The Slow Flowers Podcast is the award-winning show known as the “Voice of the Slow Flowers Movement.” Launched in 2013 as the original flower podcast, we’ve devoted more than 10 years to covering the business of flower farming, floral design, and the Slow Flowers sustainability ethos. Listen to a new episode each Wednesday, available for free download here at slowflowerspodcast.com or on iTunes, Spotify, and other podcast platforms.
Today is red letter day — the 10th anniversary of the Slow Flowers Podcast! I launched the first-ever podcast about flowers on July 23, 2013 with Episode 100! Little did I know that this audio storytelling project — it was called internet radio back then — would take off and resonate with so many listeners!
The Slow Flowers Podcast is the longest, continually-running podcast in the floral design and flower farming space
Commemorating our 10-year-mark is so significant. It recognizes that the Slow Flowers Podcast is the longest, continually-running podcast in the floral design and flower farming space. We invite you to help us celebrate by sharing your stories of how the Slow Flowers Podcast has been an inspiring companion to you over the years! Post or send us a video tagged #slowflowerspodcast and we may feature you in our Slow Flowers social media feed!
And, we’re having a contest! Check out our IG stories on@SlowFlowersSociety, which we will run for the next 10 weeks — you could win one of two priceless prizes! We’ll select two winners among eligible entrants: 1 – win a featured guest spot on a future episode of the Slow Flowers Podcast; and 2 – win a chance to co-host an upcoming monthly Slow Flowers Member Meet-Up. We’ll post the details on social media for you to follow along and participate.
I have spent several weeks looking back over the 520 episodes we’ve produced in the past decade, trying to find a good way to honor our expert guests and their stories. So, starting today, for the next 10 weeks, we will highlight one episode from each year of the past decade and bring the best of the Slow Flowers Podcast to you. If you’re a longtime listener, you might recognize these flower folks; if you’re new to the Slow Flowers Podcast, I’m excited to introduce you to them for the first time.
Today, we’re starting with Episode 100 — our very first episode. It’s a fitting place to begin our retrospective.
Kierstin De West
First, in PART ONE of this podcast you’ll hear from Kierstin De West, CEO and founder of Ci (Conscientious innovation), a market research and consulting firm known for its early embrace of the sustainable marketplace, which Kierstin led 2004 to 2018. As I mentioned in the original episode, I met Kierstin in 2011 when we were seated at adjacent tables in a restaurant at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. We struck up a conversation and the beginnings of a friendship over the course of one hour . . . before we both had to race to our respective flights. Later, I invited Kierstin to talk about her research into consumer attitudes regarding sustainability as the keynote speaker for the Garden Writers Association annual symposium in 2011, now known as GardenComm International.
Kristin and I discussed the research she conducted for her former company called The Shift Report, an omnibus study of 5,000 consumers in North America. What jumped out at me in this report was the idea of LOCAL values surpassing other topics that you might consider ranking higher on consumers’ sustainability checklist….such as Organic or Global Warming. Listen as Kierstin and I discuss this fascinating research and hear how insightful and prescient it was 10 years ago — it is equally important today!
Joan Thorndike, LeMera Gardens
In PART TWO of this podcast, join my conversation with veteran organic flower farmer Joan Thorndike, owner of Le Mera Gardens in Talent, Oregon, which is near Ashland. We talked about what LOCAL means to Joan’s floral customers while taking a walk from Joan and Dan’s home to the vibrant farmer’s market in downtown Ashland. Many of you were introduced to Joan in the “Grower’s Wisdom” section of The 50 Mile Bouquet. In that short section, Joan’s articulate, insightful perspective resonated with me. She is a grower-ecologist. Joan operates on a world view that is highly inclusive and optimistic. My favorite quote from our original interview goes this way: “When I sell my flowers, I believe I am appealing to my customer’s deeply visceral desire to observe the cadence of Nature.”
A post script about my guests!
Kierstin De West is still leading marketing for mission-driven organizations. In 2018 she joined lululemon as VP Global Brand Management and Strategy. Three years later, she joined Alpha Foods as Chief Marketing Officer. Most recently, I heard from Kierstin that she’s off to a new adventure in Paris, so best wishes to her!
Joan Thorndike is still pumping out uncommonly beautiful organic flowers at LeMera Gardens. Last year, we featured Joan as a Slow Flowers Hero in the fall 2023 issue of Slow Flowers Journal. Click below for the free PDF that you can download and read.
Don’t forget to check out our IG stories for invitation to enter our giveaway promotions to celebrate our 10 year anniversary!
