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.
Anne Long likes to call herself a cheerleader for dahlias and many other flowers that she wants gardeners and growers to experience. “I love ridiculously gorgeous flowers that look like they are out of a high-end magazine,” she proclaims. “And I want my neighbor to have them on her kitchen table.”At the peak of dahlia season here in the Pacific Northwest, I sat down with this passionate founder of The Dahlia House in Mount Vernon, Washington, to learn more about her gardening hobby-turned-tuber business. The gorgeous display of thousands of vibrant, healthy dahlia varieties was mesmerizing, with about 500 different cultivars for the 2026 tuber season. Anne also devotes an area of her field to showcase unique selections from her favorite dahlia hybridizers, Kristine Albrecht of Santa Cruz Dahlias, and Hailey Sly of River Merle Farm. The Dahlia House has expanded its catalog to include ranunculus and anemone corms, seeds, floral art, as well as freesias and gladiolas for 2026. Join me on a visual tour and an insightful conversation that left me thinking I should rip out everything in my raised beds and devote my life to dahlias!
Anne Long, owner of The Dahlia House in Mt. Vernon, Washington
For the past three years or so, I have connected annually with Anne Long of The Dahlia House at the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival. Her award-winning retail booth was located quite close to the Blooms & Bubbles mainstage, where I produce the daily floral design workshops. So a friendship began with our mutual interest (and my admiration for the beautiful display created by Anne and her team). I mean, how do you make dahlia tubers look sexy in February? At The Dahlia House display, the booth resembled a charming white cottage-style farmhouse, complete with framed art photographs of the flowers for which you can order tubers and corms.
Dahlia season at The Dahlia House
Anne joined Slow Flowers as a member and I made a note to schedule a visit to see her flowers in person and learn more about her story. In early September, I we spent a morning in the dahlia fields.
When your sneakers match your flowers! Anne Long of The Dahlia House
You can read the full story of Anne’s highs and lows as a dahlia gardener on her website. LINK is here so you can dive in and read more. The narrative includes this recap: By 2020, when Anne was feeling like “a Flower Boss Queen,” something drastic happened. And she had to dig out of a few devastating years of failed crops. Anne decided to start a flower business, mainly to have a business license so she could afford to replace her tuber stock at wholesale prices. She ordered up all of her favorites and listed the extra tubers for sale on my website. The story continues, as Anne writes: Guess what? I was completely sold out! Dahlia mania is real.
Anne Long with Stephanie Ware of Melodic Caring Project
At the end of the episode, we added a five-minute bonus interview when Anne introduces her friend and farm host, Stephanie Ware, of Melodic Caring Project, a nonprofit organization that serves patients worldwide through live-streaming musical performances and more. The Dahlia House and Melodic Caring Project have teamed up for several years to promote this important cause, and it was really interesting to learn more about this collaboration.
Anemones with a selection of Pots by Emma (daughter Emma Long’s pottery company)
Dahlias with a Pots by Emma vessel
Thank you for joining me today! I’m so grateful to Anne Long of The Dahlia House for her support and membership in the Slow Flowers Society.
This show is brought to you by slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 700 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, Flowerbulb.eu and their U.S. lily bulb vendors. One of the most recognizable flowers in the world, the lily is a top-selling cut flower, offering long-lasting blooms, year-round availability, and a dazzling petal palette. Flowerbulb.eu has partnered with Slow Flowers to provide beautiful lily inspiration and farming resources to help growers and florists connect their customers with more lilies. Learn more at Flowerbulb.eu.
Thank you to A-ROO Company, your one-stop shop for in-stock floral packaging. From sleeves and wraps to labels and tags, visit www.a-roo.com for their full selection of eco-friendly items or to start the process of developing a look that is uniquely yours. Learn more at a-roo.com.
Thank you to Charles Little & Company for supplying our industry with some of the most beautiful and sustainably-grown design ingredients, available nationwide through their website at charleslittleandcompany.com. Based in Eugene, Oregon, the farmers at Charles Little & Company have been growing and drying flowers since 1986. New products and dried flower collections are added to their website at the first of each month. Check it out at charleslittleandcompany.com.
Thank you for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than 1.5 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!
