as you learn about Alanna’s ideas and design process!
Alanna Messner-Scholl of Waverly Flower Co.
Slow Flowers Society created American Flowers Week in 2015 as a community-focused floral holiday that allows and encourages participation from everyone in the floral industry — from flower seed and bulb producers to growers; from designers to retailers; from cutting garden enthusiasts to artists. Now in its 12th year, the campaign continues to engage flower farmers, floral designers, farmer-florists, wholesalers, retailers, grocery stores, and flower lovers!
Our first botanical couture look began with Susan McLeary’s iconic red-white-and-blue floral Afro, an impeccable floral headpiece became the branding for American Flowers Week in 2016 and inspired a decade of botanical couture looks that followed: Garments, ensembles, and accessories created by Slow Flowers members and farmer-florist teams across the U.S. Since 2016, we have celebrated an impressive lineup of more than 50 American Flowers Weekbotanical couture looks, designed by our members and featuring domestic flowers and foliage as the inspiration. These floral fashions hail from across the continent — Alaska and Hawaii; Maine and Florida; Missouri and South Dakota and beyond.
Alanna’s original inspiration board for the Earth Dress
So today, we travel to Pennsylvania, to meet Alanna Messner-Scholl of Waverly Flower Co., and learn about her third botanical couture look for American Flowers Week. It’s great conversation and I’m happy to share it with you!
Hot off the Press: Slow Flowers Journal – Summer 2026
And please enjoy our Summer 2026 issue of Slow Flowers Journal – out this week. You can read extended stories about our featured artists and botanical couture designers, as well as some fun features about what our members are doing around the world. The stories are mostly based in the U.S., but we have a very special article commissioned by Slow Flowers Society — a report by Dee Hall Goodwin of Mermaid City Flowers who traveled to London this past May to cover the first flower farm installed at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. You’ll find all this inspiration in our 42-page digital magazine – Click on the flipbook above to read and enjoy!
Thank you to our Sponsors
This show is brought to you by slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to 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, My Patio Tree: Expertly Grown Plants, Perfectly Designed to Elevate Your Garden. Their second-generation family tree farm has curated the best-performing, cutting-edge, multi-zone varieties to enhance your garden, patio or special event. Every tree purchased supports Plant With Purpose, a nonprofit organization that restores hope by reversing global poverty and environmental damage. Learn more at mypatiotree.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 to the Seattle 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 seattlegrowersmarket.com.
Thank you for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than 1.6 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!
Our 12th annual American Flowers Week is coming right up – June 28th through July 4th. To showcase this year’s Botanical Couture collection, I’m welcoming return guest Françoise Weeks to the Slow Flowers Podcast. A longtime Slow Flowers Member, her name is synonymous with botanical couture. As an educator, she has taught thousands of students around the globe, as well as from her Portland, Oregon-based studio, and online. Slow Flowers asked Françoise to create a lily-inspired floral fashion for this year’s American Flowers Week collection, an idea originally proposed by Flowerbulb.eu, a Slow Flowers sponsor that that promotes lilies grown from European bulbs for U.S. gardeners, flower farmers, and florists. Françoise designed and created two alluring styles to highlight lily petals and blooms. In addition to discussing this project, Françoise shares some of the techniques and mechanics she has developed for botanical couture – and you might want to add them to your floral tool kit!
Françoise Weeks
American Flowers Week represents a unique intersection of passions – flower farmers and floral designers coming together to promote local, seasonal, and sustainable flowers. This truth is at the core of what distinguishes the Slow Flowers Movement from any other floral industry organization of initiative. It underscores the shared values and celebrates the important, tandem paths of both professions, as well as the ones who call themselves farmer-florists.
Brim detail of Françoise Weeks’ lily Top Hat (c) Theresa Bear
This year, we are delighted to welcome Françoise Weeks, who has created two of American Flowers Week’sfour distinct looks, a collaboration with Sandra Laubenthal and Norman Peterkort, growers of superior Asiatic, oriental, and double lilies, and owners of Peterkort Roses.
Lily production at Peterkort Roses (c) Theresa Bear
Peterkort Roses supplied Françoise with hundreds of lily stems and accent flowers from their greenhouses outside Portland, Oregon. We’re calling the collection “Lily Luxe,” and when you see the way Françoise has reimagined lilies into wearable fashions – you’ll be as enchanted as I am.
And head’s up, today’s episode is the second of our three-part series, so join us on July 1st to meet Alanna Messner-Scholl of Waverly Flower Co., as we introduce her third consecutive botanical fashion created for American Flowers Week. Thanks for joining in and sharing the news about this special campaign!
Thank you to our Sponsors
This show is brought to you by slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to 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 1.6 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!
In the runup to our American Flowers Week’s annual Botanical Couture collection, I’m welcoming Caitlin Mathes to the Slow Flowers Podcast. A longtime Slow Flowers Member based in New York’s Finger Lakes Region, Caitlin has been cultivating the Tagetes species, also known as the marigold, since 2019. Her passion led to establishing The Marigold Gardens as a singular flower farm, specializing in more than 40 marigold varieties. When planning this year’s American Flowers Week floral fashions, we asked Caitlin if she would like to create a marigold garment – and she joined in the fun, growing, designing, fabricating, and modeling her playful look. Join me as we learn more about Caitlin’s floral enterprise, her love affair with marigolds, and her charming, Medieval-inspired garment fashioned with a multitude of colorful and uniquely-formed varieties. You, too, will fall in love with marigolds because Caitlin’s passion is contagious!
Some of Caitlin Mathes’ beautiful marigold varieties (left) and the flower farmer, portrayed wearing a marigold crown (right)
American Flowers Week was founded by Slow Flowers in 2015 as the original domestic flower promotion campaign. Each year, from June 28-through July 4, Slow Flowers members and flower lovers everywhere are invited to showcase their flowers. Some folks post their blooms across social media as red-white-and-blue creations; others use the American Flowers Week bouquet labels to adorn market wraps or to decorate take-home arrangements from events and workshops. But since 2016, the centerpiece of American Flowers Week has been the botanical couture runway, floral fashions grown, designed, and produced by flower farmers, farmer-florists, and floral designers, as well as creative fashionistas who just love the idea of dressing a model in blooms.
American Flowers Week promotional graphic featuring Caitlin Mathes and her marigold fashion
This year, we have four distinct looks to share in our celebration, and today, we kick things off with a magical marigold design from Caitlin Mathes, owner of The Marigold Gardens.
American Flowers Week: The Marigold Look
The Marigold Gardens is an emerging flower farm with only one crop . . . MARIGOLDS! As Caitlin puts it: “The marigold has given me so much joy and inspiration that I felt the need to become a grower, steward, advocate, and cheerleader for this wonderful flower. It is high time marigolds had their praises sung and I look forward to growing The Marigold Gardens into a beautiful destination for all things marigold.” She calls herself a marigold monger, which is just one role this maker, performer, librarian, and agrarian represents. It was so much fun speaking with Caitlin about her marigold passion, one that inspires her to create and share in all types of ways. Let’s welcome Caitlin to the Slow Flowers Podcast and get ready for a deep dive into the world of marigolds.
And head’s up, today’s episode is the first a three-part series, so join us on June 24th to learn from botanical artist and educator Françoise Weeks; followed by a conversation on July 1st with Alanna Messner-Scholl of Waverly Flower Co., as both will discuss their American Flowers week floral fashions. I can’t wait to share those wonderful conversations – and you’ll be inspired!
Thank you to our Sponsors
This show is brought to you by slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to 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 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 seattlegrowersmarket.com.
Our next sponsor thanks goes 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!