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, 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, 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, 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 for listening! Sending love, from my cutting garden to you! (c) Missy Palacol Photography
I love all this floral goodness and I am so happy you joined 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. Thanks so much for joining us today and I’ll see you next week!
I’m so happy to share today’s episode with you because it came together through total serendipity, thanks to arrangements made by my friend Jenny Ulum, Senior Director of Communications at King Estate Winery in Eugene, Oregon.
We were in Eugene last weekend to attend the USA Track & Field National Championships, and when in Eugene, Jenny and her husband Tim Gleason always host us at their home. Jenny and I go way back — we were editors together in the 1980s at the long-ago shuttered Seattle Woman magazine, and have remained close friends ever since.
I had reached out to two Eugene area Slow Flowers members, trying to line up an interview for this week while also having some time away with friends. Sadly, due to travel and other conflicts, both of the farmer-florists I approached weren’t available.
King Estates Winery
Jenny over heard me discussing my dilemma and she said, “You should come out to the winery and meet our culinary garden manager, Erin Greene. She has been growing lots of flowers and designing bouquets for the restaurant and tasting room.” (photo credit: Erin Greene, King Estates Winery (c) Andy Nelson).
So we arranged a last-minute outing on Sunday morning, and I am so grateful for the experience. It was employee blueberry-picking day, so while my husband Bruce joined Jenny and Tim to pick something like 8 pounds of blueberries, I joined Erin to tour King Estate’s cutting garden, apple orchard, and greenhouse production areas. I learned so much and you’ll enjoy the conversation, too.
King Estate Winery-grown flowers for the tasting room, designed by Erin Greene
Flowers from the King Estate Winery cutting garden
Here’s a little bit more about Erin Green:
Erin Greene, Culinary Gardens Manager, joined King Estate in 2018. Working closely with the culinary team, Erin is responsible for all annual vegetable, herb and edible flower production for use in the Restaurant. After earning a degree in Biodynamic Agriculture from Emerson College in the U.K., Erin operated her own farm, Nourish Gardens, in eastern Washington for four years and spent two years working for a 500-acre organic farm in California that served the finest farm-to-table restaurants in the Bay Area.
A native of Washington State, Erin is thrilled to be back in the Pacific Northwest. “I love everything food-related, from seed to plate,” she says. When she’s not at work she can be found cooking in her kitchen, working in her home garden or out in the wilderness: camping, fishing, hiking and exploring Oregon with her husband and pup (farm dog Bertie).
Biodynamic Compost production at King Estates Winery
Biodynamics team, Director of Viticulture Ray Nuclo (right) and Viticulturist Edward Burke (left) in front of the compost pile.
Thank you so much for joining me today! We fact-checked the scale of King Estates on-site compost program — 800 tons of organic compost is produced at the winery each year.
Bee Friendly Wine Tour
Here are more details about the August 19th Bee Friendly Wine Tour taking place as part of The Oregon Bee Project. August 19th is actually National Honey Bee Day and the $35 ticketed event buys you two taste pours of wine, a taste of ale song beer, a box lunch and desert bite. Not to mention bee-themed events and a garden tour! (noon to 3 pm) and you’ll learn about the native bees of Oregon and how they support biodiversity on farms, vineyards, orchards, and residential backyards.
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.
I love all this floral goodness and I am so happy you joined 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
Thank you for listening! Sending love, from my cutting garden to you! (c) Missy Palacol Photography
I’m Debra Prinzing, host and producer of the Slow Flowers Show & Podcast. The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. The content and opinions expressed here are either mine alone or those of my guests alone, independent of any podcast sponsor or other person, company or organization. Next week, you’re invited to join me in putting more Slow Flowers on the table, one stem, one vase at a time. Thanks so much for joining us today and I’ll see you next week!
Just down the road from Walla Walla Flower Farm, on Stateline Road, in fact, but on the Washington side, is a historic farm called Old Homestead. This is where Elaine and Mike Vandiver operate two complementary businesses — Old Homestead Alpacas and Gholson Gardens.
The Old Homestead at Old Homestead Alpacas and Gholson Gardens, Walla Walla, Washington
Dixie, Winnie (middle, youngest) and Roxy (born the day after Debra’s visit)
I’m so happy I was able to return to this beautiful farm for a visit. I filmed the entire tour, narrated by Elaine, as we visited her Alpacas, the Fiber House, the Dye House, and the Cutting Garden.
I know you’ll learn lots about how to balance dual farm operations, and you’ll also be swept up in the story, thanks to Elaine’s bubbly personality and spirit of generosity to share with the Slow Flowers community.
