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.
Lisa Mason Ziegler of The Gardener’s Workshop has returned and you may recall she was a past guest of this podcast in 2014. I remember first meeting her in person during the summer of that year, at the Garden Writers annual conference in Indianapolis, soon after her book Cool Flowerswas published.
Evidence of Lisa’s prolific writing!
Lisa and I shared the same publisher, St. Lynn’s Press, which also produced The 50 Mile Bouquet and Slow Flowers, so I had been asked to provide a blurb for her new book. When we finally met, I knew I wanted to invite Lisa to join me on the podcast — and I simply can’t believe that was nearly five years ago. I will share links to that Episode — Number 159 — in today’s show notes so you can go back and have a listen to our conversation.
A lot has happened in the time that’s followed, including the explosion of the Slow Flowers community, heightened interest in flower farming in general, both in the US and in other countries that have seen outsourcing of their floral production, and I believe, an aesthetic shift in floral design, based on a more garden-influenced approach that relies on uncommon, couture blooms that large production growers aren’t able to raise efficiently, opening the door for micro and medium farms to capture that market.
Lisa has been at the forefront of efforts to disseminate accurate flower farming education, setting the bar for best practices along with many of her fellow members in the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers. With the launch of her Flower Farming Online Course last fall, she’s been able to reach an even larger audience of students, spreading knowledge and encouragement through a new medium designed to fit lifestyles and budgets that don’t always allow for in-person training.
She also last year released a new book with a new publisher, Vegetables Love Flowers, published by Cool Springs Press. I invited Lisa to meet me for breakfast, good conversation and a quiet moment to record this interview. I know you’ll enjoy it.
Flowers in her arms!
Here’s a bit more about today’s guest, excerpted from The Gardener’s Workshop web site:
What began as a small cut-flower farm producing for local
markets has grown into so much more. Lisa has become a leader in the cut-flower
growing industry, author, accomplished speaker and the owner of The Gardener’s
Workshop.
It all began in 1998 because Lisa wanted to work in her
garden as her career. At first, she sold her cut flowers to local florists and
Colonial Williamsburg. The business soon grew to include florist throughout the
Hampton Roads region, supermarkets, farmers markets, a members-only on-farm
market, and a bouquet drop-off subscription service.
A market bouquet from The Gardener’s Workshop
During this time Lisa began giving programs to garden clubs,
master gardeners, commercial growers, and other groups. What became apparent is
that people were eager for her simplified organic gardening methods and her
greatest gift is sharing them.
The next natural step came when Lisa self-published The Easy Cut-Flower
Garden in 2011. a 100-page guide on how-to grow and harvest a
small home cutting garden. Her program travels began to spread from Texas to
Oregon to New York City and she went on to become published with Cool Flowersin 2014 (St. Lynn’s
Press) andVegetables Love Flowers (Cool Springs Press 2018.)
Lisa’s farm, known as The Gardener’s Workshop is still a small
market flower farm, and an online garden shop. The online store sells the same
seeds, tools, supplies, and seed starting equipment that Lisa uses as well as
signed copies of her books. Lisa’s simple, instructive, and delightful
gardening messages are reaching far beyond any expectation she ever had.
Lisa now offers four online courses that range in length and subject. Her signature course, Flower Farming School Online, will return this fall. It is a 6-week self-paced course designed to guide you to becoming a successful cut-flower farmer–even if you live in the midst of a city or have no previous farming experience! Course cost $495. Follow the link for more details and sign up to be notified with the course is released again.
As Lisa says: “If you have dreamed of becoming a flower farmer, but think it’s impossible, or if you are already growing but feeling overwhelmed or discouraged, I designed this course for you. I know exactly how you feel, because I’ve been there.“
Thanks so much for joining me today. After spending most of last week inside the Washington State Convention Center where an entirely beautiful & fragrant, but somewhat faux spring was in bloom throughout the garden displays, I am soooooo ready for real spring to arrive.
I simply can’t wait and I know you’re experiencing that urge, too. It was my privilege to produce the floral stage at the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival, bringing in five Slow Flowers member designers to each teach for one day during the new featured series called “Blooms & Bubbles.” I bet you can guess where the “bubbles” came from — each day 30 participants enjoyed a hands-on floral design workshop while sipping a special floral cocktail or glass of champagne.
