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.
Today’s guests: Mary Kate Kinnane of The Local Bouquet (the brunette) and Kelly Shore of Petals by the Shore (the blonde)
While I’m 100% focused on putting the finishing touches on the upcoming Slow Flowers Summit — which arrives in less than two weeks — today’s guests are similarly obsessed with an unique event they’re planning for this coming September. It’s a floral destination workshop unlike any I’ve come across and Slow Flowers has signed on as a media sponsor and I will be joining this workshop as a presenter.
Mary Kate and Kelly co-presented at the 2018 Slow Flowers Summit, sharing their experiences sourcing from domestic flower farms.
My guests are Kelly Shore of Petals by the Shore, based in Damascus, Maryland, and Mary Kate Kinnane of The Local Bouquet, located in Little Compton, Rhode Island. They are both long-time Slow Flowers members and past guests of this podcast. You can check out their prior appearances on our podcast here:
Kelly and Mary Kate have been dreaming up their new project, called The Floral Field Trip, for more than a year — and they have been laying the groundwork for this workshop-tour series by researching and visiting flower farms across the U.S.
The Floral Field Trip was born from an idea of connecting America’s flower farmers with professional floral designers. As designers there is a rich opportunity to highlight each region’s most beautiful flowers and foliages year round. Seasonality happens throughout the country, 365 days, 12 months a year. This means, if you look close enough, there is always something blooming! But without the knowledge of each region’s growing pattern, a designer is left to source what grows seasonally in their own region while admiring different parts of the United States from afar!
With the tagline: A U.S. Floral Buying Experience, the Floral Field Trip is designed to meet the needs of professional florists to introduce them to specific flower farms, crops, varieties, regions and technical information like care and handling. Kelly and Mary Kate believe that the knowledge is power — and to truly walk the talk of being a Slow Flowers-minded creative, you must educate yourself about the premium flowers, foliage and botanical products with which you design.
The Floral Field Trip: Destination Vermont
This year’s inaugural trip takes place at Vermont’s Mountain Flower Farm and the product focus is the Hydrangea. The dates are September 22-24, 2019.
Mountain Flower Farm, with picturesque scenery and beautiful hydrangeas
Here is a little more about each guest:
Kelly Shore says this: My entire life I’ve gravitated towards anything creative. It gives me joy to be able to take something that never existed and bring it to reality. In 2000 my floral journey began in a small campus flower shop at the University of Illinois. What began as a curiosity to know more about floral design quickly became a passion that I didn’t know would become my future. I went on to receive my Bachelor of Arts in Advertising and from there a Masters in Elementary Education. In between studying for those degrees I designed small weddings for close friends and family. I loved being asked to do this and could never say no. After several years, I couldn’t hold back my passion for floral design and Petals by the Shore was born in 2011.
I’m so proud that after 8 years in business I’ve developed many amazing relationships throughout the Washington, DC area and across the country. Not only with my clients but with venues, caterers, planners, and photographers. My clients know that I listen to their needs and work tirelessly to create unique one-of-a-kind experiences. I’m a stickler for details and the use of high quality American Grown flowers & foliage. Petals by the Shore has been featured in national and local magazines and blogs such as Martha Stewart Weddings, Florists’ Review, Washingtonian Bride and Groom, Style Me Pretty, Weddings Unveiled, Cottage Hill, Ruffled, Once Wed and United with Love among many others.
I am proud to be a supporter of America’s flower farmers and seek to support them and their growth & sustainability in the American agriculture industry in all I do. I always strive to get the majority, if not all, of my products from locally grown and American grown flower farms. Not only am I providing support to farms and their communities, but I’m also providing my clients with the freshest, longest lasting and unique blooms. And since I gravitate towards lush, highly textured designs with diverse mixtures of blossoms and foliage, it’s the only way to go for me.
Mary Kate says this: At The Local Bouquet we have taken two things we love; weddings and seasonal flowers and combined them to bring you the most beautiful designs for your special day. We are committed to creating gorgeous floral decor that compliments the chosen time of year of your wedding while giving you a more eco-friendly option. That is why we have committed to using 100% American grown flowers only.
From a gorgeous bridal bouquet made of all locally grown flowers, to an elegant arbor overflowing with lush greens and colorful blooms, our designs are personal to you and your style. All of our ingredients are gathered fresh from local flower farms, foraged from our own farm, and sourced from the best growers in the United States. You can feel good that the flowers that will surround you on your wedding day are not only beautiful but they are also good for the earth and support flower farmers locally and in the U.S.
We think flowers should come from local farms and free of chemicals. That is why we are committed to the “field to vase” movement that is happening across the United States. Join us in celebrating American flower farmers!
Learn about Vermont-grown hydrangeas at The Floral Field Trip
Here’s how you can find and follow Mary Kate & Kelly:
To learn more about these women and their passion for domestic and seasonal flowers from farms across the U.S., read the Q&A we posted to slowflowersjournal earlier this year. I think you’ll find it super inspiring and informative.
Minnesota’s Randi Greiner of Beezie’s Blooms
And now, let’s visit the State of Minnesota. It’s so appropriate to land here as we continue our alphabetical tour of all #FiftyStatesofSlowFlowers (Alabama to Wyoming), as our guest will be in attendance at the Slow Flowers Summitin St. Paul, Minn., in just a few weeks.
Please meet Randi Greiner of Beezie’s Blooms, based in Milaca, Minn. She is a Slow Flowers member and a farmer-florist who is a participating farm of the Twin Cities Flower Exchange, our co-host for the upcoming Summit.
Farmer-florist Randi Greiner (c) TEM Photography
When visiting the Twin Cities last summer, TCFE founder Christine Hoffman took me to visit a couple of her favorite farms, including Beezie’s Blooms. I was so impressed with what I saw – and inspired to meet Randi and her husband Jeff — young agricultural entrepreneurs who have a big vision for their land, their flowers and their community. Please enjoy our stop in Minnesota!
Flowers grown in Minnesota and designed by Randi GreinerAnother stunning, Minnesota-grown bouquet by Randi Greiner of Beezie’s Blooms
Find and follow Beezie’s Blooms on these social places:
Thank you for joining my conversations with Kelly and Mary Kate, as well as with Randi. These women are a lot like you – creatively driven, committed to making the earth a better place, living their values of sustainability and local sourcing, and making sure the beauty they offer the world honors the origin of each bloom by celebrating the flower farmer.
