The Slow Flowers Podcast is the award-winning, long-running show known as the "Voice of the Slow Flowers Movement." Airing weekly for more than 8 years, we focus on the business of flower farming and floral design through 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.
Farmer-florist Lori Poliski of Flori, photographed in front of her studio in Woodinville, Washington (c) Missy Palacol
Thank you so much for joining us today! It’s the first week of December and time to put away all the pumpkin and harvest decor aside and think about the floral palette for our winter holidays.
I’m so happy to introduce you to Lori Poliski of Flori LLC, a Slow Flowers member whose design studio is based in Woodinville, Washington, outside of Seattle.
The opening spread of “Modern Homestead” features Flori’s converted horse barn turned design studio (c) Missy Palacol
Lori is one of 37 creatives featured in my book Where We Bloom, published by BLOOM Imprint this past spring. In fact, her studio is the first to be featured in the opening pages of the book, in a six-page story titled: Modern Homestead – a horse barn converted with function and beauty in mind. Lori’s narrative shares her path to flowers, including the story of forming her business in 2017, choosing the studio name “FLORI,” from the Latin florus, which means ‘flower’ and rhymes with her name. You’ll want to check it out and you can order Where We Bloom from our website at bloomimprint.com or slowflowerssociety.com.
From the pages of Christmas Cottage magazine (c) Missy Palacol
After the book’s publication, the editors of Cottage Journal asked Slow Flowers to create a holiday-decor-themed story featuring some of the creative spaces in the book. Lori transformed the exterior of her rustic horse barn, with blue-gray shingles and a whimsical striped awning, with holiday greenery, wintry props and red accents — you can find the story called “Seasonal Garden Settings” in the Cottage Journal’s “Christmas Cottage” issue, on newsstands now.
So Lori agreed to join me and not only share more about her floral enterprise, but teach us how she makes 100% compostable wreaths. A former teacher, she prepared for our conversation by listing all the specific conifer varieties and sources she planned to use. As one who nearly flunked out of winter plant ID class at the local community college, mostly due to learning about conifer identification, I am so appreciative of Lori’s handy ingredients list she shared with me.
A collection of Lori Poliski’s 100% compostable wreaths
That was so informative and inspiring. I used all of Lori’s wreath-making tips and methods this past weekend, starting with some repurposed grapevine bases and hemp twine. The base greenery was formed by Douglas fir branches, downed from a recent store. And since I spent several days on a Whidbey Island workcation last week — I’m so fortunate that I could arrange to purchase some beautiful novelty greens and broadleaf evergreen branches from Pam Uhlig of Sonshine Farm. A great way to kick off our holiday season and I hope you’re inspired, too!
Download Flori’s very useful Conifer Ingredient List:
Last week I told you that we opened ticket sales to the 2022 Slow Flowers Summitand the early response has been fantastic.
The 5th Slow Flowers Summit takes place in Lower Hudson Valley, located just 45 minutes outside of Manhattan. I’m so excited to welcome you to three Days of Amazing Programming on June 26-28, 2022. You can find all the details at slowflowerssummit.com, and you’ll be hearing a lot from me in the coming months, as we highlight our speakers, the immersive floral program and two iconic agricultural venues — Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture and the Red Barn at Maple Grove Farm.
If you act now and register before the end of December, you’ll receive the lowest price ever — $749. Registration to the 3-day event includes breakfasts, lunches, refreshments and an opening day welcome cocktail party reception. And if you bundle your Summit registration with the very special farm to table dinner at Blue Hill restaurant on Monday, June 27, 2022, we have an additional savings for you. You can find all the details at Slow Flowers Summit (www.slowflowerssummit.com).
Join the December Slow Flowers Member Meet-Up
Holly Heider Chapple and “A Life in Flowers”
This week, on Friday, December 10th at 9 am Pacific/Noon Eastern, you’re invited to join me at our very special December Slow Flowers Meet-Up With Holly Chapple “A Life in Flowers”
Meet Holly Heider Chapple and learn about her debut book, “A Life in Flowers.“
An acclaimed floral designer and influencer, Holly shares inspiration from Holly Chapple Flowers’ studio in Virginia and Hope Flower Farm. Join us to hear all about Holly’s flower-filled story as designer and educator and her guiding philosophy: “The Answer is Always in the Garden.”