You’ll also meet her intern, Elena Schenkenberg, and hear how she was drawn to this place to learn more about slow flowers, slow fiber and slow fashion.
Here’s just a bit more by way of introduction:
Elaine grows specialty cut flowers on her historic homestead in Walla Walla, Washington. As a seasonal grower, she cultivates rare, unique and heirloom varieties that are picked at their peak for customers who wish to snag a deluxe mixed bouquet from her stylishly functional flower cart at the Downtown Walla Walla farmer’s market (May through October). Elaine also offers weekly flower subscriptions, and assemble floral creations for local restaurants & wineries.
Elaine with one of her friendly, fiber-producing alpacas
Old Homestead Apacas is known for 100% farm-grown knitwear with Alpaca fiber that is hand-dyed using farm-grown heirloom dye plants.
Elaine recently worked with local filmmaker CMBell Company to capture short video narratives of all four seasons at Old Homestead Alpacas and Gholson Gardens. The films are beautiful storytelling moments narrated by Elaine and you’ll hear that audio — winter and spring at the beginning; summer and fall at the end.
Let’s jump right in and meet or re-meet Elaine Vandiver!
And check out the online shop – one of my favorite gifts to myself when I first visited was to purchase a lacy knit scarf of the finest alpaca yarn — hand-dyed in calendula petals.
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.
I love all this floral goodness and I am so happy you joined 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
Thank you for listening! Sending love, from my cutting garden to you! (c) Missy Palacol Photography
I’m Debra Prinzing, host and producer of the Slow Flowers Show & Podcast. The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. The content and opinions expressed here are either mine alone or those of my guests alone, independent of any podcast sponsor or other person, company or organization. Next week, you’re invited to join me in putting more Slow Flowers on the table, one stem, one vase at a time. Thanks so much for joining us today and I’ll see you next week!
Scott and Anne Sumner of Walla Walla Flower Farm performing in their fields
Welcome, friends! I have such a lively and informative episode to share with you today. A few weeks ago – before we welcomed 150+ guests to the Slow Flowers Summit, I joined my husband Bruce to drive 5 hours east accompanying him on a short business trip. We drove across the state to Walla Walla in the southeast corner of Washington that’s become a major winery and tourism hub.
I can’t travel anywhere without looking up our local Slow Flowers Society members and asking permission to visit their floral design studio, shop, or flower farm. On my last trip to Walla Walla (pre-covid), I visited flower farmer Elaine Vandiver of Gholson Gardens and recorded an audio interview, but our community is growing there! In the past year, Anne Sumner of Walla Walla Flower Farm joined our society. I was eager to meet her and learn her story, which you’ll hear today.
Walla Walla Flower Farm
Walla Walla Flower Farm Is a small-scale, woman-owned and operated farm growing cut glowers in the beautiful Walla Walla Valley. Hailing from generations of Walla Walla Valley farmers and growing up working on the family farm, Anne Sumner has come back to her roots. After years of raising and homeschooling children, working as a registered nurse and most recently serving as a bank VP, Walla Walla Flower Farm feels to Anne like coming home.
Scenes from Walla Walla Flower Farm
Her mission and the mantra of WWFF is: Share Flowers. Share Joy.
Anne certainly shared her flowers and her joy with me. When I learned that she and her husband Scott were soon heading to Idaho for a week-long fiddling convention, I asked if they would play some music and allow me to record it. I’m so happy to open and close this episode with their guitar-fiddle music.
Thank you so much for joining me today! In case you missed it, we just dropped the July edition of our monthly Slow Flowers Newsletter — it’s filled with free resources, inspiring content, and news of our community.
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, 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, 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, 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.
I love all this floral goodness and I am so happy you joined 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
Thank you for listening! Sending love, from my cutting garden to you! (c) Missy Palacol Photography
I’m Debra Prinzing, host and producer of the Slow Flowers Show & Podcast. The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. The content and opinions expressed here are either mine alone or those of my guests alone, independent of any podcast sponsor or other person, company or organization. Next week, you’re invited to join me in putting more Slow Flowers on the table, one stem, one vase at a time. Thanks so much for joining us today and I’ll see you next week!
Music credits:
Sage Waltz by Anne and Scott Sumner, Walla Walla Flower Farm
In 2015, Slow Flowers introduced American Flowers Week, inviting flower lovers, gardeners, growers, and designers across the country to share their red-white-and-bluish blooms during June 28- July 4th.
The promotion celebrates domestic flower farming and engages people everywhere with local botanicals.
We use the hashtag #americanflowersweek to encourage flower fans to follow and enjoy the campaign’s beauty and floral diversity.
