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Owner of Queen Bee Blooms in St. Louis, Missouri, Elizabeth Fichter is a farmer-florist who has given a lot of thought to how she can differentiate her business from the conventional alternative. In today’s episode, she will outline six important actions you can take to better discuss the value and benefits of locally grown flowers with your B2B and B2C customers, as well as share specific things she does to keep her flowers front and center in her marketplace.

A few months ago, Elizabeth Fichter reached out to me about an article she was writing for the well-known farming publication, Growing for Market. The topic was a familiar one to the Slow Flowers community – how to change perceptions of local flowers with our customers. Elizabeth wanted to include the message and mission of the Slow Flowers movement in her piece, so we had a back-and-forth discussion as she worked on her article.

Writing her story was an exercise that helped Elizabeth fine-tune her message and understand what makes Queen Bee Blooms’ brand authentic and unique.

In doing the contemplative work on this piece, Elizbeth discovered what she wanted to share with others – and I invited her to join me on the Slow Flowers Podcast to continue the conversation.

I know you’ll find it relatable — and I hope it will inspire you to make some creative changes in your own floral enterprise.

Here’s a bit more about Elizabeth and Queen Bee Blooms:
Elizabeth is an artist and a life-long lover of flowers. She is an event designer, wedding planner, writer, dreamer and of course, farmer. For more than a century, her family has farmed the land that is now home to Queen Bee Blooms. As she writes on her website:

“This-164-acre farm has been in my family for over 100 years. When my great-grandfather purchased it, it had already been a working dairy and crop farm since the mid-1800’s. Over the years, it has been taken care of by generations before me. As a small girl, I grew up here, moved away, saw the world, worked jobs that I loved, started a family, and visited on holidays and weekends. Until my mom passed away, I never thought it would or could  be mine alone. Given the opportunity (when remaining family wanted to sell it), I stopped everything in my life to return to where I began. In over 15 years, I’ve never looked back. I believe you end up exactly where you are supposed to be…I’ve followed my passion for flowers to create a farm that does things differently.

“I grow flowers not because I have to. I grow them because it feeds my soul like nothing else. Spending my days amongst this splendor is a gift that I don’t take lightly.  I have a responsibility of stewardship of not just this land, but especially the awe-inspiring beauty and magic it nurtures and grows. “

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I’m excited to share our conversation with you today, And a special thank you to Andrew Mefferd, editor and publisher of Growing for Market, who generously shared a free link to Elizabeth’s October 2024 article, “How to have the conversation that will change perceptions around local flowers,” with the Slow Flowers community so you can read it, too.

Find and follow Queen Bee Blooms at these social places:
Instagram and Facebook
Check out Queen Bee Blooms on Pinterest

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Join the Slow Flowers Member (Virtual) Meet-Up

In news of the week, be sure to sign up to join our November 15^th Slow Flowers (Virtual) Member Meet-Up for the month. It’s a timely and creative subject and I’m excited to welcome our member expert, Kate Punnett of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, owner of The August Press. Her session, which we’re calling “The Art + Business of Pressed Flowers,” will perhaps inspire what you add to your portfolio of floral products and services next. In addition to being a farmer-florist, Kate is a pressed flower artist dedicated to sustainability. She crafts custom pressed floral art, greeting cards and fine art. The August Press also creates professional-grade flower presses inspired by the timeless art of pressing flowers.

You’re invited join us and – yes – there will be a few giveaways to names drawn from those who attend the session in person!

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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 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

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I’m so glad you joined us 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!

---

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Podcast Index | RSS | More

Marigold and Mint is a brand quite familiar to Seattle’s local floral aficionados. It was originally a flower farm and tiny shop owned by Katherine Anderson, who later opened The London Plane, a beautiful café & floral shop. During that time, Katherine teamed up with Illustrator/florist Isvald Klingels and designer Christian Petersen to create Marigold and Mint Botanicals, originally a line of candles with custom scents inspired by the Marigold and Mint organic farm. With the closing of The London Plane at the end of 2022, Marigold and Mint Botanicals’ third iteration has emerged in the lobby of a historic Pioneer Square building – with Izzie as owner and florist. Izzie continues to support the values to which she and Katherine always adhered: using locally sourced, seasonal flowers and foliage wherever possible, with an eye toward the most unusual, wild and beautiful flora that the Pacific Northwest has to offer. Join me for a conversation with Izzie, followed by a gorgeous design demonstration!

