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We have all heard the research about the influence of flowers on the health and mental wellness to all humans. And so many of our members – flower farmers and floral designers – integrate floral donations into their business model.

The folks at What Cheer Flower Farm in Providence, Rhode Island, provide floral goodness to their community, reinforcing the scientific findings that:

• Growing flowers reduces anxiety and improves empathy. 

• Patients receiving flowers tend to have quicker recovery times

• People with flowers in their homes feel happier, less stressed, less depressed and are able to concentrate more easily.
• The presence of flowers can help as a memory aid for dementia patients

But of course, you already know this, right?

Today, I want to welcome Erin Achenbach, a Slow Flowers member who is the farmer-florist at What Cheer Flower Farm, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing solace, joy and healing to the people of Rhode Island via flowers, as well as supporting the local floral economy via job training.

What Cheer grows, rescues and gives away 100,000 flowers per year and is on track to expand that impressive amount even more — to giving away 300,000 flowers per year in the next five years. The organization never sells flowers – all are given away freely via a network of local nonprofits and organizations serving Rhode Islanders including hospitals, senior services, recovery centers, shelters, hospices and food pantries. 

Thanks so much for joining me today — I’m inspired and encouraged to learn the many creative ways our Slow Flowers members cause ripples of goodness and make meaningful floral connections through their own communities. As part of my interview with Erin, she shared a short video tour of the growing areas at What Cheer Flower Farm, which you can see at the end of the YouTube link above.

Find and Follow What Cheer Flower Farm at these social places:
What Cheer Flower Farm on Facebook and Instagram

Thank you to our Sponsors!

This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 850 florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms. It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers.

Thank you to our lead sponsor, Farmgirl Flowers. Farmgirl Flowers delivers iconic burlap-wrapped bouquets and lush, abundant arrangements to customers across the U.S., supporting U.S. flower farms by purchasing more than $10 million dollars of U.S.-grown fresh and seasonal flowers and foliage annually. Discover more at farmgirlflowers.com.

Thank you to 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 johnnysseeds.com.

And thank you to Mayesh Wholesale Florist. Family-owned since 1978, Mayesh is the premier wedding and event supplier in the U.S. and we’re thrilled to partner with Mayesh to promote local and domestic flowers, which they source from farms large and small around the U.S. Learn more at mayesh.com.

The Slow Flowers Show is a member-supported endeavor and I value our loyal members and supporters! 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. Next week, you’re invited to join me in putting more Slow Flowers on the table, one stem, one vase at a time. 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.

Thanks so much for joining us today and I’ll see you next week!

Music credits:

Drone Pine; Long Await; Gaena
by Blue Dot Sessions
http://www.sessions.blue

Lovely
by Tryad 
http://tryad.bandcamp.com/album/instrumentals
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

In The Field
audionautix.com

Related posts

• SLOW FLOWERS Podcast: The Urban Flower Farmer, Tara Kolla of Silver Lake Farms (Episode 137) (0)
• Episode 517: The Growing Kindness Project and its founder, flower farmer Deanna Kitchen of Twig & Vine (0)

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I’ve been eager to record a conversation with today’s guest, Rita Feldmann of the Sustainable Floristry Network — and we did just that earlier this week.

The Sustainable Floristry Network – or SFN – evolved from the #nofloralfoam campaign, which we all witnessed on social media, as florists from all over the world are abandoning the use of floral foam, an environmentally harmful, single-use plastic. At the same time, many florists entering the industry were turning their backs on outdated education systems that have positioned floral foam as a fundamental tool.

Through their shared concern about the floral industry’s lack of progress on this topic and other issue, Rita and many other like-minded floral leaders, both in her home country of Australia and in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Europe and other regions, realized that floristry needs a new type of education.

They founded the Sustainable Floristry Network, bringing together the knowledge of academics, industry leaders and champions for a better industry to create more sustainable models for design and doing business. SFN aims to provide florists with the latest information about sustainability, specifically as it relates to our profession. SFN refers to science to establish the facts and consults expert advisors for guidance in understanding and applying this information.

Slow Flowers Society has joined SFN as an expert advisor to come alongside this inspiring initiative. Now that it’s official, and we’re featured on SFN’s website along with other impressive leaders, I wanted to introduce Rita to the Slow Flowers Podcast audience. You’ll find our conversation enlightening and I hope it calls you to action. We’ll share more resources after the interview, so let’s jump right in and get started.