At The Little Farm on Olga Road on Orcas, Carol Wetzel and Allan Tone live in a small house and have devoted much of the surrounding three acres to growing a food-herb-and-flower farm and seasonal plant nursery to serve their neighbors and island visitors, including destination wedding clients. The Little Farm is a Big Endeavor that began when Carol and Allan arrived at the beginning of the Pandemic. The move was possible because they also own a small software company and are able to operate it remotely. So you might think The Little Farm is a side hustle, but it’s much more than that, as the couple embraces permaculture, environmental biodiversity, and organic practices while caring for a once-neglected hayfield turned magical, plant-centered experience for everyone who enters its gates. Join us on a tour of The Little Farm and a conversation with Carol – I know you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.
Allan Tone and Carol Wetzel, founders of The Little Farm on Olga Road, Orcas Island, Washington
I recently mentioned that I’ve been busy in the field, gathering stories and interviews to share with you in anticipation of my upcoming 2-week trip to Japan, so today, you’re in for a real treat – a visit to The Little Farm on Olga Road, based in Eastsound on Orcas Island and owned by Carol Wetzel and Allan Tone. I reached this gorgeous destination in a tiny airplane piloted by Allan. The short but breathtaking flight in and of itself was like a luxury vacation toone of the most popular of the beautiful string of islands that make up the San Juan archipelago.
Specialty Cut Flowers from The Little Farm on Olga Road
Overlooking a beautiful bay on Orcas Island, The Little Farm on Olga Road offers a spectacular seasonal array of perennials and annuals to enjoy in a multitude of ways. Carol and Allan’s cutting garden bounty begins in early spring with tulips, anemones, hellebores and irises; summertime welcomes fragrant sweet peas, followed by zinnias, cosmos, sunflowers, and specialty dahlias – all of which were thriving at their seasonal peak when I arrived. To come, the arrival of more than 60 varieties of heirloom chrysanthemums later this fall.
A social media post tells the story of The Little Farm’s origins
The Little Farm Soap Co. features all local and natural ingredients
What I learned on my visit is that The Little Farm is not just a flower farm. With three distinct orchards, a mini vineyard of wine and table grapes, hardy kiwi, and seasonal vegetables, the gates open to visitors who can enjoy a You Pick experience or shop in the Farm Stand that’s also stocked with fresh farm eggs, plant starts and a selection of the farm’s soap and skincare line made from locally sourced-tallow and essential oils pressed from the flowers.
The golden hour at The Little Farm (left) and Carol Wetzel (right)
Carol, a lifelong gardener and educator with a Doctorate in Education, says her real delight is the joy her garden creations bring to friends, neighbors and visitors on Orcas Island, people who want to immerse themselves in the wonderful world of flowering perennials and annuals.
Allan’s role at The Little Farm is evident everywhere you look, including artfully built barns, farm stand, hoop houses, and an innovative irrigation system. Allan is the President of Orcas Aviation Association, which provides Mercy Flights for individuals and family members that need a quick flight off the island for non-life-threatening treatment such as chemotherapy or other medical emergencies. He and a handful of volunteer pilots fly thousands of missions each year.
Some of what you’ll discover at The Little Farm on Olga Road
Their commitment to community and their Little Farm is inspiring and I’m delighted to share it with you today. I’m so grateful to Carol and Allan for their hospitality and for their membership in the Slow Flowers Society. I left my 24-hour visit to The Little Farm filled with a shared sense of wonder. As Carol and Allan continue to work hard and pay great attention to what brings joy to their visitors, their original vision for The Little Farm and what it represents is taking shape beautifully.
This show is brought to you by slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 700 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, Flowerbulb.eu and their U.S. lily bulb vendors. One of the most recognizable flowers in the world, the lily is a top-selling cut flower, offering long-lasting blooms, year-round availability, and a dazzling petal palette. Flowerbulb.eu has partnered with Slow Flowers to provide beautiful lily inspiration and farming resources to help growers and florists connect their customers with more lilies. Learn more at Flowerbulb.eu.
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 johnnyseeds.com.
Thank you for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than 1.5 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!
Alicia Houston is the founder of Healer’s Harvest, based in Poulsbo, Washington. After moving to the Pacific Northwest from San Diego to care for her grandfather, a long-time veggie grower and farmers’ market seller, Alicia found her own passion for flower farming. Her lifelong interest in medicinal plants led her to take courses, attend workshops, and eventually launch Healer’s Harvest in 2022.Alicia provides floral designs for weddings, events, and pop-ups; she offers DIY flower buckets and hosts design workshops. She is committed to sustainability, using locally sourced flowers and eco-friendly techniques to create unique, seasonal arrangements that reflect the beauty of the Kitsap Peninsula where she lives. Join me on a field tour with Alicia as she harvests her healing floral ingredients for a beautiful design demonstration.