I first met Izzie Klingels more than a decade ago when I wandered into a jewel box of a flower boutique in an old building on Seattle’s Capitol Hill. The shop was called Marigold & Mint, and was owned by landscape architect Katherine Anderson, past guest of this podcast.

The shop was curated with lovely items and focused exclusively on locally-grown flowers. Izzie’s illustrations of marigolds and other blooms communicated the brand on signage and the shop’s website. I later featured Izzie in a feature on Fashion as influence on Home Design for the October-November 2013 issue of Gray Magazine, in which we asked Northwest style makers for their personal take on fashion’s role in culture, art, architecture and decor.

Izzie studied Fine Art at Chelsea School of Art in London. After graduating she founded Lazy Eye, making videos and tour visuals for bands such as Death in Vegas and Beth Orton. She has worked commercially as an illustrator and director for a diverse range of clients including Topshop, Oasis, Volvo, Cowshed, Random House and Italian Marie Claire. She now focuses equally on non-commercial work, recently exhibiting  in Los Angeles, London and Seattle.

Relocated to Seattle, Izzie finds inspiration in the damp lushness of the region and the dark mystery of the old growth forests and mountains that surround it.

I loved visiting Izzie at the newest iteration of Marigold and Mint Botanicals, located in the vestibule at 401 1st Ave S, between two neighbors, both independent retailers, Flora & Henri and General Porpoise Doughnuts.

Find and follow Marigold & Mint Botanicals on Instagram and Facebook

View Izzie Klingels art and illustration website

Listen to past episodes featuring Katherine Anderson of Marigold & Mint and The London Plane

SLOW FLOWERS Podcast: Marigold & Mint’s Katherine Anderson – a leading eco-floral entrepreneur (Episode 134)

Episode 456: Lessons from The London Plane Flower Shop with founder Katherine Anderson and manager Jeni Nelson

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Slow Flowers WORLDWIDE Summit News

Last week, we reminded you to grab your ticket for the Slow Flowers WORLDWIDE Summit, scheduled for January 9-11, 2025. And congratulations to 55 of you who took advantage of the Early Bird special. We’re so excited to see you in the virtual, online conference that features 15 expert sessions on all of topics that are important to the Slow Flowers Movement – ranging from sustainable business methods, to community building, to flower farming, floral design, and weddings. Slow Flowers Society members always receive a discount off of the general registration pricing. You’ll hear much more in the coming weeks – I can’t wait for you to dive into the amazing content we are curating for you and your floral journey.

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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 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 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.

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I’m so glad you joined us 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; Celestial Navigation
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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Podcast Index | RSS | More

There are small and sizable ways to improve on the practices and habits we’ve relied on for far too long. Today’s guest, wedding and events designer Blair Lynn of Sweet Blossoms, has done tons of research to bring a zero-waste focus to her studio – and she’s sharing those tips with us today. The conversation draws from a guest column Blair wrote for Slow Flowers Journal’s Summer 2023 issue, and we tease out those details in our conversation. From Blair’s perspective, your sustainable choices are good for the planet, but they can also be great for client development and help your bottom line. As a bonus, Blair filmed a late autumn floral design demonstration using chicken wire mechanics and all locally-grown and foraged ingredients. You’ll love what she has created!

This conversation builds on a Business of Flowers column Blair contributed to the Summer 2023 issue of Slow Flowers Journal, called “The Sustainable Studio.” Blair has devoted many seasons to challenging herself to eliminate waste and single-use plastic, not to mention sourcing domestically as much as possible for her designs. 

Blair  is a Maryland-based floral designer whose business focuses on green and sustainable practices wherever possible. She places a high priority on ordering flowers from domestic farms and works to cultivate relationships with as many local farmers as she can. She composts all organic waste, and recycles at least 75% of all materials used in the studio. All designs are foam free. She has been featured in Slow Flowers Journal, Washingtonian Magazine, and Florist’s Review.