In the near future, SFN will announce its continuing professional development course and membership program, setting a new standard for floral design – based on sustainability principles. These principles are entirely aligned with the Slow Flowers Manifesto and will elevate floral education to an essential new level. I’m excited to support this campaign.

Follow SFN on Instagram and Facebook
Watch SFN on YouTube

Thank you to our Sponsors

This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 850 florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms. It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers.

Thank you to our lead sponsor, Farmgirl Flowers. Farmgirl Flowers delivers iconic burlap-wrapped bouquets and lush, abundant arrangements to customers across the U.S., supporting U.S. flower farms by purchasing more than $10 million dollars of U.S.-grown fresh and seasonal flowers and foliage annually. Discover more at farmgirlflowers.com.

Thank you to Red Twig Farms. Based in Johnstown, Ohio, Red Twig Farms is a family-owned farm specializing in peonies, daffodils, tulips and branches, a popular peony-bouquet-by-mail program and their Spread the Hope Campaign where customers purchase 10 tulip stems for essential workers and others in their community. Learn more at redtwigfarms.com.

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 seattlewholesalegrowersmarket.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.

Thanks so much for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than one million times by listeners like you. Thank you for listening, commenting and sharing – it means so much. As our movement gains more supporters and more passionate participants who 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. I’ll see you then!          

Music credits:

Drone Pine; Town Market; Gaena
by Blue Dot Sessions
http://www.sessions.blue

Lovely
by Tryad 
http://tryad.bandcamp.com/album/instrumentals
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

In The Field
audionautix.com

Related posts

• Episode 600: Becky Feasby of Prairie Girl Flowers on Florists, Invasive Species, and Protecting the Natural World (0)

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Today I have invited Becky Feasby of Prairie Girl Flowers and Instagram’s #SustainabilitySunday to return the Slow Flowers Podcast to talk about a project she is spearheading to evaluate the floral industry’s relationship with invasive plant species — both growing and designing with problem plants harmful to the environment, to local economies, and to the larger community.

This past December, Becky convened an Invasive Species Roundtable to discuss and determine Best Practices in the Floral Industry. The expert panel included Doug Tallamy, professor of entomology and wildlife ecology at the University of Delaware; Latifa Pelletier-Ahmed, a botanist and native plant expert with the ACLA Native Plants Society in Calgary, Alberta, Canada; and Nicola Dixon, State Priority Weeds Coordinator for Australia’s Department of Primary Industries.

Those invited as educators and floral industry participants included florists and growers who are both part of the Sustainable Floristry Network and Slow Flowers Society members. I was so happy to join the session ~ and I learned so much from the discussion. I learned that even the best of intentions from those of us who think our practices are good for the planet can yield damaging results.

As an outcome from that session, Becky has worked with Rita Feldmann, founder of the Sustainable Floristry Network, to produce a report to introduce the topic of invasive plants to florists, farmers and wholesale sellers. She has shared a preview of that report with me, as well as several lists of “Dirty Dozen” plants found in the floral marketplace in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Europe, and Australia, drawing input from some of the round table experts.

It’s such a timely topic, and if you follow Becky’s @prairiegirlflowers feed on Instagram, you’ve already read some of her posts about invasive species in the floral trade. I asked Becky to join me today to share about her research and help us understand what each of us can be doing to eradicate invasives from our own design work, farms, and gardens.

As she mentioned, the fact sheet and Dirty Dozen lists will be available soon via prairiegirlflowers and we’ll share those links when that happens.

LISTEN to past episodes with Becky Feasby:

Episode 561: Becky Feasby of Prairie Girl Flowers and IG’s Sustainability Sunday

Episode 400: Slow Flowers in Calgary with Becky Feasby of Prairie Girl Flowers

Thank you to our Sponsors

This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 850 florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms. It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers.

Thank you to our lead sponsor, Farmgirl Flowers. Farmgirl Flowers delivers iconic burlap-wrapped bouquets and lush, abundant arrangements to customers across the U.S., supporting U.S. flower farms by purchasing more than $10 million dollars of U.S.-grown fresh and seasonal flowers and foliage annually. Discover more at farmgirlflowers.com.