Since 2016 when American Flowers Week debuted its annual botanical couture collection with Susan McLeary’s red-white-and-blue floral Afro, we have commissioned more than 50 wearable looks, created by our member designers and flower farmers.
So today, we’re unveiling our 2023 Botanical Couture Collection — it’s a Haute Couture Harvest!
American Flowers Week 2023 illustration by April Lemly
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 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.
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.
This Week’s News
A program note: I recorded this episode just prior to the kickoff of the Slow Flowers Summit, our 6th conference and an event I love to describe as a TED Talk for Flower Lovers. If you’ve followed along on social media at @slowflowerssociety and @slowflowerssummit on IG, you will have see all sorts of fun posted by Niesha Blancas, our social media manger, over the past three days — from dinner on the farm to floral design demonstrations and the immersive floral takeover of our venue, the Bellevue Botanical Garden.
It was an enriching and essential moment for the Slow Flowers Movement, for 150 of our members, supporters, partners, and friends, to come together to celebrate domestic flowers, floral agriculture, sustainable design, and the important connective tissue — a sense that we are a community and we are all working together to elevate local and seasonal flowers as a viable and vital facet of the floral marketplace. I’m sure I’ll be on an endorphin high that will continue for many months to come – hopefully until I see everyone again in 2024. I’ll have many more details, interviews, videos, and photography to share. Keep an eye out on social media or sign up for our newsletter to receive a sneak peek of the first content, which will be sent out on July 1st.
I love all this floral goodness and I am so happy you joined 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
Thank you for listening! Sending love, from my cutting garden to you! (c) Missy Palacol Photography
I’m Debra Prinzing, host and producer of the Slow Flowers Show & Podcast. The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. The content and opinions expressed here are either mine alone or those of my guests alone, independent of any podcast sponsor or other person, company or organization. Next week, you’re invited to join me in putting more Slow Flowers on the table, one stem, one vase at a time. Thanks so much for joining us today and I’ll see you next week!
We have an info- and inspo-packed show today in which you will meet six floral experts who will present at next week’s Slow Flowers Summit. I’m thrilled that all of these gifted and talented flower friends were able to join me in the virtual studio this past week for a quick introduction and lively conversation.
The Slow Flowers Summit takes place on June 26-27, 2023, at the Bellevue Botanical Garden in the Seattle area. It’s our sixth annual gathering and we wanted to showcase as many speakers as possible, bringing a diverse range of ideas and creativity to our attendees. When Karen Thornton, our event manager, and I discovered that the meeting spaces at BBG could be divided to accommodate simultaneous breakout sessions, it seemed ideal to offer three subject tracks — we’ve never done this before, so it’s going to be fun to see how to move all the many people and places around in a short period of time. On Tuesday, there will be three options at both 11 am and 1 pm – before and after lunch and organized by floral design, flower farming and sustainability.
So today, you’ll meet all six of the experts who will present in these tracks. All are past guests of the Slow Flowers Podcast, so you may recognize their names and voices. For scheduling reasons, we recorded on two different days. First, you’ll meet Sarah Reyes of Wildflower & Fern, who is one of our sustainability speakers; and you’ll also hear from both of our flower farming speakers, Tracy Yang ofJahn Co. Flowers and Dee Hall of Mermaid City Flowers; then, in part two, you’ll meet Becky Feasby of Prairie Girl Flowers, the second sustainability speaker; and both of our floral design presenters, Gina Lett-Shrewsberry of Inspirations by Ginaand Valerie Crisostomo of Black Girl Florists.
Thank you so much for joining me today! If you’re still thinking about attending the Slow Flowers Summit, there is still time to register, so please reach out with any questions — we may be able to connect you with an attendee who has an extra ticket to sell. Contact us here: info@slowflowers.com.
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 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.
I love all this floral goodness and I am so happy you joined 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.
Thank you for listening! Sending love, from my cutting garden to you! (c) Missy Palacol Photography
I’m Debra Prinzing, host and producer of the Slow Flowers Show & Podcast. The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. The content and opinions expressed here are either mine alone or those of my guests alone, independent of any podcast sponsor or other person, company or organization. Next week, you’re invited to join me in putting more Slow Flowers on the table, one stem, one vase at a time. Thanks so much for joining us today and I’ll see you next week!
Jenny over heard me discussing my dilemma and she said, “You should come out to the winery and meet our culinary garden manager, Erin Greene. She has been growing lots of flowers and designing bouquets for the restaurant and tasting room.” (photo credit: Erin Greene, King Estates Winery (c) Andy Nelson).