She wraps up our conversation with a seasonal design demonstration using flowers from fellow Slow Flowers members Grateful Gardeners, a flower farm owned by Sarah Daken and Tom Precht. You’ll see dahlias, zinnias, cosmos, celosia, forged field grasses, not to mention hydrangeas from Blair’s own shade garden. It’s a beautiful inspiration to wrap up an inspiring conversation.

Thanks so much for joining me today!

Find and follow Sweet Blossoms on Instagram and Facebook

Here’s your free download of the PDF of “The Sustainable Studio,” Blair’s column written for Slow Flowers Journal.

Slow Flowers WORLDWIDE Summit

And for a bit of Slow Flowers NEWS: On October 15^th, we announced the details about the Slow Flowers WORLDWIDE Summit, scheduled for January  9-11, 2025. This will be an entirely virtual, online conference, so no worries about exhausting your travel budget. You will enjoy 15 expert sessions on all of topics that are important to the Slow Flowers Movement – ranging from sustainable business methods, to community building, to flower farming, floral design, and weddings. You’ll hear from a diversity of speakers representing floral enterprises in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Australia – not to mention panels from groups around the globe who are emulating the Slow Flowers Movement.

And if you grab your ticket by midnight Pacific Time on October 31^st – that’s tomorrow night – you can save $50 off the already very affordable ticket price. If you miss the deadline, remember, Slow Flowers Society members always receive a discount off of the general registration pricing. You’ll hear much more in the coming weeks – I can’t wait for you to dive into the amazing content we are curating for you and your floral journey.

Thanks 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 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 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 seattlewholesalegrowersmarket.com.

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I’m so glad you joined us 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; Jillian Bridges
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
Song by:
audionautix.com

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Podcast Index | RSS | More

We’re diving deep into the world of lily growing, with two experts who share their advice and know-how. Today’s episode was recorded as our October Slow Flowers Member Meet-Up and we have had many requests for the replay video and audio – so you’re in for a real treat. Gretel Adams of Sunny Meadows Flower Farm and Ko Klaver, a plant and bulb specialist at Zabo Plant discuss LA hybrid lily planting and harvesting methods and more. You’ll also learn how Sunny Meadows Flower Farm uses lilies in their mixed bouquet program for mass market and grocery customers. It’s a true lily fest to inspire us all!

Thanks to the team at Flowerbulb.eu, we have a fabulous episode to share with you today – and yes, it’s all about lilies!

Gretel Adams is a longtime Slow Flowers member, who with her husband Steve Adams, owns a thriving and diversified flower farm in Columbus, Ohio – Sunny Meadows Flower Farm. We asked Gretel to team up with Ko Klaver, Zabo Plant’s bulb specialist who’s well known in growing circles as a bulb and plant supplier for farms of all sizes.

Together, they presented a fabulous tutorial for our community’s October member meet-up and we want to share the video and audio with you today. We’ll start with Gretel’s presentation about Sunny Meadows Farms’ lily-growing program, learn about her favorite cultivars (and why she loves them), as well as her planting calendar for a 33-week program that allows her to have lilies basically from Easter to Thanksgiving – amazing.

Enjoy Gretel’s Slide Show here:

Ko adds his expertise as a lily bulb broker, as he walks us through the recently published Lily Master Class resource developed with funding from Flowerbulb.eu.

Download the Lily Master Class PDF here:

Also, Gretel and Steve Adams teach a great course called Growing Cut-Flower Crops in Hoop and Greenhouses, offered by our sponsor The Gardener’s Workshop. You can find a link in today’s show notes to Sign Up for a FREE sneak peek into the course, including special tips for growing lilies in greenhouse environment, maintenance and ventilation.

Learn more:
Follow Sunny Meadows Flower Farm at these Instagram accounts: @sunnymeadowsflowerfarm, @flowerfarmer  and @flowerfarmette

Follow Flowerbulbsdotcom on Instagram

Follow Zabo Plant on Instagram

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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 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.

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

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I’m so glad you joined us 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; Kid Kodi
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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Podcast Index | RSS | More

Kit Wertz and Casey Schwartz are a gifted sister duo who own Flower Duet, a dynamic studio serving Los Angeles and the greater Southern California region. Their diversified floral enterprise ranges from lavish beachfront weddings to popular design workshops for local botanical gardens and cultural institutions. They also provide flowers for an impressive lineup of corporate clients and today, you’ll hear all about Flower Duet’s best practices and advice for attracting, maintaining, and serving corporate event florals for your market. 