A Slow Flowers speaker lineup!
The series was a huge success, selling out a few weeks before the festival opening. I’m grateful to all of our presenters: Jeni Nelson of The London Plane; Baylor Chapman of Lila B. Design; Meridith Isaacson of Verde Seattle; Hannah Morgan of Fortunate Orchard; and Jean Louise Paquin Allen of Juniper Flowers.
Immediately after the Seattle Flower Festival, I headed off to the Philadelphia Flower Show — where I met seveal Pennsylvania flower farmers and floral designers whose creativity inspired me!
The Slow Flowers Summit is four months away on July 1 & 2nd in St. Paul, Minnesota. Make your way to slowflowerssummit.com to learn all about the many opportunities to join us — from flower farm tours and dinner on a flower farm to business and branding presentations to interactive and inspiring design sessions . . . all designed to serve you! Subscribe to Summit news and updates at slowflowerssummit.com.
Thanks so much for joining me on this journey, seeking new and inspiring voices, people with passion, heart, commitment and expertise to share with you. I hope today’s episode gave you at least one inspiring insight or tip to apply to your floral enterprise. What you gain will be multiplied as you pay it forward and help someone else.
Truly, we have a vital and vibrant community of flower farmers and floral designers who together define the Slow Flowers Movement. As our cause gains more supporters and more passionate participants who believe in the importance of the American cut flower industry, the momentum is contagious.
I know you feel it, too. I value your support and invite you to show your thanks and with a donation to support my ongoing advocacy, education and outreach activities. You can find the donate button in the column to the right.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:
Florists’ Review magazine. I’m delighted to serve as Contributing Editor for Slow Flowers Journal, found in the pages of Florists’ Review. It’s the leading trade magazine in the floral industry and the only independent periodical for the retail, wholesale and supplier market. Take advantage of the special subscription offer for members of the Slow Flowers Community.
Longfield Gardens 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. Visit them at longfield-gardens.com.
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.
NW Green Panels. Based in Madras, Oregon, NW Green Panels designs and constructs a wide array of wood-framed greenhouses offering versatility, style and durability. Their greenhouses are 100% Oregon-made using twin-wall polycarbonate manufactured in Wisconsin, making NW Green Panel structures a great value for your backyard. The 8×8 foot Modern Slant greenhouse has become the essential hub of my cutting garden — check out photos of my greenhouse in today’s show notes or visit nwgreenpanels.com to see more.
(c) Mary Grace Long photography
The Slow Flowers Podcast has been downloaded more than 417,000 times by listeners like you. Thank you for listening, commenting and sharing – it means so much. Thank you all!
Our theme for 2019 – Fifty States of Slow Flowers – is taking a break today. So far . . . we’ve made it from Alabama to Connecticut, with some delightful and insightful conversations with Slow Flowers members in those states.
I had scheduled this week’s focus on Delaware. But guess what? It is one of only two states where there are no Slow Flowers members. I’ve been seeking for someone in the Delaware floral scene — farmer or florist — to talk with and record a short spotlight, including searching the #delawaregrownflowers hashtag on social media.
I’ve even messaged and emailed a few folks to invite their participation. But, crickets. Sadly. I know they’re out there, so if you can help — reach out and connect me with Delaware’s local flower peeps! (PS, While Delaware is the 2nd smallest state in the U.S., it follows Rhode Island. I’m so thankful that we have a vibrant Slow Flowers community in the smallest state!)
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. Learn more about his work at soundbodymovement.com.
A spectrum of dahlias from Butternut Gardens in ConnecticutThe Little White Flower Cottage at Butternut Gardens
Our theme for 2019 —Fifty States of Slow Flowers — continues today with Connecticut. And because I was so wrapped up in the conversation I recorded with my guest, Evelyn Lee of Butternut Gardens, this is an extended State-Focus episode. A lot of exciting flower news is coming out of Connecticut and I’m glad we took the time to discuss it to share with you.
