SLOW FLOWERS JOURNAL AUTUMN 2023: FLORAL NESTING

C E L E B R AT I N G T H E S E A S O N

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AUTUMN 2023

FLORAL NESTING VISIT TWO HOSPITALITY DESTINATIONS ELEVATED BY BOTANICALS ALSO IN THIS ISSUE FLORAL RETREAT

DAHLIA DREAMING STEMS BROOKLYN IS WHERE WE BLOOM SLOW FLOWERS HERO

KELLY MORRISON

Time to gather

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Debra Prinzing CREATIVE DIRECTOR Robin Avni COPY EDITOR Brenda Silva

SISTER B STUDIOS

CONTRIBUTORS Amber Fouts, Tonneli Grüetter, Emily Saeger, Kelly Shore PHOTOGRAPHERS Lindsay Fairchild, Amber Fouts, Missy Palacol, Sarah Petrarca, Emily Saeger, Sister B Studios ON THE COVER Jill Redman of Forage Florals brings her botanical aesthetic to a vacation home in Santa Barbara’s food and wine country. As a result, travelers engage with nature in a beautiful way.

FORAGE FLORALS forageflorals.com @forageflorals foragelosalamos.com @the.forage.house COVER PHOTOGRAPHER Sister B Studios sisterbstudios.com @sisterbstudios

f loral nesting.

Our seasonal mindset wants to deepen the connections between indoors and outdoors and we are delighted to feature two stories that inspire the term “Floral Hospitality.” You’ll love reading about Elizabeth Brown and Jill Redman, two Slow Flowers members who are flowering the travel, tourism, and lodging niche in creative new ways.

Meet “Slow Flowers Hero,” Kelly Morrison of Color Fields, in a profile

by Tonneli Grüetter and immerse yourself in landscape architect Emily Saeger’s survey of an urban forest.

We visit Stems Brooklyn as part of our Where We Bloom series and get lost in the late-season beauty of Mary Kate Kinnane’s dahlia

© 2023 by SLOW FLOWERS JOURNAL and BLOOM Imprint. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the publisher.

workshop. Enjoy gorgeous floral photography in recaps of June's 2023 Slow Flowers Summit and September’s lecture and workshops that welcomed British floral artist Shane Connolly to Seattle.

We love sharing the season’s coziness in this issue of Slow Flowers

Journal. Coming up on December 1st: BLOOM Imprint and Slow Flowers Society will release the 2024 Slow Flowers Floral Insight to inspire your planning and creativity for the year to come.

BONUS: Enjoy our “Gifts for Flower Lovers and Gardeners” feature at slowflowersjournal.com.

Debra + Robin SLOW FLOWERS JOURNAL

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CONTRIBUTORS

autumn.

TONNELI GRÜETTER. Tonneli Grüetter is the co-founder of Salty Acres Farm, a Whidbey Island, Washington-based cut-flower farm. She brings a deep understanding of growing and designing with local flowers to her role as our Membership and Community Engagement Manager, supporting our members from a place of having walked in their shoes! She is also our cultural advisor, noting key shifts in the floral marketplace. saltyacresfarm.com @tonneli

KELLY SHORE. Kelly Shore is the owner and lead designer of Petals by the Shore, a wedding and event floral design business based in the Washington, D.C., area since 2011. In 2019, she founded The Floral Source to celebrate community, connection, and confidence in U.S. floral sourcing. She’s a proud supporter of America’s flower farmers and sources the blooms and foliage she uses from locations throughout the United States 365 days a year. Kelly’s lush, colorful designs have been featured in Florists’ Review and Martha Stewart

Weddings, among other national and local publications. thefloralsource.com @thefloralsource

EMILY ADELIA SAEGER. Emily Adelia Saeger is a botanical artist and recent graduate student of the Masters of Landscape Architecture program at the University of Washington. Her design work is heavily influenced by her years in the garden—working in public horticulture as a lead horticulturist at Filoli Gardens in San Francisco, and as a farmer-florist for many years in the San Francisco Bay Area. She believes healthy human-land connections are both a necessity and a right, and aspires to facilitate beautiful, generative environments for all beings through her design work. @emilyadelias

AMBER FOUTS. Amber Fouts is a portrait and food photographer located in Seattle, Washington. Her work has been described as spirited, narrative, and genuine, and can be seen in publications nationwide. amberfouts.com @amberfouts

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18 25

15 departments

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SLOW FLOWERS HEROES

kelly morrison creates color fields.

floral nesting

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FLORIST IN RESIDENCE

elizabeth brown. of foxglove farmhouse partners with a Maine hotel to plant a cutting garden for

SITE SPECIFIC

chefs and guests.

from an urban forest.

WHERE WE BLOOM

stems in brooklyn.

SUSTAINABLE FLORISTRY

shane connolly in the pacific northwest.