I met Kit and Casey, the sisters behind Flower Duet, more than 10 years ago, when they wrote a sweet review of my Slow Flowers book in their newsletter. It was one of those unexpected surprises that led to meeting in person later that year when I was in Los Angeles and they hosted a book event for me in their fabulous studio.

Since then, we’ve done many collaborations, including presenting Kit and Casey as speakers at the 2^nd Slow Flowers Summit, featuring their stories in numerous magazine, book, and podcast projects, and many more floral adventures.

While planning to resume our monthly Slow Flowers member virtual meet-up for September, I wanted to focus on helping our member build their businesses and expand their horizons. And I thought of Flower Duet’s very robust corporate portfolio that includes everything from product launches, team building, galas, ongoing floral services and more.

Kit and Casey were enthusiastic about our invitation and they recently presented for the Member Meet-Up. You can watch the replay video or listen to the audio today. I do encourage you to come over to slowflowerspodcast.com for Episode 685 to see the slides of their presentation – it’s filled with useful and important tips for building a corporate floral focus in your studio, shop or flower farm.

Plus, the session wraps up with Casey’s floral design demonstration that was headed to a corporate delivery immediately after our recording.

Click here to sign up for Flower Duet’s beautiful and very useful newsletter where you can learn about all of the workshops and learning opportunities from Kit and Casey.

After our member meet-up, I heard from a number of attendees who raved about Flower Duet’s tips and advice, including this “rave” below:

“I really got a lot out of the Meet Up! I immediately went in and beefed up our Google Maps listing, for instance, and we’re going to add bios to our website: –Among two concrete takeaways we got from the meeting. I hope to be an even better, positive presence for Slow Flowers. Thank you for the huge amount that you do!”

Kim Bryan of Parsley & Rue

Thank you, Kim, for a ringing endorsement of the value of our membership community!

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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 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 seattlewholesalegrowersmarket.com.

Our next sponsor thanks goes 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.

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Join the October 11th Meet-Up: Secrets of Successful Lily Growers

Our October member meet-up takes place this Friday, October 11^th at 9 am pacific/Noon eastern. Our session is titled: Secrets of Successful Lily Growers, and we’ll learn from Sunny Meadows Flower Farm’s Gretel Adams who will share her expertise and advice for growing lilies as a profitable crop. She’ll discuss LA hybrid lily planting methods and harvest stage, and how Sunny Meadows includes lilies in mixed bouquets for mass market/grocery customers. Gretel will be joined by Ko Klaver of Zabo Plant, a plant and bulb product expert serving U.S. cut flower farms. Join us for an hour of insights and inspiration – and please bring your questions! And PS — The names of Meet-Up attendees will be included in a random drawing for a fabulous LILY GIVEAWAY, courtesy of Zabo Plant. One lucky recipient will receive an assorted case full of Oriental Single & Double Flowering and OT Hybrid Lily Bulbs – shipped next spring, just in time for planting season! You must pre-register to attend — click link below:

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I’m so glad you joined us 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; Rabbit Hole
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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Podcast Index | RSS | More

Decades of flower farming experience add up to a new, 336-page reference guide called “Floral Standards,” compiled by members of the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market. Join me for your first chance to see a preview of this book, and to learn from some of its creative team members. Learn how you can get your hands on this incredible guide to best practices and product specifications for 230 floral crops – from Abelia to Zinnia and more!

Today, I’m joined by three of the many people responsible for Floral Standards, a book that’s by flower farmers for flower farmers, introducing production and harvest know-how for 230 floral crops – all with the goal of helping specialty cut flower growers be successful.

As many of you know, I have been closely aligned with the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market since the pioneering producers’ cooperative was merely an idea hatched by a group of flower farmers in the Pacific Northwest. Established in 2011, the Growers Market is the gold standard and business model for many regional flower hubs across North America, as more cooperatives and collectives strive to professionalize flower farming. Through their leadership we have witnessed an important shift in the floral marketplace – one that has inspired thousands of flower farmers, farmer-florists, floral designers, and consumers to be more thoughtful and discerning about their floral sourcing choices.

The compilation of FLORAL STANDARDS took place over a number of years, initiated by an idea to create “specification sheets” for the many products grown and marketed by member farmers. 

