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Renowned potter Frances Palmer has spent decades creating art that has enchanted designers and artists around the world. But there is another vibrant side of her creative life that she’s equally passionate about and devoted to – flower gardening and arranging. Today, join me in an engaging conversation with artist and passionate gardener Frances Palmer as we discuss her world and her new book: Life with Flowers: Inspiration and Lessons from the Garden. This practical and gorgeous guide to growing and arranging flowers is unlike any other flower-growing or design book, because it is steeped in Frances’s love of art history, influenced by early photographers and painters, and by gardens from her travels. You’ll delight in the fascinating behind-the-scenes stories of how Frances chooses and grows specific varieties, and how pieces from her wheel and kiln pay tribute to each stem, which she documents with exquisitely photographed still-life studio portraits.

The 2022 Slow Flowers Summit theme, “Flowers as Artist’s Muse,” was a sentiment that perfectly expressed the art of potter Frances Palmer, one of our featured speakers. Personally, I have been drawn to Frances Palmer’s pottery for many years. In fact, I own two of her vases, which I absolutely cherish and love for displaying my flowers. We invited Frances to share her story and introduce our Slow Flowers Summit attendees to the way she views flowers as part of her art, specifically the flowers she grows in her Connecticut cutting garden.

If you missed that year’s Slow Flowers Summit, perhaps you met Frances when she appeared as a guest of the Slow Flowers Podcast in May 2022. We previewed her Summit presentation and discussed her first book, Life In the Studio, Inspiration and Lessons on Creativity.

This book is as beautiful and unexpected as Palmer’s pottery, as breathtakingly colorful as her celebrated dahlias, and as intimate as the dinners she hosts in her studio for friends and family. 

And now, the companion to that title is called Life With Flowers, out May 13^th. I’m delighted to welcome Frances’s return appearance to the Slow Flowers Podcast – and to share a preview of her beautiful new book with you.

I know you begin to see your flowers in a new way after learning from Frances. Her studio approach elevates both the vessel and the botanicals that they contain — and informs floral design as an art form.

Order a signed copy of Life With Flowers
Life with Flowers book events

Find and follow:
Instagram @francespalmer | Facebook: Frances Palmer | Pinterest: Frances Palmer Pottery

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 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 to The Gardener’s Workshop, which offers a full curriculum of online education for flower farmers and farmer-florists. Online education is more important than ever, and you’ll want to check out the course offerings at thegardenersworkshop.com.

Thank you 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.

I’m Debra Prinzing, host and producer of the Slow Flowers Show & Podcast. The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. The content and opinions expressed here are either mine alone or those of my guests alone, independent of any podcast sponsor or other person, company or organization. Next week, you’re invited to join me in putting more Slow Flowers on the table, one stem, one vase at a time. Thanks so much for joining us today and I’ll see you next week!

Music credits:
Drone Pine; Gaena; Plum King
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

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Today, you’re invited into the pottery studio and cutting garden of celebrated ceramic artist, Frances Palmer of Frances Palmer Pottery. We recently recorded a preview of Frances’s upcoming presentation at the Slow Flowers Summit. Our theme this year is Flowers as Artists’ Muse, and in the conversation that follows, you’ll learn why we invited Frances to the Summit. 

Frances Palmer is a renowned potter, gardener, photographer, cook, and beekeeper.  Over the course of three decades, she has caught the attention not only of the countless people who collect and use her ceramics but also of designers and design lovers.

Her pieces have been carried in dozens of stores and galleries, among them Barneys New York, Takashimaya, and the Neue Galerie.  They have recently been exhibited at Object & Thing and her photographs at Wave Hill Garden in the Bronx. Frances has made special limited collections for Moda Operandi, Aerin Lauder, and MARCH in San Francisco.

In 2020, Artisan Books published Frances’ Life In the Studio. The book is as beautiful and unexpected as Palmer’s pottery, as breathtakingly colorful as her celebrated dahlias, and as intimate as the dinners she hosts in her studio for friends and family. 

Find and follow Frances Palmer:
Frances Palmer Pottery on Facebook

Frances Palmer Pottery on Instagram

Order your copy of Life in the Studio

Sign up for Frances Palmer’s newsletter

​Her presentation takes place on Monday, June 27th (Day Two), followed by a Q&A and book-signing.

This week’s News

If you missed joining the May Slow Flowers member meet-up, last Friday, May 13th, check out the replay video, which I’ve posted in our Episode 558 show notes at slowflowerspodcast.com. In a Designer’s Preview of the upcoming Slow Flowers Summit, we welcomed Xenia D’Ambrosi of Sweet Earth Co. and TJ McGrath of TJ McGrath Design as each shared their floral enterprises and how they stay true to their individual missions. As a bonus, both showed off seasonal and sustainable floral design, discussed their individual design processes, and shared how they connect clients, customers, and their communities with the beauty and meaning of flowers. Click the replay video above — you’ll want to check it out!

Thank you to our Sponsors!

This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 850 florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms.  It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers.

Thank you to our lead sponsor, returning for 2022, 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. 

Thanks 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 system and an air conditioner.  Don’t have time to build your own?  They also have turnkey units available. Learn more at storeitcold.com.

Thanks to Details Flowers Software, a platform specifically designed to help florists and designers do more and earn more. With an elegant and easy-to-use system–Details is here to improve profitability, productivity, and organization for floral businesses of all shapes and sizes. Grow your bottom line through professional proposals and confident pricing with Details’ all-in-one platform. All friends of the Slow Flowers Podcast will receive a 7-day free trial of Details Flowers Software. Learn more at detailsflowers.com.

Thanks 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.

Thanks so much for joining us today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than 849,000 times by listeners like you. Thank you for listening, commenting and sharing – it means so much. As our movement gains more supporters and more passionate participants who believe in the importance of our domestic cut flower industry, the momentum is contagious. I know you feel it, too.

If you’re new to our weekly Show and our long-running Podcast, check out all of our resources at SlowFlowersSociety.com and consider making a donation to sustain Slow Flowers’ ongoing advocacy, education and outreach activities. You can find the donate button in the column to the right.

I’m Debra Prinzing, host and producer of the Slow Flowers Show & the Slow Flowers 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:
One Little Triumph; 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
audionautix.com

SUMMER CONFECTIONS

The stars of this arrangement are the alluring ‘Queen Red Lime’ zinnias.

Potter, artist and flower-grower, Frances Palmer created this yummy buttercream vase.

Design 101

A very special vase: I was first introduced to the work of Frances Palmer when Stephen Orr profiled the American potter and her Connecticut cutting garden in Tomorrow’s Gardens. Then Frances appeared on Martha Stewart’s television show, where she discussed how she creates her exquisite one-of-a-kind vessels and dinnerware, including vases for the flowers she grows. Her delightful pottery style – classical with a touch of whimsy – is a floral designer’s dream come true.

 

Naturally, I set my sights on acquiring one of Frances’s pieces. For the vase-lover on a budget, her Pearl Collection reflects the artist’s signature style at everyday prices. I chose this fluted vase because of the generous diameter of its opening (nearly 5 inches). And to me, this butter-yellow glaze is a perfect foil for all sorts of flowers, but especially the zinnias and dahlias.