(c) Mary Grace Long photography
I am so grateful to you for joining me and for spending your time listening to the Slow Flowers Podcast. Thank you to our entire community of flower farmers and floral designers who together define the Slow Flowers Movement. As our cause gains more supporters and more passionate participants who believe in the importance of the American cut flower industry, the momentum is contagious. I know you feel it, too. I value your support and invite you to show your thanks and with a donation to support my ongoing advocacy, education and outreach activities. You can find the donate button in the column to the right.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
Florists’ Review magazine. I’m delighted to serve as Contributing Editor for Slow Flowers Journal, found in the pages of Florists’ Review. It’s the leading trade magazine in the floral industry and the only independent periodical for the retail, wholesale and supplier market. Take advantage of the special subscription offer for members of the Slow Flowers Community.
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. Spring bulb season is almost here – my tulips are poking out of the ground already! Visit Longfield Gardens at longfield-gardens.com. Another wonderful gift is coming to Slow Flowers Summit attendees from Longfield Gardens and I just have to share because it’s super generous! Longfield Gardens will provide a $25 shopping gift card to each attendee. That’s going to give you an incredible jump-start with your fall bulb orders, folks — so check out the online catalog and start planning ahead with your list of yummy tulips, narcissus, alliums and specialty bulbs to order and plant soon!
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. For the third year, since our first Slow Flowers Summit, Johnny’s has curated a very special American Flowers Week flower seed collection as a gift for attendees of the Slow Flowers Summit. I am especially excited to see what our friends at Johnny’s put together, because I know the selection will be inspired by the American Flowers Week botanical couture look created from the Johnny’s trial gardens by our member Rayne Grace Hoke of Flora’s Muse.
Our final Sponsor thanks today Mayesh Wholesale Florist. Family-owned since 1978, Mayesh is the premier wedding and event supplier in the U.S. and we’re thrilled to partner with Mayesh to promote local and domestic flowers, which they source from farms large and small around the U.S. Learn more at mayesh.com. If you haven’t tuned in to Mornings with Mayesh, a Facebook Live interview series hosted by the super-smart and funny Yvonne Ashton, Mayesh’s director of marketing, well now you have a chance to check it out.
Last Tuesday, Yvonne invited me to return to her Mornings With Mayesh as a guest — to discuss our collaboration including American Flowers Week and the upcoming Slow Flowers Summit. I just have to add a shout-out THANK YOU to Mayesh for agreeing to provide all the flowers for our Slow Flowers Summit capstone speaker Whit McClure of Whit Hazen’s design demonstration – so pleased that connection is happening!
The Summit. Folks it is almost here – the third annual SLOW FLOWERS SUMMIT which has been cultivated and nurtured like a seedling over the past year — and is now ready to bloom.
I hope you can join ME and our vibrant and engaging lineup of presenters on July 1st and 2ndin St. Paul, Minn. The countdown has begun – with just a few weeks to go before I see you in the Twin Cities. We’ve already sold more tickets than last-year’s sold-out conference and there are a few tickets left, so please don’t delay anymore! Head straight to slowflowerssummit.com to grab your space and join me!
If you’re sitting on the fence and need a little message from the universe to say: YES, make the commitment to attend, here’s some incentive from me. I have a limited number of VIP promo codes for $50 off your registration. If you want to grab one, send me an email at debraprinzing@gmail.com and I’ll share it with the first 10 listeners who reach out. We want to see you there as part of the creative community and the important conversation!
The Slow Flowers Podcast has been downloaded more than 482,000 times by listeners like you. Thank you for listening, commenting and sharing – it means so much. I’m
Debra Prinzing, host and producer of the Slow Flowers Podcast.
Next week, you’re invited to join me in putting more American grown flowers on
the table, one vase at a time. And If you like what
you hear, please consider logging onto iTunes and posting a listener review.
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.
The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. Learn more about his work at soundbodymovement.com.
Tobey Nelson teaches foam free centerpieces at Whidbey Flower Workshop image by Suzanne Rothmeyer Photography
This is an important week in the floral world and we want to draw your attention to two very cool projects happening in London and New York City.
First of all, British Flowers Week is happening right now — It runs June 10-16 — and we’re cheering on this original flowers week celebration from across the Atlantic.
As you may have learned from past episodes, the inspiration for American Flowers Week, launched in 2015, came directly from our friends at New Covent Garden Flower Market in London who launched British Flowers Week in 2013.
Check out galleries of U.K.-grown flowers and installations in real time by following the social media feeds of @marketflowers and the Garden Museum in London @gardenmuseum, which for the second year will open its doors to some spectacular installations that the public can see and enjoy.
The mission of British Flowers Week is concise and clear: Showcase great British flowers, plants and foliage through great British floristry; Raise awareness of which British flowers are in season when; Encourage the public to buy more British flowers. Here’s to British flowers!
Second, in New York City, the new L.E.A.F. Flower Show debuts. L.E.A.F brings a riot of color across the city with #NYFlowerWeek – a series of pop-up floral installations in which Manhattan will – quite literally – blossom on Tuesday, June 11th and Wednesday, June 12th. We will have more information on this project in the future, but for now, I congratulate New York for bringing more flowers to the forefront of the city landscape! We’re especially cheering for Slow Flowers member Sylvia Lukach of Harlem, NY-based Cape Lily, for her installation at the Plaza de Las Americas as part of New York Flower Week (above right) — follow her feed @capelily to see more.
For the fourth year, we’ve produced the American Flowers Week bouquet label. Get in on this program and order labels for your bouquets and other promotions. Labels are available at an affordable price to active Slow Flowers members. We’ll be fulfilling your orders until June 21st to don’t put it off! Details are available in today’s show notes, as well.
Tobey Nelson (c) Suzanne Rothmeyer
Now, on to our guest of the day: Tobey Nelson. Tobey Nelson is a return guest, and you may recall our past interviews, first when I visited her and others in the Whidbey Island local flowers scene in December 2015 (episode 223) and later in February 2018 (Episode 338) when we discussed details about the second Whidbey Flower Workshop.
It has been a privilege to collaborate with Tobey Nelson on a number of projects, including joining the Whidbey Flower Workshop as both an instructor and speaker; and to interview Tobey for articles in both Florists’ Review and Country Gardens. Tobey has helped to nurture my relationship with one of her mentors, Hitomi Gilliam, and we’ve teamed up on a number of Slow Flowers projects over the years.
When we had a last-minute opening for a Slow Flowers Summit speaker, Tobey came to mind immediately. I asked and she agreed, which is wonderful news! Tobey will co-present with Carly Jenkins of Killing Frost Farm during our morning session that follows Terri McEnaney’skeynote talk.