Thank you to Details Flowers Software, a platform specifically designed to help florists and designers do more and earn more. With an elegant and easy-to-use system–Details is here to improve profitability, productivity, and organization for floral businesses of all shapes and sizes. Grow your bottom line through professional proposals and confident pricing with Details’ all-in-one platform. All friends of the Slow Flowers Podcast will receive a 7-day free trial of Details Flowers Software. Learn more at detailsflowers.com.

Thank you to CalFlowers, the leading floral trade association in California, providing valuable transportation and other benefits to flower growers and the entire floral supply chain in California and 48 other states. The Association is a leader in bringing fresh cut flowers to the U.S. market and in promoting the benefits of flowers to new generations of American consumers. Learn more at cafgs.org.

Thank you to Store It Cold, creators of the revolutionary CoolBot, a popular solution for flower farmers, studio florists and farmer-florists.  Save $1000s when you build your own walk-in cooler with the CoolBot and an air conditioner.  Don’t have time to build your own?  They also have turnkey units available. Learn more at storeitcold.com.   

This Week’s News

Last month’s Slow Flowers Member Meet-Up featured a idea-filled hour discussing floral photography best practices, which was an exclusive member-only session with Krista Rossow of O’Flora Farm and Tiffany Brown Anderson of Earth & Seeds.

We are continuing with even more creative inspiration this Friday, March 10th, with our monthly Slow Flowers Member Meet-Up (9 am Pacific/Noon Eastern ). The topic is Slow Pottery and we have invited a fabulous panel of Slow Flowers members who incorporate Slow Pottery into their enterprises – growers and florists alike.

You may recall that I originally wrote about the concept of Slow Pottery in our 2018 Slow Flowers Floral Insights & Industry Forecast. We wanted to track the creative work of floral artists and their collaborators who combine one-of-a-kind vessels with locally-grown flowers for a truly “slow” composition that resonates with customers.

We’ll meet several creatives who will share about the pottery they make and use while also discussing sustainability, supply chain issues, and a desire among Slow Flowers members to celebrate artisan pieces rather than throw-away vases.

Meet and Learn From:
Kelsey Ruhland, Foxbound Flowers
Katie Tolson, Seed-on-Hudson
Holly Lukasiewicz, District 2 Floral Studio + ceramic artist Anna Stoysich
 Andee Zeigler, Three Sepals
Sarah Nayani, Grow Girl Seattle

Thanks so much for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than one million times by listeners like you. Thank you for listening, commenting and sharing – it means so much. As our movement gains more supporters and more passionate participants who 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. I’ll see you then!

Music credits:

Drone Pine; He Has a Way; Turning on the Lights; Gaena
by Blue Dot Sessions
http://www.sessions.blue

Lovely
by Tryad 
http://tryad.bandcamp.com/album/instrumentals
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

In The Field
audionautix.com

Related posts

• Episode 561: Becky Feasby of Prairie Girl Flowers and IG’s Sustainability Sunday (0)
• Episode 601: Meet Rita Feldmann of the Sustainable Floristry Network, a new global education organization for florists (0)

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I’m so happy to introduce today’s guest to you, Susan Chambers of bloominCouture, a San Francisco-based floral design studio that combines the beauty and aesthetics of a European luxury florist with the relaxed elegance of the California lifestyle.

I first met Susan in 2016 at a creative writing workshop in Healdsburg, California. We wrapped up the two-day floral design, video and writing sessions when each student sat down with me for a personal interview to share her story. I collected several of those short conversations into a podcast episode that aired December 2016, including Susan’s segment. So technically, she is a return guest to the Slow Flowers Podcast. But I want you to hear the full story today!

Seven years have passed and Susan is running her floral enterprise exactly how she always dreamed of doing. She also is featured in my book, Where We Bloom, in the pages of which I describe Susan as a “fashionista who offers bespoke floral design.”

Her unique branding approach connects her clients, many of whom commission multiple floral arrangements for their homes on a weekly basis, with the concept of sustainability and locally-grown botanicals.

