Hot off the press, the December issue of Florists’ Review has two articles that really wow me and underscore the #slowflowers message to a larger, mainstream floral industry audience. Congratulations to editor David Coake and publisher Travis Rigby for their work on this issue!
First, a profile of the very talented Laura Dowling, who served as White House florist for six years during the Obama Administration:
This caption caught my attention: “Using locally grown blossoms when she could was an important part of Laura’s vision for the White House flower shop.”
I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Laura this past year and I’m excited to say she’ll be an upcoming guest of the Slow Flowers Podcast (in January), so keep an eye on this space for that show and photos of her work!
A Laura Dowling design, featuring her distinctive technique of integrating a botanical vessel into the arrangement.
Second, an article about Detroit Flower Week with fantastic photos by Sarah Collier, who I met while speaking at the event.
The article features Lisa Waud and her vision for the week-long focus on art and floral design with an emphasis on American-grown blooms. Flower pundit Bill Schaffer noted these “trends” in the article’s text:
- Detroit Flower Week is one of a group of events held over the last few years that is representative of a shift in flower awareness by consumers (I think he means “awareness” of flower sourcing)
- The farm-to-table movement has fully transcended the food industry as Americans embrace all things local and produced in the U.S.A. – including flowers. This movement is able to capture the imaginations, needs and wants of many American floral and gift buyers. What is even more exciting is the growing number of purchasing options that this offers infrequent buyers and nonbuyers of floral products.
Well, thanks. I’ll take some of the credit for these “shifts” and YOU should, too! I hope to reach out to Mr. Shaffer to make sure he’s aware of all the work we are doing to advocate for local, seasonal and sustainable flowers!
If you’re interested in seeing the entire issue, and if you’re not already a subscriber, take advantage of Florists’ Review FREE TRIAL ISSUE offer here. Good for nonsubscribers in the U.S. only.