Whidbey Flower Workshop 2018 installations in a session led by Joseph Massie
Tobey and Carly’s expertise will blend beautifully as the two women take the stage to discuss sustainable sourcing and installation design. You’ll learn from Carly about how she forages ethically and with an artistic approach that communicates a personal design vocabulary to truly reflect season and place. And Tobey will discuss her commitment to no-foam installation and event design, including methods you can immediately implement in your own practice. Their presentation will continue into the noon hour and our lunch break when Slow Flowers Summit co-host Christine Hoffman joins Tobey and Carly to demonstrate a large-scale “botanical tapestry” in the Paikka Courtyard. During lunch and afternoon breaks, all participants are invited to join in the creation of this sculptural structure, designed in real time and produced using foam-free mechanics.
A recent botanical headpiece by floral artist Tobey Nelson (c) Suzanne Rothmeyer
I’m very excited to share this conversation with you. Here’s a little more about Tobey Nelson: A flower-loving plant-a-holic, she owns Tobey Nelson Events and Design, a wedding & event floral design and planning business based on Whidbey Island, Washington outside of Seattle.
Florals at the 2017 Whidbey Flower Workshop, including (left) a bouquet by student Laura Wiltse-Tibbets of West Wind Florals and the large-scale, foam-free installation (right) led by instructor Susan McLeary (c) image by Sullivan & Sullivan Photography
Tobey is firmly committed to sustainable floristry best-practices and to advocating for change in her industry. Tobey’s mission includes sourcing locally grown botanicals, using eco-friendly, sustainable floral design mechanics (never any foam), teaching these approaches to fellow florists and educating consumers so they can make better choices. Tobey is the founder and creator of Whidbey Flower Workshops, a forum for sustainable design education.
Recently, Tobey has taken her sustainable floristry advocacy to a new level by launching a Change.org petition called “Make an eco-friendly, 100% compostable alternative to floral foam.” Nearly 1,000 floral professionals and consumers have signed the petition that asks makers of floral foam to take the request seriously and work to find green alternatives to the conventional foam. Click on the above link to Tobey’s petition, read thoroughly, and consider whether to add your support as a participant.
Two Peas Farm & Flowers: Angie Krausfelt and her 10-year-old son. Our Michigan guest for the #fiftystatesofslowflowers series.
And now, let’s visit the state of Michigan to meet Angie Krausfelt of Two Peas Farm & Flowers, based in Union Pier – she’s part of our Fifty States of Slow Flowers series. Two Peas Farm & Flowers produces sustainably grown seasonal flowers, all-natural skincare, and free range eggs from happy ducks and hens. Angie and her 10-year-old son are the “two peas” of two peas farm & flowers. As she’ll tell us, the enterprise began as little flower stand in chicago; it grew into something more, and that growth prompted the desire for more land and eventually, the rebranding.
Lush tulips and other spring flowers, grown by Two Peas Farm & Flowers in Union Pier, Michigan
At the end of 2017, mom and son moved out of the windy city
to a 10-acre property in Union Pier, Michigan, with the dream of expanding the
flower business. Through a lot of hard work, and a commitment to Angie’s
vision, the little business has taken on a new life. You might even find
lemonade and homemade ice cream at their farm stand friday-sunday, late june
through october if, as Angie says, the little pea is working.
A peek at the flower patch at Two Peas Farm & Flowers, our Michigan visit.
I am so grateful to you for joining me and for spending your time listening to the Slow Flowers Podcast.
Thank you to our entire community of flower farmers and floral designers who together define the Slow Flowers Movement. As our cause gains more supporters and more passionate participants who believe in the importance of the American cut flower industry, the momentum is contagious. I know you feel it, too. I value your support and invite you to show your thanks and with a donation to support my ongoing advocacy, education and outreach activities. You can find the donate button in the column to the right here at debraprinzing.com.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:
Florists’ Review magazine. I’m delighted to serve as Contributing Editor for Slow Flowers Journal, found in the pages of Florists’ Review. It’s the leading trade magazine in the floral industry and the only independent periodical for the retail, wholesale and supplier market. Take advantage of the special subscription offer for members of the Slow Flowers Community.
Syndicate Sales, an American manufacturer of vases and accessories for the professional florist. Look for the American Flag Icon to find Syndicate’s USA-made products and join the Syndicate Stars loyalty program at syndicatesales.com. We are so excited that Syndicate has joined the Slow Flowers Summit as a sponsor — and if you attend, you’ll be heading home with some fun Syndicate USA-made swag!
Arctic Alaska Peonies, a cooperative of family farms in the heart of Alaska working together to grow and distribute fresh, stunning, high-quality peony varieties during the months of July and August. Arctic Alaska Peonies operates three pack houses supplying peonies throughout the United States and Canada. Visit them today at arcticalaskapeonies.com
Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers. Formed in 1988, ASCFG was created to educate, unite, and support commercial cut flower growers. It mission is to help growers produce high-quality floral material, and to foster and promote the local availability of that product. Learn more at ascfg.org. You’ll want to check out the upcoming regional conference, scheduled for Sunday, July 14 & Monday, July 15, in Maine, called “In the Thick of It” — it will feature flower farm tours, networking with other growers, and bonus tours of Johnny’s Selected Seeds and the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. It will be a beautiful chance to see both Snell Family Farm and Broadturn Farm at the peak of the season.
(c) Missy Palacol Photography
I am so excited about the upcoming SLOW FLOWERS SUMMIT and I hope you can join ME and our vibrant and engaging lineup of presenters on July 1st and 2nd in St. Paul, Minnesota. The countdown has begun – with just a few weeks to go before I see you in the Twin Cities. We’ve already sold more tickets than last-year’s sold-out conference and there are a few tickets left, so please don’t delay anymore! Visit today’s show notes for links to more details or head straight to slowflowerssummit.com to grab your space and join me!
The Slow Flowers Podcast has been
downloaded more than 477,000 times by listeners like you.
Thank you for listening, commenting and sharing – it means so much.
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.
The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. Learn more about his work at soundbodymovement.com.
Well, it’s the first episode of June and that means we’re kicking it off with this week’s unveiling of the American Flowers Week Botanical Couture Collection, which you can see in the pages of Florists’ Review’s June issue! I’m so excited to share this beautiful body of work — nine floral fashion looks — which have been created by talented members around the U.S.