Holly will share a preview of “A Life in Flowers” and answer your questions!
And PS, we’ll drawn names from among the attendees for a few fun giveaways — just in time for the holidays!
This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 880 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 for 2021, Farmgirl Flowers. Farmgirl Flowers delivers iconic burlap-wrapped bouquets and lush, abundant arrangements to customers across the U.S., supporting more than 20 U.S. flower farms by purchasing more than $9 million dollars of U.S.-grown fresh and seasonal flowers and foliage annually. Discover more at farmgirlflowers.com.
Thanks to the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers. Formed in 1988, ASCFG was created to educate, unite, and support commercial cut flower growers. Its mission is to help growers produce high-quality floral material, and to foster and promote the local availability of that product. Learn more at ascfg.org.
Thanks 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 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.
Thanks so much for joining us today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than 793,000 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 Slow Flowers Society.com and consider making a donation to sustain Slow Flowers’ ongoing advocacy, education and outreach activities. You can find the donate button in the column to the right at debraprinzing.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.
The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. You can learn more about Andrew’s work at soundbodymovement.com.
Music Credits:
Betty Dear (Guitar and Cello); Even Dreams of Beaches; Turning on the Lights; Gaena by Blue Dot Sessions http://www.sessions.blue
Thank you so much for joining us! Today, I’m sharing the audio recording of a November 20th panel I moderated for the annual Tilth Conference. Produced by the Tilth Alliance, a Seattle-based organization that works in community with farmers, gardeners and eaters in Washington state to build a sustainable, healthy and equitable food future. The conference planners invited Slow Flowers to propose a presentation, and of course we wanted to bring the conversation of flower farming to this mostly food-focused agricultural event.
For the panel title, I proposed “Relocalizing Flowers,” a fantastic phrase I borrowed from a session I moderated earlier this summer for the Phipps and Penn State Extension Summer Short Course.
And I pitched the following: There is a heightened interest in local and seasonal flowers as an economic opportunity for farmers and florists alike, fueled by the Slow Flowers movement. Our panel of PNW local flower experts will discuss how the audience can participate in Relocalizing our Flowers. Each panelist represents a role along the continuum — including those who grow, sell and design with flowers. The will discussed best practices for the current consumer climate and answered questions about the progressive momentum that’s changing attitudes around local, seasonal and sustainable flowers.
I put out a call to Slow Flowers members in the Seattle area and I’m so pleased that the people you’ll hear today said Yes and with the panel’s diversity of experience and what they had to share. Let’s jump right in and you can meet the panelists: Brad Siebe of the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market; Hannah Morgan of Fortunate Orchard, Sarah Wagstaff of SUOT Farm & Flowers and Tammy Myers of First & Bloom and LORA Bloom.
Here’s more about the panelists:
Brad Siebe is the general manager of the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market, a Farm to Florist Producers Cooperative. He oversees administration, operations, general and financial management, strategic planning/execution, as well as the market’s sales and customer relationships. The Seattle Wholesale Growers Market is a farmer-owned cooperative committed to providing the very best the Pacific Northwest has to offer in cut flowers, foliage and plants. Its mission is to create a sustainable living for its Pacific Northwest member farms by promoting their vibrant and diverse products to the floral industry. All year round the SWGMC brings the best flowers in the Pacific Northwest to the marketplace.
Owner and lead designer of Fortunate Orchard, a floral studio based in Seattle’s Seward Park neighborhood, Hannah Morgan holds a B.F.A. degree in one hand and a pair of pruning shears in the other. Her designs are deeply rooted in the seasons of the Pacific Northwest and she sources primarily from the West Coast — often from the Fortunate Orchard garden, steps away from her work table.
