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Lori Poliski is reviving the forgotten art of Pot-et-Fleur, an iconic floral style, historically defined as “living arrangements with plants, cut flowers, and foliage.” Having originated in 17th century France and continuing through the Victorian era, Pot-et-Fleur offers today’s florists a contemporary, sustainable, and long-lasting method of designing with local and seasonal ingredients. The method is flexible because it uses living plants combined with flowers. Using potted ferns and lush, green tropicals, seasonal cut botanicals, foliage, and branches, Lori recently demonstrated this old-new technique at Slow Flowers SUNDAY. She introduced us to the history and benefits of Pot-et-Fleur, touching on important selling points, discussing plant sourcing, selection, and care. I’m excited to share this replay video and audio from Lori’s inspiring presentation.

Slow Flowers SUNDAY took place on February 23rd, co-located at the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival. After our very successful virtual Slow Flowers WORLDWIDE Summit in January, it was so nice to gather together in person with 45 flower friends for a half-day mini-Summit. And after which, our guests attended the final day of the NW Flower & Garden Festival.

In the past few weeks, you heard me preview the three educational sessions and hats off to each of our presenters. Diane Szukovathy of Jello Mold Farm and Vivian Larson of Everyday Flowers introduced the audience to Floral Standards, the new book they co-authored with the farmers and staff of the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market, while Quynh Nguyen of Pink and Posey inspired us with her paper floral artwork and her new project, The New Art of Paper Flowers.

The day concluded with today’s guest, Lori Poliski of Flori, a Woodinville, Washington-based gardener-florist who is always pushing the envelope of sustainability. Lori treated us to a lecture on the History of Pot-et-Fleur, followed by her large-scale design demonstration with living plants, cut flowers, and foliage.

In the past, Lori and Tammy Myers were guests of this Podcast as they discussed “Farewell Flowers,” their approach to sustainable funeral and sympathy design – Episode 555 from April 2022.

This episode contains the audio from Lori’s Slow Flowers SUNDAY presentation. I encourage you to click on the YouTube link above to watch the video of her beautiful presentation and design demonstration!

Find and follow FLORI on Instagram and Facebook

Download a PDF of Lori’s materials list (below)

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Membership News

In Slow Flowers Member News, we just dropped the March newsletter, filled with inspiring content, resources, and a roundup of the incredible press coverage we’ve enjoyed during the month of February – including mentions and interviews in the New York Times, Scientific American, the Oregonian, Fine Gardening magazine, Johnny’s Seeds Online, and the Growing Greener podcast. And check out the list of more than 70 new and renewing Slow Flowers members from February – you might see some peers and competitors on the list, and you might also be inspired to join our membership community yourself!

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Thank you to our Sponsors

This show is brought to you by slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 750 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 returning sponsor, the Association of Specialty Cut Flowers. The ASCFG is a gathering place for specialty cut flower growers of all levels of experience, 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. Learn more about the ASCFG and how to be a part of it at www.ascfg.org.

And 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.

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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.

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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!

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Music credits:

Drone Pine; Gaena; Turning on the Lights; Le Marais
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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Join Quynh Nguyen, the paper artist behind Pink and Posey, as she shares her decade-long journey in paper artistry, from crafting her first floral arrangement to co-creating the Papertalk Podcast. Quynh is the author of The New Art of Paper Flowers – just published in late 2024. She has produced fine art paper floral installations for Nordstrom, Creative Live, Fran’s Chocolates, and many more commissions, including collaborations like Greenwood Rising in Tulsa, Oklahoma; plus, CBS Sunday Morning and a recent book talk at Portland’s iconic Powell’s Bookstore. Quynh inspires creativity within the floral community and you’ll enjoy our conversation today — a glimpse into one woman’s artistic journey and her enduring passion for creating beauty through paper.

There are so many ways that artists of many media are engaged with florals, from fashion and interior design, to two- and three-dimensional interpretations of the botanical universe.

I first met today’s guest, Quynh Nguyen of Pink and Posey when we both spoke at a virtual Flowerstock event that Holly Chapple produced during the pandemic. Which is somewhat ironic, since Quynh and I both live in the greater Seattle area – so we’re here in the same floral world.

When planning our February 23^rd Slow Flowers Sunday, a live gathering taking place at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show, I knew I wanted to invite Quynh to be one of the day’s featured speakers. We like to cross-pollinate at Slow Flowers events and we’ve had great feedback for past artistic speakers, including Lorene Edwards Forkner, Ronni Nicole Robinson, and Amy Stewart. It makes sense to view the floral landscape as much larger than growing and designing, because our Slow Flowers world serves people yearning for a life and lifestyle filled with plants and flowers in many expressions.

So, we’re going to learn a lot from this serial creative entrepreneur today. Quynh believes strongly in sharing what she has learned about making paper flowers and being an entrepreneur. Through speaking engagements and online courses, she shares insights from her background in marketing and finance, as well as the invaluable experience of working as a paper artist for nearly a decade.

Please consider making the investment to join Slow Flowers SUNDAY at the NWFGF on February 23^rd, 9:30 am to 1 pm. Here’s a description of Quynh’s presentation:

11:15 a.m.-Noon – Discover the Art of Paper Flowers: A Journey of Creativity and Connection
Join Quynh D. Nguyen, the paper artist behind Pink and Posey, as she shares her decade-long journey in paper artistry, from crafting her first floral arrangement to founding The Posey Box and co-creating the Paper Talk Podcast. Hear about her most remarkable projects, including fine art installations for Nordstrom, Creative Live, Fran’s Chocolates, and many more, including collaborations and features like Greenwood Rising in Tulsa, Oklahoma, CBS Sunday Morning, and a recent book talk at Portland’s iconic Powell’s Bookstore.

Quynh will also share future plans, such as her Lilac Branch workshop at the Hudson Valley Workshop in New York and how she continues to inspire creativity within the community.
This presentation offers a glimpse into Quynh’s artistic journey and her enduring passion for creating beauty through paper. She wraps things up with a beautiful paper flower display. Note: You will receive exclusive crepe paper samples and other paper flower supplies with your purchase of Quynh’s book.

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SLOW FLOWERS SUNDAY – February 23rd

Slow Flowers SUNDAY is designed for YOU — flower farmers, farmer-florists, floral designers, flower lovers, and gardeners! TICKETS are just $99 per person, and include Continental Breakfast, Networking, three inspiring lectures and demonstrations, Door Prizes, a Gift Bag, plus complimentary admission to the NW Flower & Garden Festival. The details are in our show notes and can be found at slowflowerssociety.com.

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Thank you to our Sponsors

This show is brought to you by slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 750 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.

We’re delighted to welcome New Sponsor for 2025, A-ROO Company. A-ROO is 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.

And 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.

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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

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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!

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Music Credits:
Drone Pine; Gaena; Paper Feather
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