Evelyn joined Slow Flowers several years ago and I’ve enjoyed meeting her on a few occasions, including last year’s Slow Flowers Summit in Washington, D.C. I also interviewed her for a farmer-florist article a few years ago. Ironically, that article appeared in Southern Farm & Garden magazine, and while Connecticut isn’t exactly “the south,” the editors loved her story. Here’s a link for you to read the article.
Evelyn Lee of Butternut Gardens in Southport, Connecticut
Here’s more about Evelyn Lee and her flowers:
Little White Flower Cottage sales building and floral sales tent
A number of years ago, with kids in college and beyond, Evelyn set her sights on the unlikely endeavor of creating a flower farm in the middle of the suburbs. Call her crazy, but she believed, then and now, that people truly appreciate fresh flowers, and that people, our environment and our economy all benefit from locally grown blooms.
Labeling used by Connecticut’s agriculture producers
Butternut Gardens is a fabulous little flower farm, design studio and garden workshop tucked away in Southport, CT. It is the only cut flower farm in Connecticut’s Fairfield County, offering the freshest of blossoms harvested daily at the peak of perfection. No shipping. No storage. Just rich, vibrant, delicious-smelling flowers every time.
A beautiful peony mix from Butternut Gardens
Evelyn
shares this on her web site:
When
you choose Butternut Gardens flowers, you also choose flowers grown in an earth
friendly manner on a Bee Friendly Farm by Evelyn Lee, a NOFA Accredited Organic
Land Care Professional. Not only is our goal to bring the true beauty,
fragrance
and astounding
variety of freshly-cut flowers to your special events and into your
daily lives, but also to share knowledge and best practices for
sustainable suburban gardening, landscaping and land use.
Butternut Gardens’ springtime bouquets
Butternut
Gardens flowers do not receive synthetic fertilizers, and great care is taken
to not only “do no harm” but to also protect and enhance soil, water
and living organisms. At Butternut Gardens, we leave plenty of flowers and
pollinator-friendly habitat for neighborhood honey bees and an abundance of
native pollinators, which call our land “home.” We strive to lead by
example in our suburban neighborhood and hope to teach others about eco
friendly gardening practices that can be applied to their land and gardens as
well. A little education can go a long way!
During the growing season (March to November) Butternut Gardens crafts an ever-changing parade of seasonal flowers, fruits, seeds, branches and other interesting natural botanical elements from the several hundred of varieties locally grown into seasonal bouquets and arrangements.
A vivid summer floral palette from Butternut Gardens Another cottage portrait (left) and more varieties of blooms (right)
Thanks so much for joining my conversation with Evelyn Lee of Connecticut’s Butternut Gardens. I’m continually inspired by the momentum and energy that is taking place in key regions across the continent. What’s happening with flower farmers and floral designers in Connecticut is also playing out elsewhere, spearheaded by creatives as passionate as Evelyn is. To be sure, we’ll continue hearing their stories here, on the Slow Flowers Podcast.
Thanks so much for joining me on this journey, seeking new
and inspiring voices, people with passion, heart, commitment and expertise to
share with you. I hope today’s episode gave you at least one inspiring insight
or tip to apply to your floral enterprise. What you gain will be multiplied as
you pay it forward and help someone
else.
Truly, we have a vital and vibrant community of flower farmers and floral
designers who together define the Slow
Flowers Movement. As our cause gains more supporters and more
passionate participants who believe in the importance of the American cut
flower industry, the momentum is contagious.
I know you feel it, too. I value your support and invite you to show your thanks and with a donation to support my ongoing advocacy, education and outreach activities. You can find the donate button in the column to the right.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!!
Florists’ Review magazine. I’m delighted to serve as Contributing Editor for Slow Flowers Journal, found in the pages of Florists’ Review. It’s the leading trade magazine in the floral industry and the only independent periodical for the retail, wholesale and supplier market. Take advantage of the special subscription offer for members of the Slow Flowers Community.
The Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers. Formed in 1988, ASCFG was created to educate, unite, and support commercial cut flower growers. It 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. Coming right up, on March 23rd, is the Urban Farming Conference in St. Louis. More details can be found here.
Syndicate Sales, an American manufacturer of vases and accessories for the professional florist. Look for the American Flag Icon to find Syndicate’s USA-made products and join the Syndicate Stars loyalty program at syndicatesales.com.