Our participation is at the highest ever, with designer-flower farmer teams from Alaska, California, Florida, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Oregon, South Carolina and Washington. Click here to find links to free, downloadable social media badges of all the botanical couture looks for your promotion as you celebrate American Flowers Week, coming up on June 28-through-July 4.
And . . . this might be of interest, for the fourth year, we’ve produced the American Flowers Week bouquet label. Get in on this program and order labels for your bouquets and other promotions. Labels are available at an affordable price to active Slow Flowers members. We’ll be fulfilling your orders until June 21st to don’t put it off! Find more details here.
Stacey Denton of Floral Farm & Design Studio. This photo is part of the Southern Oregon Flower Farmer series (c) Ann Nguyen of idyllwildstudio.com
Speaking of American Flowers Week, today’s guest has something brilliant planned for her corner of the country — and you’ll learn all about in our conversation. I’m excited to welcome Stacey Denton of Flora Farm and Design Studioin Williams, Oregon.
Stacey harvested locally-grown manzanita foliage for this beautiful arrangement (c) Ann Nguyen of idyllwildstudio.com
Stacey
is, and always has been, a generalist. That’s why her job title “Farmer-Florist”
is hyphenated. She would be bored if she wasn’t always trying new things
(combining unique colors, implementing new floral design techniques,
incorporating unusual design elements, using uncommon foliage in arrangements)
and doing multiple tasks (growing the ‘Double Click’ cosmos for both blooms and
seed, harvesting amaranth flowers from the compost pile, and undersowing the
September flower beds with cover crop seed) at the same time.
Stacey’s unique floral design elements range from orchard fruit to feathers, live oak foliage and acorns (c) lilysandhorns.com
Stacey has spent her adult life committed to organic agriculture, first as a home gardener, then as a farm apprentice, farm worker, small CSA farm manager, and currently as a seed grower, flower farmer, and floral designer. This breadth of experience has led her recently to advise on current and future flower seed offerings at Siskiyou Seeds.
A lovely fern-festooned wedding by Stacey Denton of Flora Farm & Design Studio (c) gypsyjanephotography.com
Stacey likes to be busy, and likes to feel like her life
is purposeful. She is inspired by beauty, committed to good follow
through and clear communication. She is motivated by meaningful work and
an opportunity to dance. Stacey loves supporting Southern Oregon
weddings. When she’s not in the field, making arrangements or on the dance
floor, Stacey is spinning wool and experimenting with natural dyes.
An image of Stacey Denton on her farm, part of the Southern Oregon Flower Farmer Series (c) Ann Nguyen of idyllwildstudio.com
At Flora, Stacey’s purpose and passion is growing exceptional quality cut flowers and flower seeds. She selects highly desirable cultivars that are prized by brides and wedding designers; she harvests cut flowers at their peak beauty and is always on the look-out for unusual and new varieties. Stacey especially enjoys the shared creative process of growing a particular flower crop with our clients in mind. Flora Farm is certified organic and managed with biodynamic practices.
Find and follow Flora Farm at these social places:
Check out details for Stacey’s upcoming American Flowers Week event: The Seed to Vase to Table Dinner with Our Family Farms on June 30th.
Farms participating in the Seed to Vase (Farm to Table) dinner: Flora Farm www.weddingflora.com @floraorganicflowers Seven Seeds Farm www.sevenseedsfarm.com Le Mera Gardens www.lemeragardens.com Runnymede Farm @runnymedefarmoregon Sweet Water Farm www.sweetwaterfarmhugo.com Sugar Blossom Farm @sugarblossomflowerfarm Singing Larks Farm @singinglarksfarm Isabella Thorndike Church will be teaching the flower arranging demo: www.jacklilyfloral.com
Flower Farmers’ Gallery: A project of photographer Ann Nguyen of Idyllwild Studio, the Southern Oregon Flower Farmer is a photography exhibit that is displayed at different locations throughout Southern Oregon with the purpose of educating the public about the importance of locally grown flowers. The exhibit was shown at Rogue Roasters in Grants Pass. It is currently at the Medford Food Co-op.
Here are some of the images from that series:
Joan Thorndike, Le Mera Gardens (c) Ann Nguyen Petal and Seed Farm (left) and Wizard’s Way Farm (right) (c) Ann Nguyen
A charming, historic flower shop, Rose of Sharon at Blossom Hill (c) Jessica Erin
The Rose of Sharon at Blossom Hill is a full-service flower and gift shop, as well as a specialty cut flower farm. The shop specializes in unique custom-designed living gifts and cut flower arrangements. Melissa’s property is a magical destination flower farm. She uses organic and sustainable growing practices to yield seasonal beauties including lisianthus, sunflowers, hydrangea, dahlias, tuberose, yarrow, delphinium, larkspur, chocolate cosmos- just to name a FEW!
I am so grateful to you for joining me and for spending your time listening to the Slow Flowers Podcast.
Thank you to our entire community of flower farmers and floral designers who together define the Slow Flowers Movement. As our cause gains more supporters and more passionate participants who believe in the importance of the American cut flower industry, the momentum is contagious. I know you feel it, too. I value your support and invite you to show your thanks and with a donation to support my ongoing advocacy, education and outreach activities. You can find the donate button in the column to the right.
Thank you to our sponsors:
And thank you to our lead sponsor, Florists’ Review magazine. I’m delighted to serve as Contributing Editor for Slow Flowers Journal, found in the pages of Florists’ Review. It’s the leading trade magazine in the floral industry and the only independent periodical for the retail, wholesale and supplier market. Take advantage of the special subscription offer for members of the Slow Flowers Community.
Mayesh Wholesale Florist returns as a Slow Flowers Podcast sponsor. Family-owned since 1978, Mayesh is the premier wedding and event supplier in the U.S. and we’re thrilled to partner with Mayesh to promote local and domestic flowers, which they source from farms large and small around the U.S. Learn more at mayesh.com.
NW Green Panels: Based in Madras, Oregon, NW Green Panels designs and constructs a wide array of wood-framed greenhouses offering versatility, style and durability. Their greenhouses are 100% Oregon-made using twin-wall polycarbonate manufactured in Wisconsin, making NW Green Panel structures a great value for your backyard. The 8×8 foot Modern Slant greenhouse has become the essential hub of my cutting garden — check out photos of my greenhouse in today’s show notes or visit nwgreenpanels.com to see more.
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. And if you’re in the neighborhood, the Market is hosting a very fun event on Wednesday, June 19th — all about edible flowers!
