Debra Prinzing

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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.

Episode 599: Sustainable Luxury Floral Design with Susan Chambers of San Francisco’s bloominCouture

March 1st, 2023

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.

Susan Chambers of bloominCouture
Susan Chambers of bloominCouture

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!

Susan Chambers in Where We Bloom
Susan Chambers featured in Where We Bloom

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.”

(c) Love Tribe Weddings
A bloominCouture wedding (c) Love Tribe Weddings

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.

bloominCouture bouquet
A signature bloominCouture arrangement

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!

(c) Mary Grace Long Photography

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.

Farmgirl Flowers 2022

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.


Slow Flowers Podcast Logo with flowers, recorder and mic

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


Debra in the Slow Flowers Cutting Garden
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. 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

Episode 598: Alex Cacciari of Michigan’s Seeley Farm on trialing native perennials for the floral market

February 22nd, 2023

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.

Seeley Farm and Joe Pye Weed, a native perennial
Michigan’s Seeley Farm and Joe Pye Weed, a native perennial

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.

Amsonia and other foliages
Amsonia (top right) and other foliages


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.

Lupine bouquets
Mixed bouquets featuring native lupine

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.

NYT op ed (c) Lindsay Morris
Credits: New York Times (c) Lindsay Morris

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.

Farmgirl Flowers 2022

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.


Slow Flowers Podcast Logo with flowers, recorder and mic

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.


Debra in the Slow Flowers Cutting Garden
Thank you for listening! Sending love, from my cutting garden to you! (c) Missy Palacol Photography

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

Episode 597: All about the new Black Florists Fund and a conversation with its founders and first grant recipient

February 15th, 2023

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.

Black Florists Fund logo

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.

Taylor Bates, Dusk Lily Floral Design
Taylor Bates, Dusk Lily Floral Design
Floral design by Taylor Bates
Floral design by Taylor Bates

Follow Dusk Lily Floral on Instagram

John Caleb Pendleton, Planks & Pistils
John Caleb Pendleton, Planks & Pistils
Floral design by John Caleb Pendleton
Floral design by John Caleb Pendleton

Follow Planks & Pistils on Instagram

Elizabeth Cronin of Asrai Gardens
Elizabeth Cronin of Asrai Gardens
Floral design by Elizabeth Cronin
Floral design by Elizabeth Cronin

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.

Farmgirl Flowers 2022

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.


Slow Flowers Podcast Logo with flowers, recorder and mic

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.


Debra in the Slow Flowers Cutting Garden
Thank you for listening! Sending love, from my cutting garden to you! (c) Missy Palacol Photography

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

Episode 596: Ellen Seagraves of Chic Floral Design (AIFD and EMC) and president of the Independent Floral Designers Association

February 8th, 2023

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.

floral art by Ellen Seagraves

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.

floral art by Ellen Seagraves

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.

floral art by Ellen Seagraves
floral art by Ellen Seagraves

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


Slow Flowers Journal Winter 2023 issue

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.

Farmgirl Flowers 2022

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.


Slow Flowers Podcast Logo with flowers, recorder and mic

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.


Debra in the Slow Flowers Cutting Garden
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.

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

Episode 595: Debra Prinzing and Robin Avni Present the 2023 Slow Flowers Floral Insights and Industry Forecast

February 1st, 2023

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

Botany Lessons, the 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

Above (left) Krista Rossow of O’Flora Farms and (right) Tiffany Brown Anderson of Earth & Seeds

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.

Farmgirl Flowers 2022

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.


Slow Flowers Podcast Logo with flowers, recorder and mic

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


Debra in the Slow Flowers Cutting Garden
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.

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

Episode 594: Flowers for All with educator and author Susan McLeary

January 25th, 2023

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.

Susan McLeary
Susan McLeary (c) EE Berger

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

Forsythia Bloom Room from Flowers for All
Forsythia “Bloom Room,” from Sue McLeary’s new book, Flowers for All (c) EE Berger photograph
Simply Strung from Flowers for all by Sue McLeary
From “Simply Strung,” a project in Flowers for All by Sue McLeary (c) EE Berger photograph
from "Trumpet Beads" a project by Sue McLeary in Flowers for All
From “Trumpet Beads” a project by Sue McLeary in Flowers for All (c) EE Berger photography

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.

Edibles in Flowers for All Book
More projects from Flowers for All by Sue McLeary. (Left) Summer Still Life with edible materials; (Right) Floral Meditation with edible flowers and more (c) EE Berger

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’s first Tutorial for Mayesh 2023 — Sustainable Mechanics and Flower Pillar

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.

Farmgirl Flowers 2022

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.


Slow Flowers Podcast Logo with flowers, recorder and mic

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


Debra in the Slow Flowers Cutting Garden
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.


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