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. Check them out at johnnysseeds.com.
The Slow Flowers Summit is five months away on July 1 & 2nd in St. Paul, Minnesota. Make your way to slowflowerssummit.com to learn all about the many opportunities to join us — from flower farm tours and dinner on a flower farm to business and branding presentations to interactive and inspiring design sessions . . . all designed to serve you! Subscribe to Summit news and updates at slowflowerssummit.com.
The Slow Flowers
Podcast has been downloaded more than 414,000 times by
listeners like you. Thank you for listening, commenting and sharing – it means
so much. Thank you all!
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. Learn more about his work at soundbodymovement.com.
Whenever possible, I enjoy sharing those connections with the Slow Flowers Community. Because many of you come from these closely-related disciplines, I know you’ll enjoy today’s interview with my friend Sue Goetz. Sue is the owner of The Creative Gardener, based in Tacoma, Wash. She is a certified professional horticulturist, an author, speaker and award-winning designer.
I consider Sue a “sister” because we share the same book publisher, St. Lynn’s Press. While I’ve been writing and documenting the Slow Flowers movement, Sue has been writing, designing and photographing inspiring books about herbs.
Her first book, The Herb Lover’s Spa Book, is filled with ideas and recipes about growing fragrant herbs in your garden and how to use them to create a luxury spa experience. Her newest book, A Taste for Herbs, moves from the aromatherapy into the culinary realm. I asked Sue to join me on the Slow Flowers Podcast to talk all about her favorite subject. I’m sure you’re growing herbs and I know this conversation will spark new ideas for what, how and why to add more herbs to your garden, farm, containers or greenhouse.
Recipe courtesy of Sue Goetz, A Taste for Herbs
Here’s more about Sue Goetz:
Writing and speaking are Sue’s favorite ways to share her love
of gardening. Her motto “…inspiring gardeners to create” defines all of
her talks with hands-on workshops, how to’s and other projects that inspire
creativity in and out of the garden. In 2012, she was named educator of the
year by the Washington State Nursery and Landscape Association. Sue is a
member of GardenComm, formerly the Garden Writers Association, and her work has
appeared in numerous newspapers and magazines.
Search for Sue’s fun garden wisdom series on Instagram #stickybookquote
Sue Goetz is a garden designer, writer and speaker. Through her garden design business, the Creative Gardener, she works with clients, personalizing garden spaces from the seasonal tasks to the design of large projects. Sue’s garden design work has earned gold medals at the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival, including the Sunset Magazine Western Living award, the Fine Gardening best design award and The AHS environmental award. Her home garden was featured in Northwest Home and Garden magazine, as well as Country Gardens Magazine.
Sue is a member of APLD (Association of Professional Landscape
Designers) and the Northwest Horticultural Society. Sue lives and gardens in
Washington state. She has three daughters, who no matter how far they roam,
they still call home for some of mom’s fragrant, herbal concoctions.
Recipe courtesy of Sue Goetz, A Taste for Herbs
You can find all of Sue’s herb-related content and details about her two books, her lectures, and lots of recipes at herbloversgarden.com.
Colorado’s Robin Taber of Blue Door FarmOur fabulous group of flower friends gathered at the Rocky Mountain Field to Vase Dinner. From left: Andrea K. Grist, me, Alicia Schwede, Robyn Rissman, Meg McGuire, and Robin Taber
Our theme for 2019 – #FiftyStatesofSlowFlowers – continues today, with Robin Taber of Blue Door Farm in Grand Junction, Colorado.
We both traveled to the Denver area in 2016 to stay at Meg’s wonderful farm and participate in a Slow Flowers Potluck as well as attend the Field to Vase Dinner at The Fresh Herb Co. It impressed me that Robin traveled 250 miles all the way across the state to be part of this gathering. It’s not unusual for flower people to do that sort of thing and we had a wonderful time together with Meg and also Andrea K. Grist, who joined us from Kansas City. See the cute photo of our time together above, along with Alicia Schwede and Robyn Rissman.
Bodacious Blooms: Robin taught floral design at a 2-day Blue Door Farm workshop last year in a collaboration with professional artist Dianna Fritzler.