Sarah Wagstaff is the farmer & owner of SUOT Farm & Flowers. Home to not only a no-till urban farm in the hub of Skagit Valley WA, it is also a hugelkultur demonstration garden, education workspace, & full-service floral studio. SUOT stands for Small Units Of Time because we know that we aren’t able to accomplish everything we want to in one day, but little by little, we will get there together! Since 2015, she has committed to providing her customers, clients, & community with the mindfully grown flowers, fresh local bouquets, & uniquely stunning arrangements in compostable/recyclable packaging. Proud to be a local woman owned business, her flowers are 100% locally grown in WA and she strives to host, promote, & carry other women artists/makers in her retail studio.
Tammy Myers is a floral designer and owner of LORA Bloom, an online E-commerce and marketing platform that represents florists aligned with the values of supporting local flower farms and offering foam-free designs. The platform serves as a one-stop-shop for customers to order local floral delivery, while participating florists commit to providing great customer service, high quality, foam-free designs and a minimum of 80% American-grown floral ingredients.
We also shared two short videos from the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market’s Farm to Florist series in our presentation, filmed by Alayna Erhart
Today is December 1st and you know what that means?! It’s the day we’re opening up ticket sales to the 2022 Slow Flowers Summit and I couldn’t be more thrilled.
The 5th Slow Flowers Summit heads to Lower Hudson Valley, located just 45 minutes outside of Manhattan. I’m so excited to welcome you to three days of amazing programming on June 26-28, 2022. You will be hearing a lot from me in the coming months, as we highlight our speakers, the immersive floral program and two iconic agricultural venues — Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture and the Red Barn at Maple Grove Farm.
Top row, from left: Nicole Cordier, Xenia D’Ambrosi and TJ McGrath Middle row, from left: Philippe Gouze and Shannon Algiere Bottom row, from left: Ronni Nicole Robinson, Frances Palmer and Debra Prinzing
Registration to the 3-day event is $899, including breakfasts, lunches, refreshments and an opening day welcome cocktail party reception. Slow Flowers members may register for a $50 discount of $849. If you grab your ticket before December 31st, enjoy an additional savings of $100 off both the member and general rate.
No pressure if you’ve been procrastinating, but this is your last chance to take the Slow Flowers Annual Member Survey, which closes this Friday, December 3rd. Follow the link below to complete our Survey and for those of you who complete the survey and share their names and email addresses, you will be entered into a drawing for two thank-you prizes.
One Complimentary Slow Flowers Premium Membership for 1 year (a $249 value)
One Free Slow Flowers Dinner at Blue Hill at Stone Barns – June 27, 2022 in Pocantico Hills, New York, (a $350 value) Don’t miss out!
Thank you to our Sponsors
This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 880 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 for 2021, Farmgirl Flowers. Farmgirl Flowers delivers iconic burlap-wrapped bouquets and lush, abundant arrangements to customers across the U.S., supporting more than 20 U.S. flower farms by purchasing more than $9 million dollars of U.S.-grown fresh and seasonal flowers and foliage annually. Discover more at farmgirlflowers.com.
Thank you to Roadie, an on-demand delivery company offering affordable same-day and scheduled delivery. With a network of friendly, local drivers who handle each delivery with care, and one-on-one support from a designated account manager, Roadie guarantees a smooth and reliable delivery experience–from pickup to delivery. Sign up for your first delivery at Roadie.com/slowflowers and use promo code slowflowers–that’s one word–to get five dollars off.
Thank you to Flowerfarm.com, our new sponsor. FlowerFarm is a leading wholesale flower distributor that sources from carefully-selected flower farms to offer high-performing fresh flowers sent directly from the farm straight to you. You can shop by flower origin and order flowers and foliage from California, Florida, Oregon and Washington by using the “Origin” selection tool in your search. It’s smarter sourcing. Learn more at flowerfarm.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 us today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than 790,000 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 Slow Flowers Society.com and consider making a donation to sustain Slow Flowers’ ongoing advocacy, education and outreach activities. You can find the donate button in the column to the right at debraprinzing.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. 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.
The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. You can learn more about Andrew’s work at soundbodymovement.com.