I’m so thrilled to introduce you to Susan today. The interview takes place in two parts: first, you’ll join in as Susan and I chat about her business, her path to flowers, her studio setup, and her aesthetic as a floral designer. That’s followed by part two’s design demonstration featuring a classic bloominCouture seasonal arrangement with the best locally-grown flowers available right now — from farms up and down the state of California.

You’re bound to enjoy this dose of floral inspiration, as we slowly creep toward the first day of spring.

Find and follow bloominCouture on Instagram and Facebook

Celebrating our 500th Episode!

I want to take a moment to acknowledge that this is our 500th consecutive episode of the Slow Flowers Podcast. Yes, for 500 weeks without interruption, ever since the first episode aired on July 23, 2013, I’ve brought you original programming about local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and the people who grow and design with them. We were and always will be the first-ever flower podcast on the airwaves and through the internet. Many have emerged since, a sign of the growing demand for floral content, but ours is the only show true to the values and practices of the Slow Flowers Movement. It stared here.

The Slow Flowers Podcast is different. I’ve described our audio storytelling as inclusive and welcoming, and I have previously pictured the time you spend here with our program as one during which we are sitting together in a beautiful field of flowers or curled up around the fireplace sipping mugs of tea — talking about our favorite topics. This show is a community gathering place for voices, insights, ideas and encouragement, bringing you nearly 10 years of informative and meaningful content — delivered through your ear-buds. The Seattle Times has called this podcast “a lively platform for voices in the local-flowers movement throughout the country, which will have you craving blossoms and blooms.”

Each week, you join my engaging conversations with flower farmers, floral designers, cut floral and plant experts, authors, entrepreneurs and innovators in the Slow Flowers Community. And I thank you for listening. I thank our sponsors for helping to underwrite the costs of research, recording, editing, and producing this award-winning Podcast.

Thank you to our Sponsors!

This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 850 florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms. It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers.

Thank you to our lead sponsor, Farmgirl Flowers. Farmgirl Flowers delivers iconic burlap-wrapped bouquets and lush, abundant arrangements to customers across the U.S., supporting U.S. flower farms by purchasing more than $10 million dollars of U.S.-grown fresh and seasonal flowers and foliage annually. Discover more at farmgirlflowers.com.

Thank you to 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 johnnysseeds.com.

Thank you to Mayesh Wholesale Florist. Family-owned since 1978, Mayesh is the premier wedding and event supplier in the U.S. and we’re thrilled to partner with Mayesh to promote local and domestic flowers, which they source from farms large and small around the U.S. Learn more at mayesh.com.

Thank you to The Gardener’s Workshop, which offers a full curriculum of online education for flower farmers and farmer-florists. Online education is more important this year than ever, and you’ll want to check out the course offerings at thegardenersworkshop.com.

Thanks so much for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than one million times by listeners like you. Thank you for listening, commenting and sharing – it means so much. As our movement gains more supporters and more passionate participants who 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. And NEXT WEEK will be very very special — our 500th ever episode of the Slow Flowers Podcast! I can’t wait to start celebrating and I’ll meet you then!

Music credits:

A Palace of Cedar; Blue Straggler; Drone Pine; Gasland; Gaena
by Blue Dot Sessions
http://www.sessions.blue

Lovely
by Tryad 
http://tryad.bandcamp.com/album/instrumentals
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

In The Field
audionautix.com

Related posts

• Episode 487: Slow Flowers Floral Insights & Industry Forecast for 2021 (0)
• Episode 592: Creating a sustainable, streamlined, and low-stress wedding floral business with Carolyn Kulb of Bloom Poet (0)
• Episode 583: Farm and Studio Visit with Farmer-Florist Daniele Strawn of JoLee Blooms & Design in Sonoma County, California (0)
• Episode 534: Relocalizing Flowers, a Slow Flowers Panel Discussion at the 2021 Tilth Conference (0)
• Episode 533: Flowers as Artist’s Muse with TJ McGrath of TJ McGrath Design (0)

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A few weeks ago, Slow Flowers and our publishing partner BLOOM Imprint released our 2023 Slow Flowers Floral Insights and Industry Forecast. We called our first insight “Non-Floral Florals,” acknowledging the broadening plant palette for cut flower growers and florists who are adopting all types of botanical ingredients — from mushrooms and vegetables, to foraged materials to nontraditional plants such as native species.