Robin is deaf and communicates by lip-reading. In our conversation you’ll hear her speak with a mild accent. Her husband Mark Taber assisted us during the Skype interview.
Download the full transcript of our conversation here.
Thanks so much for joining me on this journey, seeking new and inspiring voices, people with passion, heart, commitment and expertise to share with you. I hope today’s episode gave you at least one inspiring insight or tip to apply to your floral enterprise. What you gain will be multiplied as you pay it forward and help someone else.
This was a week of highlights, including lots of great press attention for Slow Flowers during the lead up to Valentine’s Day. I’ll share all of those links in our March newsletter, so if you’re not a subscriber, you may wish to sign up atdebraprinzing.com.
Truly, we have a vital and vibrant community of flower
farmers and floral designers who together define the Slow Flowers Movement. As our cause gains more supporters and
more passionate participants who believe in the importance of the American cut
flower industry, the momentum is contagious.
And thank you to our lead sponsor, Florists’ Review magazine. I’m delighted to serve as Contributing Editor for Slow Flowers Journal, found in the pages of Florists’ Review. It’s the leading trade magazine in the floral industry and the only independent periodical for the retail, wholesale and supplier market. Take advantage of the special subscription offer for members of the Slow Flowers Community.
Our first Sponsor Spotlight
and 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.
Our Second Sponsor Spotlight today includes a thanks to NW Green Panels. Based in Madras, Oregon, NW Green Panels designs and constructs a wide array of wood-framed greenhouses offering versatility, style and durability. Their greenhouses are 100% Oregon-made using twin-wall polycarbonate manufactured in Wisconsin, making NW Green Panel structures a great value for your backyard. The 8×8 foot Modern Slant greenhouse has become the essential hub of my cutting garden — check out photos of my greenhouse or visit nwgreenpanels.com to see more.
Our final sponsor thank you this week 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.
I know you feel it, too. I value
your support and invite you to show your thanks and with a donation to support
my ongoing advocacy, education and outreach activities. You can find the donate button in the column to the right.
The Slow Flowers Summit is five months away on July 1 & 2nd in St. Paul, Minnesota. We just wrapped up a very successful Galentine’s Day-Valentine’s Day promotion for the Slow Flowers Summit, generating new registrants to bump us well over the 50% sold-out mark for the 3rd annual Summit
I owe a big bouquet of thanks to event manager Karen Thornton and social media manager Niesha Blancas for all their extra effort to make that happen!
Make your way to slowflowerssummit.com to learn all about the many opportunities to join us — from flower farm tours and dinner on a flower farm to business and branding presentations to interactive and inspiring design sessions . . . all designed to serve you! Subscribe to Summit news and updates at slowflowerssummit.com.
The Slow Flowers Podcast has been
downloaded more than 411,000 times by listeners like you. Thank you for
listening, commenting and sharing – it means so much. Thank you all!
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. Learn more about his work at soundbodymovement.com.
I’m delighted to share today’s conversation with Stacy Brenner of Broadturn Farm in Scarborough, Maine.
Back in May 2012, after the publication of The 50 Mile Bouquet, I received an email from my dear childhood friend, Shari Shambaugh.
We went to high school youth group together in Portland, Oregon, but she had since moved with her family to Portland Maine. As part of her newsy email, Shari wrote:
Our CSA farm starts up soon, so we’ll be having our source of wonderful produce back from Broadturn Farm. We tried a meat share with another farm this winter, both stepping back from the amount of meat we eat and choosing better/local sources. I am also thinking of getting the flower share this year, a weekly bouquet of flowers from our food CSA.
You would love the blog site of our farmers (lovely people – we had dinner with them a few months ago at the home of mutual friends). Their daughter is a gifted photographer and Stacy (the mom) is a gifted arranger/grower. I knew they grew local blooms, but didn’t know there was a Slow Flower movement. Makes so much sense. I may go out and paint a few times this summer. I would be nice to get out into the open, and their farm has wonderful vistas.
John Bliss, Stacy Brenner and familyBroadturn Farm flowers, grown and designed
Just months later, I met Stacy Brenner and John Bliss of Broadturn Farm when they traveled to Tacoma for the ASCFG Conference — and we connected the dots that my friend Shari was one of their CSA customers. Love the small-world personal connections that happen when you talk about local and seasonal flowers!