Alicia Houston of Healer’s Harvest
Now that we’re officially into September, I’ve been motivated to schedule as many in-person interviews for the Slow Flowers Podcast as possible. The floral palette is at its peak and yet there’s an awareness that we’ll soon arrive at the fall equinox. Knowing that I’m heading to Japan for two weeks, I spent the early part of September recording three back-to-back farm visits with beautiful video and delightful conversations. The first of those three is today’s interview with Alicia Houston of Healer’s Harvest.
Alicia, harvesting crabapple branches in Grandpa’s Orchard, Poulsbo, Washington
I met Alicia at the leased field where she has farmed annuals and dahlias for two seasons, land that Alicia recently learned she will have to give up. That’s bittersweet, but as she evolves her young floral enterprise, Alicia is discovering that there’s still plenty of garden space where she lives with her grandfather, as well as a possible new location for 2026. As she points out, with her increased focus on floral design and freelancing, Alicia has deepened her ties with other farmer-florists in the Kitsap Peninsula from whom she can source – even if her growing space is reduced.
Alicia’s modern, seasonal, Ikebana-inspired arrangement with a pin frog mechanic
Thank you for joining me today! I’m so grateful that Alicia and I met when she was just getting started. I think it was 2022 when she and her sister came to the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival and our membership manager, Tonneli Gruetter, brought them to the floral stage to introduce us. Fast-forward to 2025 and Alicia was a featured Blooms & Bubbles instructor leading one of our Slow Flowers floral design workshop. I love how these connections continue to deepen.
For the 2026 Slow Flowers Worldwide Summit in January, Alicia will join Dee Hall Goodwin, Monique Morris, and Marilyn Griffin on a panel discussion: Building a Farmer-Florist Business. As I mentioned last week, we’ve invited Black Flower Farmers to join Slow Flowers Society as the Summit’s co-host, and Dee is producing two of the sessions, including this one.We’ve just announced the full speaker lineup for the online Summit and Tickets will go on sale October 1st.
This show is brought to you by slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 700 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, Flowerbulb.eu and their U.S. lily bulb vendors. One of the most recognizable flowers in the world, the lily is a top-selling cut flower, offering long-lasting blooms, year-round availability, and a dazzling petal palette. Flowerbulb.eu has partnered with Slow Flowers to provide beautiful lily inspiration and farming resources to help growers and florists connect their customers with more lilies. Learn more at Flowerbulb.eu.
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 swgm.coop or seattlewholesalegrowersmarket.com.
And 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 for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than 1.5 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!
The news was impossible to ignore last Tuesday, as the Internet exploded with reports of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement. For flower people like us, seeing the enchanted garden setting with a lush display of roses, hydrangea, delphinium, lilies, and masses of greenery – well, it was all too wonderful. Whether you’re a devoted Swiftie or not, the fairytale narrative is a shot in the arm for flower growers and creatives. We always want to put flowers at the center of the story, right? And thank you, Taylor and Travis for doing just that. Today, I’m so happy to welcome longtime Slow Flowers member Ashley Greer, a DC-based florist and owner of Atelier Ashley Flowers. I know you’ll love hearing Ashley’s behind-the-scenes story of how she helped editors at People magazine report on Taylor’s engagement flowers – and the conversation just might inspire how you communicate the meaning and importance of flowers to your clients.
Ashley Greer of Atelier Ashley Flowers
OMG, well, I said it at the top of today’s episode – thank you, Taylor and Travis for placing flowers at the heart of your magical engagement news! It’s my pleasure to welcome Ashley Greer of Atelier Ashley Flowers, a true Taylor Swift devotee, who joined me at the last minute to record today’s episode about the floral phenomenon we’ve all just witnessed.
Floral Design by Ashley Greer of Atelier Ashley Flowers
As one opinion writer in the New York Times described it: “The news feels like a tiny piece of joy in a sea of troubles, a little bit of brightness in the dark. Yes, it was probably all micromanaged. It still made me happy — and hopeful.“
Ashley Greer is a Washington, D.C.-area studio florist whose work and commentary has been featured in People Magazine, The Washington Post, Martha Stewart Weddings and Martha Stewart Living, the Associated Press, and many other outlets, including, now the Slow Flowers Podcast.