We highlighted today’s guest in that insight and I’m thrilled that you can meet her today and learn more. In Ann Arbor, Michigan, Slow Flowers member Alexandra Cacciari of Seeley Farm has introduced her floral customers at the Michigan Flower Growers Cooperative to native perennials suitable as cut flowers.

Through a Farmer-Rancher grant from North Central Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NC-SARE), the project has trialed more than 20 species of native, herbaceous flowers and foliage plants to determine their value and marketability in the wholesale floral industry.

According to Alex, these plants (which include such beauties as gentian, black-eyed Susan, blue flag iris, Joe Pye weed, and swamp milkweed) support wildlife and pollinators, and are more drought and flood tolerant than their non-native counterparts. “As cut flower crops, when planted in their desired conditions, native plants require less added water, fertility, and pesticides than traditional crops, and offer a sustainable option for growers,” she explains.

Thanks so much for joining us today. I hope you are inspired to explore native perennials in your region!

Find and follow Seeley Farm on Instagram

Listen to our October 2018 conversation: Episode 371: The Michigan Flower Growers Cooperative  with Amanda Maurmann of Gnome Grown Flower Farm and Alex Cacciari of Seeley Farm

More about the Native Cut Flower Project

This Week’s News

In other news, I have a lot of thanks to share.

Last week, Valentine’s Day week, was filled with flowers and opportunities to share our Slow Flowers message!

We received a lot of media attention, including three major mentions in the New York Times, David Byrne’s “Reasons to be Cheerful” newsletter, and the international environmental publication Hakai Magazine.

We also wrapped up five amazing days at the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival floral stage, where Slow Flowers produced daily hands-on floral design workshops with local and domestic botanicals. One-hundred-and-fifty students participated and hundreds more were in the audience to learn from our member design instructors, including Riz Reyes of RHR Horticulture and Heronswood Gardens (past Slow Flowers Summit speaker); Hannah Morgan of Fortunate Orchard (who many of you met during our November Slow Flowers Meet-up), Kiara Hancock of K. Hancock Design (past podcast guest), and other past podcast guests Nick Songsangcharntara and Tracy Yang of Jarn Co. Farm — Tracy will also be speaking at the 2023 Slow Flowers Summit coming up. We also hosted friend of Slow Flowers, horticulturist Tyra Shenaurlt of the WW Seymour Conseratory in Tacoma, Washington. I met many fans and listeners who introduced themselves, and many other aspiring flower farmers and florists who we hope will join our Community very soon. It was an incredible and inspiring week and the Flower Show theme  – Spring Vibes Only! – was exactly what we all needed.

Thank you to our Sponsors

This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 850 florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms. It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers.

Thank you to our lead sponsor, Farmgirl Flowers. Farmgirl Flowers delivers iconic burlap-wrapped bouquets and lush, abundant arrangements to customers across the U.S., supporting U.S. flower farms by purchasing more than $10 million dollars of U.S.-grown fresh and seasonal flowers and foliage annually. Discover more at farmgirlflowers.com.

Thank you to the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market, a farmer-owned cooperative committed to providing the very best the Pacific 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 seattlewholesalegrowersmarket.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.

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.

Thanks so much for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than one million times by listeners like you. Thank you for listening, commenting and sharing – it means so much. As our movement gains more supporters and more passionate participants who 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. And NEXT WEEK will be very very special — our 500th ever episode of the Slow Flowers Podcast! I can’t wait to start celebrating and I’ll meet you then!

Music credits:

Color Country; Gaena
by Blue Dot Sessions
http://www.sessions.blue

Lovely
by Tryad 
http://tryad.bandcamp.com/album/instrumentals
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

In The Field
audionautix.com

Related posts

• Episode 371: The Michigan Flower Growers Cooperative  with Amanda Maurmann of Gnome Grown Flower Farm and Alex Cacciari of Seeley Farm (0)
• Episode 588: Meet Lourdes Still of Masagana Flower Farm in Manitoba – Experience Guide, Flower Grower and Natural Dyer (0)
• Episode 585: Diane Szukovathy and Dennis Westphall of Jello Mold Farm on the 10-year publication anniversary of The 50 Mile Bouquet (0)
• Episode 584: Farmer-florist Dee Hall of Mermaid City Flower Farm and founder of Black Flower Farmers (0)
• Episode 580V: High desert flower farming with Trisha Starkey of Petals and Pages (0)

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I’m delighted to host today’s conversation with the creatives behind Black Florists Fund. Black Florists Fund is an endeavor embarked upon in partnership with Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) and a team of Black entrepreneur advisors.