Music Credits:
Betty Dear (piano feature); Turning on the Lights; Gaena by Blue Dot Sessions http://www.sessions.blue
Thank you so much for joining us today! You are in for a very special treat because I’ve invited TJ McGrath of TJ McGrath Design to join me for a conversation about his flower-filled life. The timing is perfect because we just announced the speaker lineup for the 2022 Slow Flowers Summit and I’m thrilled to tell you that TJ will be one of our guest designers at the 5th annual Slow Flowers Summit, June 26-28, 2020 in Bedford and Pocantico Hills, New York. You can find all the details at slowflowerssummit.com.
I first met TJ McGrath when I interviewed him for a Florists’ Review article about the floral business in New York City. Ironically, that entire New York issue was never printed; it just appeared online because it was the May 2020 issue right smack in the middle of COVID. Click on the link below to read that story.
Two expressive and highly individual designs by TJ McGrath
Watch TJ McGrath present at the (virtual) September 2020 Slow Flowers Member Meet-Up
But that experience put TJ on my radar and I regularly admired his floral designs, as he transitioned from working at a retail flower shop to going solo and renaming his IG account @tjmcgrathdesign. We invited TJ to be a guest at last September 2020’s Slow Flowers Member Meet-Up where he shared his unique, fresh, modern approach to foam-free floral designs.
A whimsical arrangement, quirky and quite elegant, which TJ designed live during our recorded interview. Yes, there are 3 bananas combined with chocolate dahlias!
TJ’s design philosophy is pretty simple: there are no real rules in nature, so there are no restrictions or rules in his designs. “I strive everyday to push beyond my boundaries and to create one of a kind designs that feel modern, whimsical and fresh. I’m reaching beyond what I’ve done thus far to discover engaging new shapes, color palettes, and foraged organics to design with using advanced floral foam free mechanics,” he says.
TJ’s recent workshop took place at his favorite greenhouse grower, H J Hautau & Sons Florist (c) Jessica Gallo, Fine & Fleurie Photography
Committed to fostering a community that is inclusive as well as environmentally and socially aware. TJ believes a sustainable floristry industry is achievable and it starts at home. He has and continues to seek out and support the local flower farming community where he lives in New Jersey.
Check the entire program for the Slow Flowers Summit 2022 and meet our amazing speakers, view the schedule, venue, lodging, and registration details — all found at slowflowerssummit.com. Ticket sales open on December 1st with a fabulous discount offered to the first 50 who register. TJ’s presentations include:
Sunday, June 26th (Day One), TJ will demonstrate and lead large-scale, freestanding, foam-free floral installations during our “Floral Takeover.”
Monday, June 27th (Day Two), TJ will demonstrate his distinctive take on centerpiece design using all locally-grown botanicals.
Enjoy Slow Flowers x Small Business Saturday Savings!
It’s the week of Thanksgiving, so that means coming up this weekend, you have lots of opportunities to save — on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday (and Sunday) and Cyber Monday — from November 26-29th. Find all the details and coupon codes here.
Offer #1 — use coupon code SmallBiz20— valid for 20% off Slow Flowers Mercantile items 11/26-11/29. Right now, you can find books by me, plus American Flowers Week bouquet labels, prints from our favorite artists and lots of Slow Flowers Society merchandise.
Offer #2 — We’ve packaged 9 very special video presentations from the 2021 Slow Flowers Summit, available for purchase for the first time at just $99 (a value of $129). Access 8+ hours of valuable content, including demonstrations and talks by Susan McLeary, Max Gill, Abra Lee, Pilar Zuniga, Lorene Edwards Forkner, Jennifer Jewell, our fantastic Sustainable Farming x Floral Design Panel (Molly Culver, Kellee Matsushita-Tseng and Emily Saeger) and Teresa Sabankaya!
Offer #3 — Enjoy a $100 discount on my online course, Slow Flowers Creative Workshop: Floral Storytelling, which returns with a January 11, 2022, start date and runs weekly for four weeks. Pre-registration opens this Friday, November 26th. If you register during our Small Business Saturday Weekend(November 26-29) — as a Slow Flowers member or not — you will receive $100 off the course ($297 value), paying only $197. I haven’t offered this course for an entire year and those who sign up will receive a new BONUS MODULE on “Visual and Verbal Storytelling,” which I’m teaching withBLOOM Imprint’s Creative Director Robin Avni. You’ll also receive our 28-page workbook, “The Journey from Blog to Book.”