I am so excited about the upcoming SLOW FLOWERS SUMMIT and I hope you can join ME and our vibrant and engaging lineup of presenters on July 1st and 2nd in St. Paul, Minnesota. The countdown has begun – with just shy of one month to go. I hope to see you there.
The Slow Flowers Podcast has been
downloaded more than 475,000 times by listeners like you.
Thank you for listening, commenting and sharing – it means so much.
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.
The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. Learn more about his work at soundbodymovement.com.
My guest is Shane Connolly, plantsman, sustainable designer, author, educator, environmental advocate
Last week, I enjoyed a five-day whirlwind trip to London; my itinerary was filled with all things flowers and gardens. It was an incredible trip, made all the more enjoyable thanks to unseasonably beautiful and dry London weather that made everything sparkle.
The people behind the Facebook Garden (which won a Gold Medal at RHS Chelsea Flower Show) asked me to share my favorite gardening tip at “The Message Tree”
I’ll be covering the RHS Chelsea Flower Show with a Best of Chelsea report for Florists’ Review’s August issue – out later this summer. In the meantime, I have a very special episode to share with you today.
My guest is Shane Connolly of Shane Connolly & Co., whose web site carries this royal warrant of appointment: “By Appointment to HRH The Prince of Wales, Supplier of Flowers for Events.”
If you track royal weddings at all, you will know that Mr. Connolly designed the florals for the marriage ceremony of Will and Kate, that is Their Royal Highnesses, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
In 2005, he was honored and delighted to be asked by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall to design her bouquet and all the other flowers for her marriage to HRH Prince of Wales and the service of dedication in Windsor Castle. In recognition of this, Shane was awarded a Royal Warrant of Appointment to HRH The Prince of Wales in 2006.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding, trees courtesy of Connolly (c) Financial Times
In 2011 Shane was appointed Artistic Director for the wedding of TRH’s The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and was awarded a second Royal Warrant of Appointment, to HM The Queen in 2015. HRH The Prince of Wales has long been a campaigner for the environment and has recognized the dangers of intensive farming, imported and GM food very publicly. Both he and his eldest son, HRH The Duke of Cambridge, are crusaders for environmental wellness, which provided Shane the tremendous distinction to design the florals for both of their marriage ceremonies in a naturally stunning, eco-conscious manner.
Shane and I posed for a portrait at his studio (left); just-arrived, gorgeous stems from Usk Roses in Wales, held by Lily Matilda, a freelancer for Shane Connolly & Co.
There is something very flattering when you arrange to meet someone for tea and he shows up holding a copy of your book, The 50 Mile Bouquet, asking you to autograph it. There is something entirely surreal when that person is Shane Connolly. What a lovely surprise.
It turns out that Shane acquired The 50 Mile Bouquet several years ago when he was teaching at Flower School New York, where they keep a small selection of books in the school shop. I think that’s perhaps how Shane learned of my passion for local and seasonal flowers — and we became Instagram aquaintances.
A fanciful Shane Connolly headpiece, truly seasonal and inspired!
I sent him a message several months ago, asking if he would be willing to record an interview for the Slow Flowers Podcast while I was in London. What a thrilling treat that Shane said “yes.”
As it turns out, in order to have a quiet space for the recording, we walked from his North Kensington studio just a few blocks away to Shane’s home that he and his wife Candy have recently established in the neighborhood. Pinch me – I was seated on the linen sofa, surrounded by antiques, textiles, books, art, and flowers – interviewing this warm, kind, funny and intelligent floral artist.
A botanical table design by Shane Connolly + Co. (c) Thomas Alexander Photography
Shane is a true pioneer and he is a vocal leader in sustainable floral design in all of its facets — a kindred Slow Flowers spirit who asks about the origin of the flowers he sources and is working to change the floral industry’s conventional, less-than-sustainable practices by example.
An exquisite detail from the table shown above. (c) Thomas Alexander Photography
Here’s more about Shane Connolly:
Shane
Connolly & Co. has been creating timeless, artisan, floral arrangements and
decorations for over twenty-five years, and still gets excited about the next
event. Shane Connolly set up his eponymous company in 1989 after training with
some of London’s leading flower designers.
Summer (left) and Autumn (right), interpreted and expressed by Shane Connolly + Co.
Born and raised in Northern Ireland, Shane read Psychology at university but a lifelong passion for plants and gardening eventually led to a complete career change. Subsequently, he has built an enviable reputation as a floral designer with a small, dedicated and talented team of florists, artists and craftsmen working from offices and a large light-filled studio in North Kensington. He is the author of four books — Table Flowers, Wedding Flowers, The Language of Flowers and A Year in Flowers.
These pressed flowers were collected by George Marr whilst serving as a soldier in Salonika, Greece, during the First World War. On his death his daughter, Georgeann Slater, found the notebook he had kept during his service in Greece.
An allee of stems decorate the table at the V & A Directors Dinner, designed by Shane Connolly + Co.
There’s not much more to say other than — wow — what an incredible human and what an incredible experience to spend time with him! It was an honor to share this conversation with you.
A stunning perspective from the end of the table at the V & A Directors Dinner, designed by Shane Connolly + Co.
I will leave you with my favorite quote from today’s episode, Shane quoting Spain’s most famous architect is Antoni Gaudi:
“If you want to be original, you need to get back to the origin.”
Shane continues and asks: What is the origin of flowers? What is essential? Why do we bring flowers inside? It’s because we want to see nature. Where do they come from: a garden, a field, from nature? if you detach from that, you might as well use fluffy cushions!
He reminds us to
not forget the fundamental reason for having flowers. What a beautiful lesson
to learn and re-learn.
Ona Rose Pappas of Ona Rose Floral Design in Maryland
And now, let’s visit the state of Maryland and meet Ona Rose Pappas of Ona Rose Floral Design – she’s part of our Fifty States of Slow Flowers series, which continues today.
Ona Rose Floral is a boutique floral design studio based in Bethesda, Maryland on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., specializing in one of a kind arrangements and floral designs which are solely sourced from flowers from Ona Pappas’s personal gardens, and from local flower farms and growers across America.
A Maryland-grown bouquet by Ona Rose Floral Design
One of Ona’s studio values
is to provide an extremely personal approach often unseen in the event industry
today. In addition to event design, we also offer seasonal a la carte
wedding florals, daily arrangements for your home and celebratory
occasions, as well as private workshops.