Through donations and sponsorships, Black Florist Fund (BFF) aims to provide worry-free capital grants and other crucial business resources to Black florists. These grants will be awarded to applicants who demonstrate a passion for the floral business community and a need for additional funding to help reach their goals and propel their business. Black Florists Fund hopes to provide valuable support to help stabilize and grow a number of black owned floral businesses each year.

It is with profound gratitude that I welcome three individuals in the floral community who are going to share more about what Black Florists Fund and how we can all get more involved.

You’ll hear from Elizabeth Cronin, founder and creative director of Asrai Garden; John Caleb Pendleton, creative director of Planks & Pistils, and Taylor Bates of Dusk Lily Floral Design, the first recipient of a Black Florists Fund grant. All three are based in Chicago and you’ll hear how their stories are woven together to support entrepreneurial Black florists and flower farmers through this new initiative.

Follow Dusk Lily Floral on Instagram

Follow Planks & Pistils on Instagram

Follow Asrai Garden on Instagram

Follow Elizabeth Cronin on Instagram

Follow Black Florists Fund on Instagam

Black Florists Fund Assets for your use:

Letter to Florist Partners

Script for soliciting donations from shoppers/customers at the register

Corporate Solicitations Letter

Social Media Artwork & Logos

Let’s support the 2023 round of fundraising and grant making.
Link to Donate to BFF

I hope you’re as inspired as I am to make a difference — in any way that works for you.

Thank you to our Sponsors

This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 850 florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms. It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers.

Thank you to our lead sponsor, Farmgirl Flowers. Farmgirl Flowers delivers iconic burlap-wrapped bouquets and lush, abundant arrangements to customers across the U.S., supporting U.S. flower farms by purchasing more than $10 million dollars of U.S.-grown fresh and seasonal flowers and foliage annually. Discover more at farmgirlflowers.com.

Thank you to Store It Cold, creators of the revolutionary CoolBot, a popular solution for flower farmers, studio florists and farmer-florists.  Save $1000s when you build your own walk-in cooler with the CoolBot and an air conditioner.  Don’t have time to build your own?  They also have turnkey units available. Learn more at storeitcold.com.

Thank you to Red Twig Farms. Based in Johnstown, Ohio, Red Twig Farms is a family-owned farm specializing in peonies, daffodils, tulips and branches, a popular peony-bouquet-by-mail program and their Spread the Hope Campaign where customers purchase 10 tulip stems for essential workers and others in their community. Learn more at redtwigfarms.com.

Thanks so much for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than one million times by listeners like you. Thank you for listening, commenting and sharing – it means so much. As our movement gains more supporters and more passionate participants who 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.

Music credits:

Algea Trio; Gaena
by Blue Dot Sessions
http://www.sessions.blue

Lovely
by Tryad 
http://tryad.bandcamp.com/album/instrumentals
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

In The Field
audionautix.com

Related posts

• No related posts.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Today, I’m so happy to welcome friend, floral designer, and Slow Flowers member Ellen Seagraves. Owner of Chic Floral Designs, Ellen is based in Bethesda, Maryland, just outside the DC Metro Center.

Ellen is a floral designer with more than 15 years experience. She holds a BFA in weaving and textile design and often incorporate elements of those disciplines into her work. As a student of Ikebana, she often apply those design forms to her own work.

Ellen has achieved AIFD and EMC professional certification and is the president of the Independent Floral Designers Association – IFDA. Her floral aesthetic encompasses a wide range of styles to suit the various needs her clients. Her arrangements have been featured in a large number of venues, including The White House, the French Embassy Cultural Center, The National Botanic Garden, and Blair House.