Last Call to Take the Member Survey for 2022!
And here’s your final reminder to take the Slow Flowers Member Survey, which closes on December 3rd. For those who have not yet completed the annual member survey, here’s an enticement. Complete the survey by December 3, 2021 and share your contact information on the survey to be entered into drawings for:
Complimentary Slow Flowers Premium Membership for 1 year – Standard member will be upgraded to Premium; if already a Premium member, the next 12 month period from the current renewal date will be complimentary ($249 value)
Free Slow Flowers Dinner at Blue Hill at Stone Barns – June 27, 2022 in Pocantico Hills, New York; does not include Slow Flowers Summit ticket, travel, or accommodations ($350 value)
Thank you to our Sponsors!
This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 880 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 for 2021, Farmgirl Flowers. Farmgirl Flowers delivers iconic burlap-wrapped bouquets and lush, abundant arrangements to customers across the U.S., supporting more than 20 U.S. flower farms by purchasing more than $9 million dollars of U.S.-grown fresh and seasonal flowers and foliage annually. Discover more at farmgirlflowers.com.
Our next thank you goes to new sponsor, 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 improves 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.
Our next sponsor thank you goes 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.
Our final sponsor thanks goes 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 us today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than 788,000 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 Slow Flowers Society.com and consider making a donation to sustain Slow Flowers’ ongoing advocacy, education and outreach activities. You can find the donate button in the column to the right at debraprinzing.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. 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.
The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. You can learn more about Andrew’s work at soundbodymovement.com.
Why is it that we’re supposedly moving into our quieter, perhaps dormant season, but we are doing everything but resting?!
I don’t think I’m alone in this feeling, and I wanted to discuss it with you, and bring today’s guest into the conversation.
Please meet Sarah Wagstaff, of SUOT Farm and Flowers, based in Burlington, which is located in Washington State’s Skagit County about halfway between Seattle and the US-Canadian border.
SUOT Farm and Flowers is home to freshly hand-picked flowers and foliage. It’s a no-till urban farm in the hub of Skagit Valley WA, and includes a hugelkultur demonstration garden, education workspace, and floral studio.
SUOT stands for “Small Units Of Time,” because, as Sarah says, we know that we aren’t able to accomplish everything we want to in one day, but little by little, we will get there together!
SUOT Farm and Flowers studio and shop in Burlington, Washington (c) Sara Welch Photo Co.
Since 2015, SUOT Farm and Flowers has been committed to providing our customers with the freshest flowers, local bouquets, and unique arrangements with 100% locally grown, Washington botanicals.
As an urban micro flower farmer, and farmer-florist, Sarah goes above and beyond for her customers to ensure they know their purchases supports a sustainable, local, woman-owned business.
Workshops at SUOT Farm and Flowers
Sarah’s website for SUOT Farm and Flowers features harvest and holiday workshops coming up in her Burlington Studio, including: in-person garland and wreath-making sessions later this month and in early December.
You can also order her signature 12-ounce white ceramic mug with the black “midday murder logo.” Of course a little tongue in cheek, Sarah encourages friends and customers to join the midday murder club — “make yourself a cuppa tea, then take the rest of the boiling water outside, pour it in some weeds, & channel your murderous death, kill, die thoughts to the weeds (and not your kids/spouse/coworkers)!”
I have a couple of program notes to mention before we close. On last Friday, November 12th, we hosted the monthly Slow Flowers member virtual meet-up — and the topic was All About Flower Co-ops & Wholesale Hubs, featuring several members, including our two featured presenters: Connie Homerick of Ohio Cut Flower Collective and Patti Doell of Garden State Flower Cooperative. If you missed the Meet-Up, watch replay video above. It’s filled with lots of education and inspiration!
Our show notes also includes the link to our just-released Slow Flowers annual member survey, which we’re running through December 3rd. Please take the time to share your feedback and insights, which will be valuable as we plan for 2022 programs, content and resources for you.
This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 880 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 for 2021, Farmgirl Flowers. Farmgirl Flowers delivers iconic burlap-wrapped bouquets and lush, abundant arrangements to customers across the U.S., supporting more than 20 U.S. flower farms by purchasing more than $9 million dollars of U.S.-grown fresh and seasonal flowers and foliage annually. Discover more at farmgirlflowers.com.