I don’t know why it has taken me so long to invite Stacy (and John, who was otherwise detained when we recorded today’s episode, reportedly working in their greenhouses) to be a guest on the Slow Flowers Podcast. So pleased we were able to record today’s episode via Skype this past week.
Broadturn Farm’s vivid branding embellishes the delivery van
There has been a lot of excitement coming out of Maine in the Slow Flowers world lately, including two back-to-back successful years with the Flowering in the North conferences, not to mention Slow Flowers’ relationship with our sponsor Johnny’s Selected Seeds, and our support of Rayne Grace Hoke’sSlow Flowers-inspired design workshops.
Broadturn Farm, Scarborough, Maine
So, the
focus on Maine is growing. Let me tell you more about Broadturn Farm and its
owners, Stacy Brenner and John Bliss:
John Bliss and Stacy Brenner share the work of running the farm and raising two daughters, Emma (22) and Flora (12). They both grew up in the suburbs of large cities, with no direct relationship to agriculture, but they started farming together in 2002.
In their bio on Broadturn Farm’s web site, John & Stacy describe themselves as middle aged, at times cynical, hardworking and always delighted to have a good laugh with friends and co-workers. Good food is a high priority, as is travel and plenty of time to binge on TV in the winter during a snow-storm. Access to real food, a strong need for connection to sustenance, and the potential to connect the verdant world with social justice is what urged this couple to put their hands to the earth.
Summer Camp at Broadturn Farm
While the desire to raise food was easy to intellectualize, flower farming is a hobby gone wild. Stacy and John both have a love for making and growing, thus flower farming and flower design work is like an extension of the challenges of food production melded with the art of design. Every bucket of blooms still makes them giddy. The first bunch of tulips, the perfect peony and the dahlia with just the right shade brings such joy. And, much like the first meal their family enjoyed with all farm-produced food, the first big wedding they produced with all farm grown and foraged goods made their hearts sing. John and Stacy are truly honored to put food on people’s tables and flowers in their arms.
They value Broadturn Farm as a gift, a real blessing, and they are open to sharing that with their community. There are trails to explore and fields to examine and there is always something going on with the livestock, from cud chewing to a mama hen trailed by her 6 chicks. And, if all that proves unexciting, the barn cats are sure to bring smile. If you come by, and you see John or Stacy puttering around, please say hello. They’re almost always busy in the season but never too busy to share a moment with a visitor. There are no regularly scheduled tours but don’t let that keep you from stopping by.
Dahlias at Broadturn Farm
I’m so pleased to share this conversation with you. Stacy
has a lot of exciting news to share as well as insights that may inspire you to
take a step back and reconsider your farm or studio’s mission and practices.
Beautiful Bird’s Eye view of Broadturn Farm
So much going on and you’ll want to follow and connect with Broadturn Farm. Find and follow the farm here:
Queen City Flower Farm’s flowers, grown by today’s guest, Nan Matteson
Nan Matteson of Queen City Flower Farm, based in Cincinnati, Ohio
I’m delighted to share today’s conversation with Nan Matteson of Queen City Flower Farm in Cincinnati, Ohio.
I met Nan virtually in 2015 when she emailed me to introduce herself. It was a lovely note from a woman who would become a kindred spirit and friend. Nan wrote this:
“Once vase at a time.” That was the line that hooked me. I could make one vase.
I’m a podcast junkie and a gardener. Slow Flowers hit my radar either via Ken Druse or Riz Reyes early in the game. I listened all summer. I wanted to hang out with these people. I showed up at the ASCFG meeting in Delaware to explore more. Met you ever so briefly.
Came home wondering, how can I be a part of this movement? I could read between the lines. People already owned the land. There was a husband/family in the background. But let’s be honest. I’m single, in my late 50’s, and wasn’t about to leave my good job w/ benefits.
More beautiful bouquets and field-grown zinnias from Queen City Flower Farm.
However, one afternoon in late November I had coffee w/ a local CSA farmer who had no interest in flowers. She said, “Nan, come grow for us on our land.” An offer I couldn’t refuse.