Ona Rose Floral Designs for local weddings
Ona sources her seeds from a variety of the top American seed companies and farmers including Floret Flower Farm, Baker Creek, Botanical Interest, Johnny’s, Seed Savers, Southern Exposure, among others. She only uses organic seeds, fertilizers, soil, etc to ensure that the flowers being utilized for her special event clients are free of any chemicals. And I’m especially grateful to read a section about the Slow Flowers movement on Ona’s “FAQ” page — that’s a smart way to share her values and brand affiliation!
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
Florists’ Review magazine. I’m delighted to serve as Contributing Editor for Slow Flowers Journal, found in the pages of Florists’ Review. It’s the leading trade magazine in the floral industry and the only independent periodical for the retail, wholesale and supplier market. Take advantage of the special subscription offer for members of the Slow Flowers Community.
Longfield Gardens 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. Visit them at longfield-gardens.com
Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers. Formed in 1988, ASCFG was created to educate, unite, and support commercial cut flower growers. It mission is to help growers produce high-quality floral material, and to foster and promote the local availability of that product. Learn more at ascfg.org.
Arctic Alaska Peonies,a cooperative of family farms in the heart of Alaska working together to grow and distribute fresh, stunning, high-quality peony varieties during the months of July and August. Arctic Alaska Peonies operates three pack houses supplying peonies throughout the United States and Canada. Visit them today at arcticalaskapeonies.com
Spring in bloom at the Slow Flowers Cutting Garden (c) Missy Palacol Photography
I am so excited about the upcoming SLOW FLOWERS SUMMIT and I hope you can join ME and our vibrant and engaging lineup of presenters on July 1st and 2nd in St. Paul, Minnesota. One of the top reasons our attendees love the Slow Flowers Summit is the opportunity to mix-and-mingle with other kindred spirits. So we want to make it easy for you to experience the Summit and bring along your BFF, partner, colleague or team member with our Plus-One Ticket Promotion! Please grab your tickets before we sell out! This is the very last week to take advantage of our special PLUS ONE Ticket Promotion, which expires on May 31st, so take advantage of this generous offer.
Take advantage of our Plus-One Ticket Promotion for the Slow Flowers Summit!
That’s right, when you register for the Slow Flowers Summit, you can add a guest for $275! This applies to anyone who has already registered, as well as new ticket-buyers. You can find the Plus One promo option by following the Register link at slowflowerssummit.com. And don’t procrastinate because you only have a few days left to grab that plus-one ticket.
The Slow Flowers Podcast has been
downloaded more than 470,000 times by listeners like you.
Thank you for listening, commenting and sharing – it means so much.
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.
The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. Learn more about his work at soundbodymovement.com.
Marty Wingate, on location, at a favorite garden spot in the U.K.
If you’re listening on this episode’s release day — May 22nd — I’m coming to you from London, where I have traveled to attend the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and report for Florists’ Review and its sister publication. This incredible trip would never have happened without a surprise birthday gift from my husband Bruce Brooks, who completely floored me with a dream experience.
So of course, I wanted to season today’s episode with all things British. Our guest is my dear friend Marty Wingate and I’m so excited to introduce you to her as she shares her journey — from successful garden writer to even more successful mystery writer. All of Marty’s titles are traditional mysteries that take place against her favorite British gardens, landscapes, estates and historic manor houses as backdrops. Her mystery-solving female protagonists are curious, clever and courageous, even when they get themselves into tricky situations that require their amateur sleuthing skills.
Marty Wingate, mystery writer, gardening expert, and lover of all things British.
Here’s more about Marty — excerpted from a 2017 profile I wrote about her for the Garden Writers Association’s membership publication.
Armed with a
Master’s in Urban Horticulture from the University of Washington, not to
mention being a bonafide King County (Washington) Master Gardener and a Seattle
gardening personality who for years wrote a weekly newspaper column and
appeared on the local NPR radio station, Marty Wingate knows how to diagnose
dead plants.
Three book series! So fun — you must read them!
And now, after
penning more than 10 murder mysteries and being named a USA Today Bestselling Author, you could say Marty also solves
mysteries about dead characters.
The threads
connecting these different chapters of her life tie together Marty’s skill for
storytelling, her Anglophile tendencies and a love for all things botanical.
She leads garden tours to England, Scotland and Ireland and she is a member of
the U.K.-based Royal Horticultural Society. In addition to being a longtime
member of Garden Writers (now called GardenComm), she is a member of Mystery
Writers of America, Sisters in Crime and the Crime Writers Association, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the Royal
Horticultural Society.
In 2014,
Alibi, a Random House imprint, published The
Garden Plot, Marty’s first book in “The Potting Shed” series. The
books feature Pru Parke, a middle-aged American gardener transplanted from
Texas to England. Murder has a way of finding Pru, wherever she gardens. The seventh
title in this series, Midsummer Mayem,
was just released November 2018.
It all began with “The Garden Plot,” and here’s a photo of Marty at her book launch party in Seattle.
After her
stories about Pru were well underway, Marty’s editor suggested she dream up a
new protagonist to engage the birding crowd. Julia Lanchester, a bird lover who
runs a tourist office in a Suffolk village, was born, part of the “Birds
of a Feather” series, with the fourth in the series Farewell, My Cuckoo, also published in 2018. Marty’s books are
available on tablets and smart readers, with fans having downloaded more than
120,000 books in just four years.
Marty’s
newest series—The First Edition Library (Berkley)—presents Hayley Burke, the
curator of a collection of books from the Golden Age of Mystery. The Bodies in the Library,
book one, will be released October 1, 2019
How did this
popular garden writer, who has authored five garden titles and whose byline
continues to appear in Country Gardens,
American Gardener and other
publications, become a successful mystery writer? So many self-employed garden
communicators are interested in diversifying their careers into
“crossover” platforms such as culinary, travel, health and wellness
or floral (that would be me). And yet, why not fiction?
Marty lives with her husband and two cats near
Seattle, her local library standing in for a more colorful writing venue—say,
Vita Sackville-West’s tower at Sissinghurst.
The Bluebonnet Betrayal, number 5 in The Potting Shed Series of mysteries ~ takes place at the Chelsea Flower Show in London!
Marty takes research seriously—she is a former how-to
garden writer of numerous books and a countless number (at least, she stopped
counting ages ago) of magazine and newspaper articles on everything from apple
maggot to the prettiest daffodils and the best-smelling roses. Research took on
an entirely new light when she began writing mysteries, and now she and her
husband travel regularly to England and Scotland, where she plunges deeply into
study concerning the next adventure for her protagonists — Hayley, Julia, and
Pru—sparing not a few minutes a day to head to the pub.