Led by longtime board member and co-founder Diane Szukovathy, also co-founder of Jello Mold Farm, member growers invested hundreds of volunteer hours to document their successful approaches to selection, care, harvest, and post-harvest, as well as advice for packing, shipping, and supplying customers ranging from wedding and event designers to mass market retailers. They researched vase life for numerous varieties, noting recommended cultivars for commercial growing and singling out grower favorites. 

Floral Standards is hot off the press as of last week, and today I’m joined by Brad Siebe, the Market’s general manager, Vivian Larson of Everyday Flowers, a co-founder of the Market, and her cohort Diane Szukovathy, who share the story of how this amazing project was created and how it will help you. I’m so excited to host our conversation and to introduce Floral Standards to the Slow Flowers community of flower farmers and florists, not to mention cutting garden growers like me. Let’s jump right in and get started – and welcome Brad, Diane, and Vivian to the Slow Flowers Podcast.

As I mentioned, the farmers asked me to write the foreword to Floral Standards. It was quite special to be part of that experience as I reflected on the trailblazing strides of all my flower farmer friends whose beautiful, local, high-quality botanical product I have cherished using year in and year out since 2011.

ORDER: Copies are available from the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market.

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

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.

---

I’m so glad you joined us 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; Celestial Navigation
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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Podcast Index | RSS | More

Paulina Nieliwocki is celebrating her 10th anniversary as owner and creative director of Blue Jasmine Floral, a New Jersey-based shop and studio serving the greater New York City-Hudson Valley-New Jersey region with wedding and event florals. I’ve always loved how Paulina combines color palettes, floral shapes, and botanical textures to create her pieces — and today, we’re in for a treat because she’s designing on camera to share a signature arrangement in a vintage footed compote.

I’m so happy to welcome Paulina Nieliwocki of Blue Jasmine Floral to the Slow Flowers Podcast today. I love following Paulina’s posts on social media – she always shares the most beautiful floral designs on Instagram. They are feminine, colorful and unexpected botanical combinations that make me look at her floral choices and think: why haven’t I used that or maybe I should pair those floral colors!

I’ve been wanting to interview Paulina for a while, and with her return to Holly Chapple’s Flowerstock next month, the timing was perfect to highlight Paulina. Flowerstock will take place October 13-15, at Hope Flower Farm in Leesburg, Virginia.

Paulina has taught at several past Flowerstock events, and next month, she will join Holly Chapple, Robbie Honey the Accidental Botanist, LaParis Phillips of Brooklyn Blooms, and Frida Kim of Frida Kim Flowers from London.

Here’s a bit more about Paulina:

After many years as a high school language teacher and translator Paulina was ready for a new adventure that challenged her while still feeding her creativity. Flowers had a big impact on her as a child. Her memories of picking wildflowers for my grandmother and making little arrangements for her family, propelled this floral design journey.

In 2014, Paulina left teaching high school and opened Blue Jasmine, naming it after her grandmother’s favorite bloom, with the idea of providing and teaching an aesthetic that spoke to my idea of beauty – wild, whimsical, artful, and refined. 

We’re so thrilled that Blue Jasmine Floral has been a Slow Flowers member for many years and it’s a joy to share today’s conversation with Paulina to inspire you.

Follow Blue Jasmine Floral on Instagram
Follow Blue Jasmine Floral on Facebook
Find Blue Jasmine Floral on Pinterest

---

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 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.

---

I’m so glad you joined us 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; Floating Whist
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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Podcast Index | RSS | More

At this time of year, I’m feeling those back-to-school vibes — and more importantly, seeking more knowledge – so I’m happy to feature floral educator Sarah Berquist, who teaches sustainable flower farming and floral entrepreneurship to college students at the Stockbridge School of Agriculture. Join me to learn about her inspiring approach to educating farmer-florists of the future.

I’m so happy today to share an extended episode that introduces our community to what’s happening in flower farming and floral design education at the university level.

Over the past two years, I’ve so enjoyed getting to know Sarah Berquist, a Slow Flowers member based in Amherst, Massachusetts. She originally joined as a member under her business name, Flowers by Sarah B, but I later learned that she is a floral educator at University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

While Sarah’s entre into floral design began as a fun side-gig, she has taken a leadership role at U-Mass’s Stockbridge School of Agriculture in developing floral design and farmer-florist curriculum for college students in the Sustainable Food and Farming program.
Here is the Stockbridge Floral Program’s new home on the Stockbridge website!