I’m delighted to share our conversation, recorded last week. You can find and follow Ellen and IFDA at these social places:
Ellen Seagraves on Instagram
IFDA on Instagram and Facebook

In other news this week, we have just dropped the Slow Flowers Newsletter for February, so check out the link in our show notes. In it, we announce our new Slow Flower Journal Winter 2023 issue — Botany Lessons — which is free to Slow Flowers members as one of your member benefits. The issue is priceless, although you can purchase the digital edition for a nominal fee. Included is the full 2023 Slow Flowers Floral Insights and Industry Forecast, a preview of which Robin Avni and I shared on this podcast last week. We are so proud and inspired to get this content out into the floral marketplace to inform your floral endeavors in the coming season.

Thank you to our Sponsors

This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 850 florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms. It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers.

Thank you to our lead sponsor, Farmgirl Flowers. Farmgirl Flowers delivers iconic burlap-wrapped bouquets and lush, abundant arrangements to customers across the U.S., supporting U.S. flower farms by purchasing more than $10 million dollars of U.S.-grown fresh and seasonal flowers and foliage annually. Discover more at farmgirlflowers.com.

Thank you to The Gardener’s Workshop, which offers a full curriculum of online education for flower farmers and farmer-florists. Online education is more important this year than ever, and you’ll want to check out the course offerings at thegardenersworkshop.com.

Thank you to Details Flowers Software, a platform specifically designed to help florists and designers do more and earn more. With an elegant and easy-to-use system–Details is here to improve profitability, productivity, and organization for floral businesses of all shapes and sizes. All friends of the Slow Flowers Podcast will receive a 7-day free trial of Details Flowers Software. Learn more at detailsflowers.com.

Thank you to CalFlowers, the leading floral trade association in California, providing valuable transportation and other benefits to flower growers and the entire floral supply chain in California and 48 other states. The Association is a leader in bringing fresh cut flowers to the U.S. market and in promoting the benefits of flowers to new generations of American consumers. Learn more at cafgs.org.

Thanks so much for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than one million times by listeners like you. Thank you for listening, commenting and sharing – it means so much. As our movement gains more supporters and more passionate participants who 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.

Music credits:

Upper Registers; Gaena
by Blue Dot Sessions
http://www.sessions.blue

Lovely
by Tryad
http://tryad.bandcamp.com/album/instrumentals
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

In The Field
audionautix.com

Related posts

• Episode 594: Flowers for All with educator and author Susan McLeary (0)

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Here we are at the beginning of 2023; we have already wrapped up the first month of the year! — and it’s time to present the ninth annual Slow Flowers Floral Insights and Industry Forecast.

Like you, when we turn the page to a new calendar year, the Slow Flowers community embraces the inevitable progress of change with a dose of optimism as we forecast the future. I’m so excited to be joined today by Robin Avni, my partner in BLOOM Imprint and an experienced consumer trend analyst and ethnographer for lifestyle brands. We will share 8 key insights for 2023 and elaborate both on how the larger culture reflects these themes and how our members are leading the shifts we discuss.

2023 Slow Flowers Floral Insights & Industry Forecast

I’m so delighted that Robin Avni joined me in the review. As we move into 2023, we will be expanding on many of these insights with new content, podcast interviews, articles, and meet-up topics. Access to all of these resources is a definite benefit of being a member of the Slow Flowers Society — and I encourage you to join us as a member. You can find all the details and benefits of membership at slowflowerssociety.com.

Starting with the Winter 2023 issue of Slow Flowers Journal, the digital magazine will be behind a pay wall. Current members of Slow Flowers Society will receive the quarterly magazine subscription as a free benefit. In this issue you’ll find a 20-page expanded version of the Slow Flowers Floral Insights & Industry Report, along with our regular features and departments.

News for the Week

One more bit of news to share with you this week. On Friday, February 3rd, we’re hosting the February Slow Flowers Member Meet-Up with 2 of our expert members, Krista Rossow of O’Flora Farm, and Tiffany Brown Anderson of Earth & Seeds. The session Floral Photography Tips & Techniques, takes place Friday, February 3rd 9 am Pacific/Noon Eastern. Both women have extensive backgrounds as professional photographers in addition to owning flower farms.

What a great combination, as they have turned their cameras on the flowers they grow and provide to their communities! We’ve invited Krista and Tiffany to share their expertise with you, including how to make the most of your photography opportunities, both in the field and in the studio. Due to Valentine’s Day, we’re holding the Meet-Up one week early – on Friday, February 3rd.