You can find more about
Marty and her books, as well as her other projects including her upcoming
garden tour to the Cotswolds in 2020, in today’s show notes for episode 402 at
debraprinzing.com. I’ll also share links to her social places.
Marty agrees that her horticulture background is an essential part of her narratives. “I love writing about gardens and about plants. I always have correct gardening information. Other than that, I can make up everything else.” I hope you explore her many titles and become as hooked on Marty’s storytelling as I am!
And now, a huge surprise! I have an advanced reader’s copy of Marty’s brand new book — it won’t be out until October — and as soon as I finish reading it, I’ll share it with one lucky listener in a random drawing.
To enter, post your best idea for a garden or floral murder mystery in our comment section by May 31st. We’ll draw a winner on June 1st and announce him or her on June 5th.
And by the way, the winner of this month’s earlier giveaway – of Teresa Sabankaya’s The Posy Book is Heather Coughlin of Pure Bloom Flowers in Long Grove, Illinois. Congratulations, Heather!
Rayne Grace Hoke, of Flora’s Muse in Biddeford, Maine
Our theme for 2019 – Fifty States of Slow Flowers – continues today, with floral designer Rayne Grace Hoke of Flora’s Muse, based in Biddeford, Maine.
She writes: “I’m enamored with the beauty of nature and I love the thrilling mix of magic and science. The graceful weight of a tulip in the hand and the intoxicating aroma of mimosa brings pure joy and a bit of awe. It’s these nuances of the natural world which fascinate me. And soaking in these experiences is for me a point of divine expression and inspiration.
“And I’m so grateful my floral path has allowed so many opportunities to explore other artistic curiosities beyond flowers. In the 1990’s, I interned at the Textile Conservation Lab at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
Additionally, I’m an Ambassador and graduate of the Beyond Startup and New Ventures business program. Via this inspiring organization, I advocate for small women-owned businesses on state and federal levels. But I’ve also tapped into weaving, perfumery, fashion design and even metalsmithing and currently I’m offering Slow Flower-inspired workshops in Maine!”
Rayne (left) with model Mary (right) at the autumn 2018 photo shoot for American Flowers Week. Their botanical couture floral fashion, produced with Johnny’s Seeds, will be unveiled in the June issue of Florists’ Review.
Download a PDF of my Florists’ Review March 2019 article about Rayne Grace Hoke of Flora’s Muse, and a Maine floral design workshop she produced last year with Laura Tibbetts of WestWind Florals.
Check out the upcoming Slow Flowers Maine Meet-Up, scheduled for June 3rd & 4th — there is time to attend!
Designed by Nancy Cameron of Destiny Hill Flower Farm.
I am so grateful to you for joining me and for spending your time listening to the Slow Flowers Podcast today. Thank you to our entire community of flower farmers and floral designers who together define the Slow Flowers Movement.
Earlier this month, our core member benefit — the slow flowers online directory — turned five years old! This is a major milestone and I can’t tell you how excited I am to see our cause gain more supporters and more passionate participants who believe in the importance of the American cut flower industry.
As I often say, and as you heard
in my conversation with Rayne Grace Hoke of Maine, the momentum is contagious. I
know you feel it, too. I value your support and invite you to show your thanks
and with a donation to support my ongoing advocacy, education and outreach
activities. You can find the donate button in the column to the right.
Thank you, sponsors!
Florists’ Review magazine. I’m delighted to serve as Contributing Editor for Slow Flowers Journal, found in the pages of Florists’ Review. It’s the leading trade magazine in the floral industry and the only independent periodical for the retail, wholesale and supplier market. Take advantage of the special subscription offer for members of the Slow Flowers Community.
Syndicate Sales, an American manufacturer of vases and accessories for the professional florist. Look for the American Flag Icon to find Syndicate’s USA-made products and join the Syndicate Stars loyalty program at syndicatesales.com. We are so excited that Syndicate has joined the Slow Flowers Summit as a sponsor — and if you attend, you’ll be heading home with some fun Syndicate USA-made swag!
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
NW Green Panels designs and constructs a wide array of wood-framed greenhouses offering versatility, style and durability. Their greenhouses are 100% Oregon-made using twin-wall polycarbonate manufactured in Wisconsin, making NW Green Panel structures a great value for your backyard. The 8×8 foot Modern Slant greenhouse has become the essential hub of my cutting garden — check out photos of my greenhouse or visit nwgreenpanels.com.
I am so excited about the upcoming SLOW FLOWERS SUMMIT and I hope you can join ME and our vibrant and engaging lineup of presenters on July 1st and 2nd in St. Paul, Minnesota. One of the top reasons our attendees love the Slow Flowers Summit is the opportunity to mix-and-mingle with other kindred spirits.
For a limited time — through the end of May — when you register for the Slow Flowers Summit, you can add a guest for $275! This applies to anyone who has already registered, as well as new ticket-buyers. You can find the Plus One promo option by following the Register link at slowflowerssummit.com.
The Slow Flowers Podcast has been
downloaded more than 467,000 times by listeners like you.
Thank you for listening, commenting and sharing – it means so much.
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. The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. Learn more about his work at soundbodymovement.com.
Today’s guest is a long-time friend of mine and of the Slow Flowers Movement. I told this story in 2014 when I introduced you to Baylor Chapman in Episode 125. She and I originally met in the fall of 2010 when I was visiting San Francisco to give a lecture for the Garden Conservancy. We were introduced by a mutual friend, landscape designer and garden writer Susan Morrison, who told me: “You need to meet my friend Baylor when you’re in town. She’s into locally-grown flowers just like you are.”
That led to a wonderful visit to tour Baylor’s
former “loading dock” studio in San Francisco’s Mission District. Susan
and Rebecca Sweet, another fellow garden designer and blogger, met me at
Baylor’s. The three of us had lots of fun drooling over Baylor’s floral
creations and learning more about her design philosophy based on seasonal and
locally-grown floral elements.
Baylor in the pages of The 50 Mile Bouquet (with photography by David Perry)
Baylor is the creator and owner of Lila B. Design, a San Francisco-based design studio. Her creative path is well documented in the pages of The 50 Mile Bouquet where we featured her in a chapter entitled “The Accidental Flower Farmer.”
Writing, teaching and consulting about designing with plants has occupied a good part of this creative woman’s life for the past five-plus years. She hasn’t completely shifted from growing and designing with cut flowers, but she has found a special place in the living plant world, an important and growing niche in the floral marketplace.
Last month she released a new title: Decorating with Plants, also published by Artisan Books, with photography by Aubrie Pick.