More thanks goes 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.
Thanks 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.
Thanks so much for joining us today! The Slow Flowers Podcast has been downloaded more than 785,000 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.
The Slow Flowers Podcast 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 Slow Flowers Society.com and consider making a donation to sustain Slow Flowers’ ongoing advocacy, education and outreach activities. You can find the donate button in the column to the right at debraprinzing.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. 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.
The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. You can learn more about Andrew’s work at soundbodymovement.com.
Thank you so much for joining us today! If there’s anything I’ve learned from my publishing partner Robin Avni, creative director of BLOOM Imprint, it’s that some stories are best told visually. And today’s guest is going to immerse us in the visual delight of the natural world’s amazing palette for pigments, dyes and paints.
Please meet Julie Beeler, a farmer-florist and owner of Bloom & Dye, based in Trout Lake, Washington in the Columbia River basin.
Julie is a designer, artist, educator and native Oregonian who grew up with a deep love and curiosity for the natural world. Along with her husband, Brad Johnson, she founded and led Second Story, an interactive design studio in Portland until 2012.
Textiles reflect the range of beautiful blue pigments from the Indigo plants grown by Bloom & Dye
A Trout Lake resident since 2014, she conceived and launched Bloom & Dye in 2018 to grow her work and passion to benefit what she values most: curiosity, education, creativity, collaboration, community, and the environment.
Growth often starts with conversations that lead to an interest in knowing more. For Julie, educating others on how plants and their colors reflect the beauty of nature is something she is moved to share as a way to inspire care, stewardship and impact. When she is not digging in the soil, Julie is working in her art studio or leading workshops.
Colors of the mushroom world: Julie Beeler’s new project will inspire you to explore mushrooms and the colors they produce
One detail page that features an illustrated mushroom and the many colors derived from it.
She joined me to introduce her newest amazing project, The Mushroom Color Atlas. Julie gathered a small team of artists and experts to create this free resource. The Mushroom Color Atlas is a reference for anyone and everyone curious about mushrooms and the beautiful and subtle colors derived from them. But it is also the start of a journey and a point of departure, introducing you to the kaleidoscopic fungi kingdom and our connection to it.
Some of you may remember being introduced to Julie and two other talented Slow Flowers members during our April 2021 monthly meet-up – Diving into Dye Plants, with Elaine Vandiver of Old Homestead Alpacas & Gholson Gardens, Lourdes Casañares-Still of Masagana Flower Farm and Tinta Studio and Julie. It was such a fantastic session, and you can watch the replay link above.
I’m so excited that Julie brought this project to life and shared it with our community and anyone who loves plants, the natural world, art and color! And, as we discussed, if you’re in the Pacific Northwest, please come to Julie’s DIY stage presentation at the NW Flower & Garden Festival, Saturday, February 12th at 5 p.m. — Colors from the Dye Garden. I’ll see you there!
Dried flowers from the Bloom & Dye gardens and studio, often used in Julie’s workshops, kits and courses.
Places where you can connect with Julie Beeler: Follow Bloom & Dye on Instagram and Facebook
First, this Friday, November 12th is our Virtual Member Meet-up for November and the theme is a hot topic for sure: All About Flower Co-ops & Wholesale Hubs. Now that the growing season is winding down for many of our members who are flower farmers or farmer-florists, it’s time to reassess and also plan for the future. We’ve heard from so many members and supporters about the desire to form a collective selling hub for your flowers — but the concept may seem daunting. Of course, there are some established models, most notably, the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market, now in its 10th year. What about some of the newer groups? We wanted to bring their stories and voices to you in the Meet-Up format.
Click on the Link below to sign up for the Meet-Up. You will receive the log-in details. And the session will go for 90 minutes this time around, beginning at 9 am Pacific/Noon eastern on Friday, November 12th.