This session is a MEMBER ONLY Benefit. You must be an active Slow Flowers member to register and attend. The link to register is in today’s show notes and will also be in the LINKTREE menu of our slowflowerssociety profile on Instagram. You will gain new ideas and easy steps you can take to immediately improve your flower photography, whether you use a smart phone or a DSLR Camera. Bring your Questions!

Thank you to our Sponsors

This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 850 florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms. It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers.

Thank you to our lead sponsor, Farmgirl Flowers. Farmgirl Flowers delivers iconic burlap-wrapped bouquets and lush, abundant arrangements to customers across the U.S., supporting U.S. flower farms by purchasing more than $10 million dollars of U.S.-grown fresh and seasonal flowers and foliage annually. Discover more at farmgirlflowers.com.

Thank you to 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 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 johnnysseeds.com.

Thank you to Mayesh Wholesale Florist. Family-owned since 1978, Mayesh is the premier wedding and event supplier in the U.S. and we’re thrilled to partner with Mayesh to promote local and domestic flowers, which they source from farms large and small around the U.S. Learn more at mayesh.com.

Thanks so much for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than one million times by listeners like you. Thank you for listening, commenting and sharing – it means so much. As our movement gains more supporters and more passionate participants who 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.

Music credits:

A Palace of Cedar; Drone Pine; Turning on the Lights; Gaena
by Blue Dot Sessions
http://www.sessions.blue

Lovely
by Tryad 
http://tryad.bandcamp.com/album/instrumentals
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

In The Field
Songs by:
audionautix.com

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Today, we have a real treat — a visit with floral artist and longtime Slow Flowers member, Susan McLeary. Susan’s new book, Flowers for All, will be released on February 7th and she joined me earlier this week to record a conversation about the book and what inspired Sue to produce it. We discuss her passion for continual experimentation with mechanics, ingredients, as she pushes the boundaries of ordinary botanicals.

The subtitle for Flowers for All is this: MODERN FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR BEAUTY, JOY, AND MINDFULNESS EVERY DAY.

From the belief that flowers should be enjoyed by everyone, renowned floral artist, Susan McLeary reveals the secrets to making striking, joyful floral displays using common ingredients – whether you get flowers at the grocery store, farmer’s market, or your own picking garden.

Here’s how to enter the drawings: As a thank you for pre-ordering Flowers For All by February 6th, Sue is offering an exclusive and completely free workshop just for you, plus you’ll be entered to win a handmade gift!Go to susanmcleary.com/flowers-for-all and follow the steps.

More resources and courses with Sue McLeary:
Facebook “Flower Forward” Private Facebook Group

Mayesh Design Star 2023 – Q&A with Sue McLeary

Sue McLeary Virtual Studio: Membership Group (join the Wait List)

Library of Individual Design Tutorials

Thank you to our Sponsors

This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 850 florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms. It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers.

Thank you to our lead sponsor, Farmgirl Flowers. Farmgirl Flowers delivers iconic burlap-wrapped bouquets and lush, abundant arrangements to customers across the U.S., supporting U.S. flower farms by purchasing more than $10 million dollars of U.S.-grown fresh and seasonal flowers and foliage annually. Discover more at farmgirlflowers.com.

Thank you to Store It Cold, creators of the revolutionary CoolBot, a popular solution for flower farmers, studio florists and farmer-florists.  Save $1000s when you build your own walk-in cooler with the CoolBot and an air conditioner.  Don’t have time to build your own?  They also have turnkey units available. Learn more at storeitcold.com   

Thank you to Red Twig Farms. Based in Johnstown, Ohio, Red Twig Farms is a family-owned farm specializing in peonies, daffodils, tulips and branches, a popular peony-bouquet-by-mail program and their Spread the Hope Campaign where customers purchase 10 tulip stems for essential workers and others in their community. Learn more at redtwigfarms.com.

Thank you to 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 seattlewholesalegrowersmarket.com.

Thanks so much for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than one million times by listeners like you. Thank you for listening, commenting and sharing – it means so much. As our movement gains more supporters and more passionate participants who 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.

Music credits:

Peacetime; Gaena
by Blue Dot Sessions
http://www.sessions.blue

Lovely
by Tryad 
http://tryad.bandcamp.com/album/instrumentals
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

In The Field
audionautix.com

Related posts

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