Decorating with Plants
Here’s a bit more about Decorating with Plants:
In Decorating with Plants, Baylor Chapman walks readers through everything they need to know to bring houseplants into their home.
First, there’s Plant
Care 101: from how to assess light conditions to tricks for keeping your plants
alive while on vacation, Baylor gives readers the simple, foundational info
they need to ensure their plants will thrive.
Then she introduces the
reader to 28 of her favorites—specimens that are tough as nails but
oh-so-stylish, from the eye-catching Rubber Tree to the delicate Cape Primrose.
Finally, she guides readers through the home room by room: Place an aromatic plant like jasmine or gardenia to your entry to establish your home’s “signature scent.”
Add a proper sense of scale to your living room with a ceiling-grazing palm. Create a living centerpiece of jewel-toned succulents for a dining table arrangement that will last long after your dinner party.
From air purification to pest control, there’s no limit to what houseplants can do for your home—and Decorating with Plants is here to show you how to add them to spaces big and small with style.
From “Decorating with Plants”
Here’s a bit more about Baylor Chapman, excerpted from the
Lila B. Design “about” page:
Baylor writes: Every day I am inspired by the raw beauty
of nature, and constantly think about ways of how to bring it into my home —
and yours. I believe that nature is handsome more than pretty, and am always
searching for an unexpected definition of beautiful.
I love working with plants so much that I’ve spent more
than 15 years surrounding myself with them. I attended the UC Berkely program
for garden design, founded Lila B., a San Francisco green-certified plant and flower
design business, authored my first how-to title called The Plant Recipe Book —
and built a parking lot garden in the middle of a big city.
A Woodland Kokedama Tablescape, from the DINING ROOM chapter of Decorating with Plants
Bringing nature to the city is essential to what I do, so you can often find me creating botanical arrangements in the urban industrial Mission district neighborhood where my own garden and studio reside.
For me, it all comes back to the idea that even if you have a really small space, you can bring a little bit of green inside. Whether it is an elaborate living centerpiece or tiny single succulent, through plant design you can make any space feel at home.
I spent my childhood on a farm, followed
years working on an eco-friendly estate which lent a natural edge to my design
aesthetics. Now I live in an apartment located a converted box factory, a
testament to my commitment to design and my back deck is home to many of my
favorite plants.
The Plant Recipe Book, publised in April 2014.
In the spring of 2014 I published The Plant Recipe Book, which features more than 100 lush photographs of creations similar to the ones I make for Lila B. In the same year a major international hotel chain asked me to collaborate on their worldwide botanical strategy.
My work has also appeared in Sunset Magazine, Good Housekeeping, and Better Homes and Gardens.
I have been a guest a guest on PBS’ “Growing a Greener World” and a DIY expert on HGTV.com and HOUZZ.com. I love to travel around the country teaching people how to beautify their home “living centerpieces.”
I’m so pleased that Baylor joined us for an update on her deep passion for and creative life built around plants.
She has tapped into the life-giving force that inspires her three-dimensional botanical art and I hope hearing from her has opened up your thinking about adding or expanding the way you engage with the plant world.
Find and follow Baylor Chapman at these social places:
Our theme for 2019 – Fifty States of Slow Flowers – continues today, with farmer-florist Mary Marston of Plum Nelly Flower Farm in Coushatta, Louisiana. Plum Nelly Flower Farm is a Louisiana-licensed florist as well as flower farmer.
Mary writes this on the Plum Nelly “about” page, saying all our flowers are planted in the rich alluvial soil of the Red River. The term “Specialty Cut Flowers” means our flowers are the best ones to be grown locally. We grow them to their peak of perfection and sell them fresh to local florists and shop owners as well as the general public.
Spring in bloom at the Slow Flowers Cutting Garden (c) Missy Palacol Photography
I am so grateful to you for joining me and for spending your time listening to the Slow Flowers Podcast today. Thank you to our entire community of flower farmers and floral designers who together define the Slow Flowers Movement.
As our cause gains more supporters and more
passionate participants who believe in the importance of the American cut
flower industry, the momentum is contagious.
I know you feel it, too. I value your support
and invite you to show your thanks and with a donation to support my ongoing
advocacy, education and outreach activities. You can find the donate button in the column to the right.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Florists’ Review magazine. I’m delighted to serve as Contributing Editor for Slow Flowers Journal, found in the pages of Florists’ Review. It’s the leading trade magazine in the floral industry and the only independent periodical for the retail, wholesale and supplier market. Take advantage of the special subscription offer for members of the Slow Flowers Community.
Arctic Alaska Peonies, a cooperative of family farms in the heart of Alaska working together to grow and distribute fresh, stunning, high-quality peony varieties during the months of July and August when the normal growing season is complete. Arctic Alaska Peonies operates three pack houses supplying peonies throughout the United States and Canada. Visit them today at arcticalaskapeonies.com
Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers. Formed in 1988, ASCFG was created to educate, unite, and support commercial cut flower growers. It mission is to help growers produce high-quality floral material, and to foster and promote the local availability of that product. Learn more at ascfg.org. It’s fitting that ASCFG is mentioned here, because today’s Fifty States of Slow Flowers guest is a member of both ASCFG and Slow Flowers.
Longfield Gardens 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. Visit them at longfield-gardens.com and join the spring flower photo contest going on now through May 24th. Share a photo of what’s blooming in your garden, post to Facebook or Instagram, and you might win a $50 dollar gift card from Longfield Gardens!
Before we sign off, can I tell you how truly excited I am about the upcoming SLOW FLOWERS SUMMIT?! I want you to join ME and our vibrant and engaging lineup of presenters on July 1st and 2nd in St. Paul, Minnesota. Please grab your ticket to join us. The very last day of our special PLUS ONE Ticket Promotion ends today, May 15th, so take advantage of this generous offer.
One of the top reasons our attendees love the Slow Flowers Summit is the opportunity to mix-and-mingle with other kindred spirits. So we want to make it easy for you to experience the Summit and bring along your BFF, partner, colleague or team member with our Plus-One Ticket Promotion!
For a limited time — through May 15th only — when you register for the Slow Flowers Summit, you can add a guest for $275! This applies to anyone who has already registered, as well as new ticket-buyers.
You can find the Plus One promo option by
following the Register link at slowflowerssummit.com.
The Slow Flowers
Podcast has been downloaded more than 462,000
times by listeners like you. Thank you for listening, commenting and sharing –
it means so much.
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.
The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. Learn more about his work at soundbodymovement.com.