Florals for residential clients
After more than two decades as a floral creative, Ashley continues to believe the energy and vibrancy of plant material flowers, foliages, and fruits are elements of transformation. She writes: “They are my tools for creating an intimate experience customized to your situation and floral needs. Each bouquet is a one-of-a kind, unique work of ephemeral fine art designed with love.”
Last week, when I saw that People magazine relied on Ashley’s floral expertise for two online stories, first of all, I was so happy for her, and for the Slow Flowers community, to see that one of our members was part of the international Taylor-Travis engagement commentary. Second, I was thrilled that Ashley made time to join me in the virtual studio as together we viewed the engagement images from Instagram and discussed how she interpreted the installation’s meaning, sourcing, recipe, mechanics and more.
Ashley Greer and one of her custom designs for a residential client
I had a big smile on my face during the entire conversation and I’m excited to share it with you today. I’m so grateful to Ashely Greer of Atelier Ashley Flowers for her membership in and support of the Slow Flowers Movement. As an artisan florist, Ashley knows that her strengths lay in the way she combines unique varieties of blooms and color palettes to produce a one-of-a-kind look that her clients may never have seen before and may never experience again. I hope her story inspires you on your floral journey and gives you confidence to reach out to your local media outlets as a floral expert.
This show is brought to you by slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 700 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,Flowerbulb.eu and their U.S. lily bulb vendors. One of the most recognizable flowers in the world, the lily is a top-selling cut flower, offering long-lasting blooms, year-round availability, and a dazzling petal palette. Flowerbulb.eu has partnered with Slow Flowers to provide beautiful lily inspiration and farming resources to help growers and florists connect their customers with more lilies. Learn more at Flowerbulb.eu.
Thank you to the Association of Specialty Cut Flowers. The ASCFG is a gathering place for specialty cut flower growers of all levels of experience. It is a hub of knowledge, where seasoned experts and budding enthusiasts come together to learn, share, and support one another. The ASCFG is dedicated to empowering its members with the knowledge and resources needed to thrive in the world of cut flower farming. From educational workshops and conferences to online resources and publications, they provide a wealth of information and support for all things related to growing exceptional cut flowers. Learn more about the ASCFG and how to be a part of it at ascfg.org.
Thank you to Red Twig Farms. Based in New Albany, 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 for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than 1.5 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!
It’s dahlia season and gardeners and growers everywhere are celebrating the endless variety and exquisite beauty of the Slow Flowers movement’s “it” flower. At Dianne’s Dahlias in Colorado Springs, Colorado, founder Dianne Reitan is motivated by her own dahlia passion. Growing dahlias in dry, high desert conditions at an elevation of 7,000 feet can seem challenging, if not impossible, but Dianne has discovered that these magnificent flowers adore Colorado’s abundant sunshine and cool nighttime temperatures. Join me in a conversation with Dianne to learn about her dahlia-only cut flower farm that thrives on the grounds of a historic mining museum, as she brings together a love of dahlias, a heart for education, and her fund-raising expertise to benefit this local nonprofit cultural center.
Dianne Reitan
After working in nonprofit fundraising for most of her career, Dianne Reitan discovered the joy of gardening, specifically dahlia gardening. Her efforts have expanded from a humble 7-tuber dahlia plot at her neighborhood community garden to more than 260 different varieties and just under two thousand plants for season 2025. Dianne now grows her organic, full-sun dahlias on the grounds of the Western Museum of Mining and Industry, located in the northern part of Colorado Springs across the freeway from the Air Force Academy. As President of the Board of Trustees for the mining museum, she is devoted to supporting this unique non-profit whose mission is to educate the public about the heritage and continuing importance of the mining industry in the American West.
By leasing museum land for her dahlia farm, Dianne has created a fantastic model in which everyone wins. Customers know that for every bouquet purchased from Dianne’s Dahlias, a portion of the proceeds go to supporting the mining museum. Other activities include dahlia classes and workshops, farm tours, wholesale and retail sales of cut dahlias, a subscription program, and sales of tubers.
Thank you for joining me today! I’m so grateful to Dianne Reiten and Dianne’s Dahlias for her membership in and support of the Slow Flowers Movement. I hope her story inspires you on your floral journey and helps you take more creative risks in your own floral enterprise. Please let us know about your journey!