Our guests include: Connie Homerick of Ohio Cut Flower Collective (left) and Patti Doell of Garden State Flower Cooperative and their presentations will be followed by a Q&A session after which you’ll be invited to join one of three topic-specific breakout sessions, led by:
Jamie Rogers and Carly Jenkins, Killing Frost Farm & Ali Harrison, Florage Farms (Farmers wholesaling their own and others’ product); Amanda Maurmann, co-founder of the Michigan Flower Growers Co-op and florist Haley Tobias on the multi-owner LLC model representing Old Dominion Flower Cooperative
It will be an info-packed session and we’re so grateful to each of the experts who are joining us to share their knowledge with you!
Oh, and another item of note that dropped this week — our annual Member Survey. Following up after a fantastic October Member Appreciation Month, we’d love to hear from you. The reason for this survey is to learn how you feel about all of the ways Slow Flowers Society benefits and supports its members, and to hear your new ideas for features, programs and resources that we might consider for the coming year.
One year ago, in the fall of 2020, I’m pleased to say we had 30% member participation, with more than 200 of you taking time to complete the survey. Our membership has grown since then and the Slow Flowers community is now nearly 900 members. We’re hoping to continue to increase the participation in this year’s member survey. To make it worth your time, here’s an enticement. Every Slow Flowers member who completes the survey by December 3, 2021 will be entered into a drawing for two giveaways: 1. Complimentary Premium membership for 1 year, valued at $249; and 2. a dinner ticket to the four-course, farm-to-table dinner on Monday, June 27, 2022 at the famed Blue Hill Restaurant at Stone Barns Center – during the Slow Flowers Summit, valued at $350.
Thanks in advance for sharing your insights and ideas!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 880 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 for 2021, Farmgirl Flowers. Farmgirl Flowers delivers iconic burlap-wrapped bouquets and lush, abundant arrangements to customers across the U.S., supporting more than 20 U.S. flower farms by purchasing more than $9 million dollars of U.S.-grown fresh and seasonal flowers and foliage annually. Discover more at farmgirlflowers.com.
Thanks to Flowerfarm.com, a leading wholesale flower distributor that sources from carefully-selected flower farms to offer high-performing fresh flowers sent directly from the farm straight to you. You can shop by flower and by country of origin at flowerfarm.com. Find flowers and foliage from California, Florida, Oregon and Washington by using the “Origin” selection tool in your search. It’s smarter sourcing. Learn more at flowerfarm.com.
Thanks to the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers. Formed in 1988, ASCFG was created to educate, unite, and support commercial cut flower growers. Its mission is to help growers produce high-quality floral material, and to foster and promote the local availability of that product. Learn more at ascfg.org.
Thanks 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 us today! 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 Slow Flowers Society.com and consider making a donation to sustain Slow Flowers’ ongoing advocacy, education and outreach activities. You can find the donate button in the column to the right at debraprinzing.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. 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.
The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. You can learn more about Andrew’s work at soundbodymovement.com.
Music Credits:
Heliotrope; Open Flames; Turning on the Lights; Gaena by Blue Dot Sessions http://www.sessions.blue
Watch my wonderful conversation with Libby Francis-Baxter of The Modest Florist
For our final week of October’s Member Appreciation Month, I recorded a terrific interview with longtime Premium member Libby Francis-Baxter, owner of The Modest Florist in Baltimore, Maryland. Libby is one of those constant IG presences in our lives, tagging Slow Flowers Society in her everyday floral posts that show the beautiful arrangements heading out the door of her neighborhood retail flower shop. She’s living her values through and through — and I really wanted to share Libby’s story with you.
Libby Francis-Baxter of The Modest Florist, posing with one of her popular holiday arrangements in a recycled vintage green glass vase.
Here’s a bit more about Libby and her cute shop:
Libby Francis-Baxter is known for supplying her community with locally-grown flowers, greens and live plants presented in vintage, reusable and biodegradable containers. Founded in 2013, The Modest Florist was created with sustainability at its core and is committed to environmentally-friendly solutions for the modern floral business. As the hometown florist in Baltimore’s Hampden neighborhood, it’s a source for a full range of floral services with a modern twist! The Modest Florist is the first florist to be recognized by and listed on the Maryland Department of Energy “Green Registry” and the owner is a LEED Green Associate.