I spent the winter reading, ordering seeds and tubers. Listening to more podcasts. By spring I knew I still knew nothing about growing cut flowers, but took the advice offered in multiple podcasts, “Just start.”
So I have spent this summer providing mixed bouquets for Finn Meadows CSA. A barnacle business as Elizabeth Artis would say. A mini-micro biz I say. I average 7 bouquets a week. Not much, but seven more vases of fresh, local, seasonal flowers sitting on someone’s table each week.
And I continue to listen to your podcast.
Lucky for me I’m heading to NYC this week-end. And although not planned it turned out that I had scheduled myself the same week as the Field to Vase dinner in Brooklyn. Oh my gosh! So what’s another day in NYC if I can catch that event? I hope to see you there.
Final thought: trend is not a bad word – embrace it. You’ve created a wonderful trend! (Who am I to tell you what to say?!)
Love your podcast. Its growth proves its worth. Sincerely, Nan Matteson
Event bouquets (left) and a gift bouquet (right), grown by Nan Matteson of Queen City Flower Farm.
Isn’t that just the kind of email to savor again and again?!
Nan (right) with her sister, at Flower House Detroit in 2015. The women are wearing botanical brooches, which Nan made.
As it turns out, I met Nan that summer of 2015 in Brooklyn, and subsequently, at Lisa Waud’sFlower House Detroit, just a few months later.
We’ve met up at other flower events and when Nan came to Seattle last month for a short visit, I told her we needed to record an episode for the Podcast!
Lucky for me, she said YES! I know you will enjoy our conversation and laughter.
And you’ll be inspired as I am, by Nan’s joie de vivre and her determination to keep on growing flowers, even if just for a single vase of beauty.
Find and follow Nan Matteson at these social places — she’s one you’ll want to follow and connect with.
Thanks so much for joining me on this journey, seeking new and inspiring voices, people with passion, heart, commitment and expertise to share with you.
I hope today’s episode gave you at least one inspiring insight or tip to apply to your floral enterprise. What you gain will be multiplied as you pay it forward and help someone else.
We have a vital and vibrant community of flower farmers and floral designers who together define the Slow Flowers Movement. As our cause gains more supporters and more passionate participants who believe in the importance of the American cut flower industry, the momentum is contagious.
I know you feel it, too. I value your support and invite you to show your thanks and with a donation to support my ongoing advocacy, education and outreach activities. You can find the donate button in the column to the right.
The Slow Flowers Summit is six months away so please save three dates on your calendar as you plan your travel to St. Paul, Minnesota.
On Monday, July 1st, we will all gather at Paikka Event Space for day one of the Summit.
On Tuesday, July 2nd we will tour the Twin Cities Flower Exchange as it’s swimming in locally grown flowers.
I can’t wait to see you there! Ticket sales continue with a special Slow Flowers member discount at $375.
You’ll learn all about the many opportunities to join us — from flower farm tours and dinner on a flower farm to business and branding presentations to interactive and inspiring design sessions . . . all designed to serve you! Sign up to receive updates at slowflowerssummit.com.
Thank you to our Sponsors, including those highlighted today!
Florists’ Review magazine: I’m delighted to serve as Contributing Editor for Slow Flowers Journal, found in the pages of Florists’ Review. It’s the leading trade magazine in the floral industry and the only independent periodical for the retail, wholesale and supplier market. Take advantage of the special subscription offer for members of the Slow Flowers Community.
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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 here.
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For the second year, Florists’ Review magazine published my annual forecast (aka Trend Report) for all things Slow Flowers in the January issue. In my presentations about the report, I have shared 10 Insights and 2 Bonus Insights that shine a light on the prevailing shifts in sustainable flower farming and floral design.
You can read the Florists’ Review report here and download a PDF of “Tracking Floral Futures.” FinalForecast2019
Above is a video of my 2019Forecast Report, presented at the annual Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers’conference last September. It runs for a full hour, but I wanted to post it here for anyone interested in learning more about the incredibly powerful shifts taking place in domestic floral agriculture and progressive floral design.
I’ve already begun to compile my impressions for the 2020 Forecast and I’m eager to get your input. If you have thoughts or suggestions, please send my way: debraprinzing@gmail.com.