This show is brought to you by slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 700 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, Flowerbulb.eu and their U.S. lily bulb vendors. One of the most recognizable flowers in the world, the lily is a top-selling cut flower, offering long-lasting blooms, year-round availability, and a dazzling petal palette. Flowerbulb.eu has partnered with Slow Flowers to provide beautiful lily inspiration and farming resources to help growers and florists connect their customers with more lilies. Learn more at Flowerbulb.eu.
Thank you to Charles Little & Company for supplying our industry with some of the most beautiful and sustainably-grown design ingredients, available nationwide through their website at charleslittleandcompany.com. Based in Eugene, Oregon, the farmers at Charles Little & Company have been growing and drying flowers since 1986. New products and dried flower collections are added to their website at the first of each month. Check them out at charleslittleandcompany.com.
Thank you to A-ROO Company, your one-stop shop for in-stock floral packaging. From sleeves and wraps to labels and tags, visit www.a-roo.com for their full selection of eco-friendly items or to start the process of developing a look that is uniquely yours.
Thank you for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than 1.5 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!
I truly love learning about the floral journeys that so many of our members have taken to arrive at a life immersed in flower growing, floral design, or both. For Colleen Raney, the path began when she and her husband were professional musicians. Colleen’s decades-long career as a celebrated Irish singer took her around the globe. The “flower adventure” began in 2017, followed by a move from rural Maine, back home to a small farm in Washington State where Colleen and her husband Hanz Araki both were raised. Today, she grow flowers on that 2-acre farm in the agricultural flats of Washington State’s beautiful Skagit Valley and designs for wedding and event clients through her studio Diadem Flower Co. Last Colleen launched a boutique sweet pea seed venture, Songbird Seed Co. Join us for a farm tour and conversation to learn more.
Collen Raney of Diadem Flower Co. and Songbird Seed Co.
How do you ever explain an obsession? Obsessions can be beautifully irrational, rarely based on logic. And when you meet Colleen Raney and hear her story, you’ll conclude that she may be possessed by her love of sweet peas – that’s entirely relatable, as I discovered on a recent visit to her farm in Washington’s Skagit Valley.
Songbird Seed Co. and sweet pea fields at dusk
Colleen has spent her entire life in the performing arts – working as an actor in New York City, touring the world as a musician, teaching theatre and production to young adults, and producing music festivals for several years. All of that experience, plus the several years spent growing and designing with flowers means that she is a versatile farmer-florist who helps couples achieve the floral creations of their dreams. Now, Colleen also grows sweet peas, harvests their seeds, and sells tiny packets of gorgeous and fragrant floral dreams to gardeners and flower lovers.
A rainbow of sweet pea blooms
Born into a Seattle family where Irish music and dance were part of the fabric of everyday life, learning songs from her older siblings was very much a part of Colleen’s formative years. Colleen began her musical career with her oldest brother Mark. After attaining her MFA in Acting from the University of Washington, and working as a professional actor for a decade, Colleen dove back into the traditional music world with her first album Linnet in 2008. Her 2013 release Here This is Home is without question one of the finest works in recent years.
Wedding florals by Diadem Flower Co.
Colleen has toured extensively, both at home and abroad, and spent two months in 2017 singing for Irish-American supergroup Solas on their farewell tour. Her music can be heard on radio from Italy, to Ireland, to New York, to Hawaii, to Japan and all parts in between. And we are in for a special treat because Andrew, our podcast editor, has infused this episode with clips from some of Colleen’s albums. I know you’ll enjoy this episode as much as I did creating it with Colleen.
All-local and all-seasonal bridal bouquets by Diadem Flower Co.
Thank you for joining me today! Thank you to Colleen and Diadem Flower Co. for her membership in and support of the Slow Flowers Movement. I hope her story inspires you on your floral journey and helps you take a leap to expand into new horizons through a your own floral obsession. We want to know about it!
Sweet Pea Seed shop: Purchase $50 or more in gift cards before the end of August and secure early access to the October 2025 seed launch. Learn more here.
Thank you to our Sponsors
This show is brought to you by slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 700 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, Flowerbulb.eu and their U.S. lily bulb vendors. One of the most recognizable flowers in the world, the lily is a top-selling cut flower, offering long-lasting blooms, year-round availability, and a dazzling petal palette. Flowerbulb.eu has partnered with Slow Flowers to provide beautiful lily inspiration and farming resources to help growers and florists connect their customers with more lilies. Learn more at Flowerbulb.eu.
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.
Thank you for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than 1.5 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!