Libby is proud of being quirky, a trait synonymous with the neighborhood where The Modest Florist is based.
and a feature I wrote about The Modest Florist that appeared in the December 2018 issue of Florists’ Review, for our Slow Flowers Jounal “How I Do It” column — an ongoing feature sharing retail florists’ advice on sourcing locally. Download the article here
Last week, Libby and I recorded a video interview and you can watch the full episode, including a short, fun video that Libby’s husband took on her farmers’ market shopping excursion. Find that in today’s show notes, too!
Entirely Local! English Country Garden by The Modest Florist
After we recorded our conversation, Libby and I kept corresponding and I wanted to share portions of an email she sent me:
“The pandemic and the current, on-going supply chain issues have highlighted the importance of local sourcing. When the nation went into lockdown in March of 2020, the floral wholesalers shut down. Conventional florists found themselves without the ability to get flowers from South America and other far off places. Supplies like glassware from China have nearly dried up. Many of our area florists shut down; some for good.
“My experience was exactly the opposite! I shut my door to the public and pivoted to contact-free delivery. I never missed a beat on having flower inventory as I was able to rely on my local greenhouse growers and field flower farmers to do COVID safe pickups. My community knows that I love reused vases. So many folks were stuck at home and cleaning out their kitchen cabinets that I have gotten more vases left outside the shop than ever before!
“I wanted to share my experience as a way to encourage florists to consider a more sustainable business model. As far as I know, I’m the only full-service retail flower shop on the east coast to source only local flowers and plants all year ’round. It’s a challenge and more work but I believe our world needs folks to put planet before profit.
Libby Francis-Baxter, The Modest Florist
Bonus Interview: Ellen Frost, Local Color Flowers
On this topic, I want to share a bonus interview I also recently recorded with Ellen Frost of Local Color Flowers. Ellen is a past guest of this podcast, so she will be familiar with you. In keeping with the theme of my interview with Libby, I asked Ellen to talk about her upcoming online course offered through The Gardener’s Workshop. If you think this workshop has your name on it, vheck out the details for Ellen’s course, Growing Your Business with Local Flower Sourcing. The fee is $495, with registration taking place between November 5-9th. That’s coming right up! and the course begins January 3, 2022.
We have just wrapped up October, our very successful Member Appreciation Month. The month focused on thanking you, our core community of motivated and mission-driven flower growers, designers, enthusiasts and pioneers in the Slow Flowers Movement.
There’s so much you can look forward to during the month of November, so if you haven’t opened up your Slow Flowers November newsletter, check it out here!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 880 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 for 2021, Farmgirl Flowers. Farmgirl Flowers delivers iconic burlap-wrapped bouquets and lush, abundant arrangements to customers across the U.S., supporting more than 20 U.S. flower farms by purchasing more than $9 million dollars of U.S.-grown fresh and seasonal flowers and foliage annually. Discover more at farmgirlflowers.com.
More thanks goes 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 Gardener’s Workshop, offering a full curriculum of online education for flower farmers and farmer-florists, including Ellen’s upcoming course. Online education is more important this year than ever, and you’ll want to check out the course offerings at thegardenersworkshop.com.
Roadie, an on-demand delivery company offering affordable same-day and scheduled delivery. With a network of friendly, local drivers who handle each delivery with care, and one-on-one support from a designated account manager, Roadie guarantees a smooth and reliable delivery experience–from pickup to delivery. Sign up for your first delivery at Roadie.com/slowflowers and use promo code slowflowers–that’s one word–to get five dollars off.
Thanks so much for joining us today! The Slow Flowers Podcast has been downloaded more than 780,000 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.
We are a member-supported endeavor and I value our loyal members and supporters! If you’re new to this podcast, check out all of our resources at Slow Flowers Society.com and consider making a donation to sustain Slow Flowers’ ongoing advocacy, education and outreach activities. You can find the donate button in the column to the right at debraprinzing.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. 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.
The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. You can learn more about Andrew’s work at soundbodymovement.com.
Music Credits:
For We Shall Know Speed; Hickory Interlude; Turning on the Lights; Gaena by Blue Dot Sessions http://www.sessions.blue