I’ve been so inspired to learn about the first credited Retail Floral Design course, which is in its second year, as well as the farmer-florist practicum that will also be offered again next semester.

I invited Sarah to share the story of her emerging floral education program. After you hear our 30-minute conversation, you’re in for a treat. Last week, during the first week of the fall semester, Sarah gathered with some of her returning students to record their insights about growing and designing through a sustainability lens. You’ll hear their voices in the podcast audio, but if you have time, I encourage you to watch the video above, where you’ll see them in the field harvesting, and follow them into the drying room. I know you’ll be as inspired as I was to hear from the future leaders of our Slow Flowers Movement!

Let’s jump right in and welcome Sarah Berquist of Stockbridge Floral Design at the Stockbridge School of Agriculture. Head’s up – we’re going to be working with Sarah and her students to identify internship opportunities, so if you’re interested to learn more, I’ll share Sarah’s contact information in our show notes, as well.

Follow Stockbridge Floral Design on Instagram

Download Sarah’s recap of the Stockbridge School of Agriculture Floral Design Program (2023-2024 Summary)

---

Slow Flowers Member Meet-Up for September

And a quick note to remind you that coming up this Friday, September 13^th (9 am PT/Noon Eastern), we are resuming our monthly Slow Flowers Member Virtual Meet-Up. Join me in the Zoom Room! Our special guest experts will be Casey Schwartz and Kit Wertz of Flower Duet, an LA-based studio. The sisters will share how they have built a special niche serving corporate and event clients – you’ll be sure to learn something new!

---

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 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 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 seattlewholesalegrowersmarket.com.

---

I’m so glad you joined us 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; Turning on the Lights; Homin Brer
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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Podcast Index | RSS | More

Like me, so many of our Slow Flowers practitioners have careers rooted in horticulture. And today’s guest, Lisa Dailey of Highlands, North Carolina-based Cultivation, shares how she brings Slow Flowers to her community by melding landscape and cutting garden design and consultation with organic floral design. It all comes together for Lisa and her colleagues at this weekend’s Dazzling Dahlia Festival, the 14^th annual celebration that includes a dahlia bloom competition, floral vignette installations throughout the community, workshops, bouquet and tuber sales, and more. Join me to learn all about the floral fun.

Lisa Dailey’s path to flowers is probably genetic, as she credits her grandmother and mother for teaching her and nurturing a love of nature.

As she notes, “having such pure intentional gardeners cultivate me, how could I be anything else but a horticulturist?” Lisa grew up in Savannah, surrounded by live oaks, camellias and azaleas, not to mention centuries-old gardens. She was equally influenced by the mountains of Highlands, North Carolina, where she spent childhood visits to family. Now, she spends time in both communities, while living and working year-round in Highlands.

With a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from the University of Georgia, Lisa spent much of her early career working in consumer gardening as an educator. In Highlands, she has returned to her horticultural roots through a consultancy called Cultivation, a business that combines all of Lisa’s areas of expertise — gardening, landscape design, healthy soil and botanical floral design. She works with residential clients to enhance their gardens. But she is also deeply involved in programs to promote native plants and horticulture.

Lisa joined me this week to share how her love of dahlia growing has inspired her volunteer efforts to promote the Dazzling Dahlia Festival, a program of the Highlands Historical Society, which takes place this weekend, September 5-7^th. There are many facets to this event, which began quite modestly as an exhibition of single dahlia blooms submitted by individual growers. Through the efforts of community volunteers, the celebration has exploded, especially post-COVID. “Flower Power,” the 2024 festival, includes dahlia competition for amateur and professional growers, a floral vignette invitational with installations throughout the community, plus music, storytelling, food, docent tours, and other community activities.

Let’s jump right in and learn more. Lisa invited fellow dahlia lover Kim Daugherty to introduce us to the festival; and then we talk floral design, dahlia growing, and more.

Find and follow Lisa Dailey of Cultivation on Instagram

---

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 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.

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

---

I’m so glad you joined us 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; Wingspan
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