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THE FORAGE HOUSE

jill redman. of forage florals brings her aesthetic to designing a vacation home in Santa Barbara’s food and wine country.

FLORAL RETREAT

dahlia dreaming.

SLOW FLOWERS SUMMIT 2023

a summer's recap.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY KELLY KIM BRANAGAN

SLOW FLOWERS HEROES BY TONNELI GRÜETTER

kelly morrison. colors field farm | hillsborough, north carolina In the realm of the Slow Flowers Society, there exists a sacred pledge — one made by all its members. It is a commitment rooted in the very essence of our craft, a vow to honor the beauty and seasonality of locally grown blooms whenever possible. For northern members who experience this seasonality with a pause, as in the frosty winter's embrace, we pledge to turn our attention to the fields and greenhouses of our fellow American growers in warmer climates, sourcing our flowers, foliage, and botanical materials as close to local as possible. It is not merely a promise; it's a declaration of our dedication to transparency.

In those rare instances when a member of the Slow Flowers family cannot fulfill an order for local or domestic blooms themselves, our members are guided by the ethos of community over competition, and are committed to supporting the Slow Flowers community by fielding any job which they cannot complete to a fellow taker of this vital pledge.

“Cherish exquisite design, sustainability, and the support of your local economy.”

Here, we share the heartwarming tale of a true pioneer and hero within the Slow Flowers community: Kelly Morrison, the visionary founder of Color Fields, a farm and floral design studio nestled in idyllic Hillsborough, North Carolina. Kelly, a firstgeneration farmer, traces her story back to a family lineage rich in Southern gardening traditions, stretching as far as she can recall. In her family, the lore of plants and their stories unfolds

THREE QUESTIONS FOR KELLY On her mind...

What role does sustainability play at Colorfields?

We reuse vases, chicken wire, cardboard, and other materials.

We clean candles, even when it is cheaper to just buy it new every time. We recycle everything that can be recycled. Green waste never goes in the trash.

We also believe in paying as well as we can, keeping reasonable hours, and offering as much flexibility as possible so this can be a sustainable long-term job for myself, my employees, and freelancers.

What Trend do you think is going to explode in 2024?

Color! I've had more colorful weddings this year than ever before and it is wonderful!

What roles does "local" play in your business?

We are a member and founder of Piedmont Wholesale Flowers, which was modeled after the Seattle Growers Market. It is one of the things I am most proud of being a part of from the very beginning.

like heirloom jewelry, as flowers are precious gems passed down through generations. To Kelly, a flower is not just a bloom; it is a storyteller, a keeper of life’s seasons, and an instrument capable of illustrating human experiences too. It is this profound

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SLOW FLOWERS HEROES connection to the rhythm of time and place that fuels her dual role as a flower farmer and a floral designer.

Since founding her farm in 2014 and sowing her very first rows, Kelly's mission has been to braid together like ribbons her passions for flowers, community, and locality, infusing them into the most cherished moments of her clients. Her journey into the Slow Flowers movement began when she stumbled upon "The 50 Mile Bouquet" by Debra Prinzing, a moment that ignited a profound motivation for change. It led her to immerse herself in the mission to enhance access to local and sustainable flowers within her region encompassing Raleigh-Durham and Chapel

PHOTOGRAPHY BY THREE REGION

Hill. This quest led her to her first Slow Flowers event at Spring Forth Farm, a nearby flower farm. It was a transformative moment for Kelly, where she felt, for the first time, the acknowledgment of flower farmers in her community.

When Kelly speaks of her design philosophy and the inspiration that fuels the success of Color Fields, her words resonate. "Cherish exquisite design, sustainability, and the support of your local economy," she shares with unwavering passion. "We believe that you should never have to compromise your values when there exists a beautifully simple alternative. We gather the most exquisite flowers and natural elements to craft a floral vision that encapsulates your unique essence, your relationships, and your values. We do not merely offer design; we cultivate your flowers with love and care, employing sustainable practices on our farm or conscientiously sourcing them from others. Our organic, seasonal

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DANIELLE JAMES

approach to design engenders a deeper connection

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with our clients, leaving an indelible mark, unparalleled by conventional floristry. We want you to savor the moments of your engagement without the burden of fretting over minute details. We are skilled at transforming your inspiration into a floral reality."

From the very outset of working with Kelly, clients

are invited into a deeply personal and reflective encounter, a journey that mirrors her vision of a better world—a world centered around the admiration of fresh blooms. To those who seek her guidance and reassurance, often embarking on their first experience of intentionally procuring local flowers, Kelly extends a kind wisdom: "You need not have all the answers at the start." She takes a holistic approach, first grasping the loom of life before guiding her floral clients through the intricate threads, such as the unique floral varieties suitable to their individual celebrations. For those seeking to craft their special moments, she presents two paths: the à la carte option and the full-service experience, which fosters scalability and inclusion.

The à la carte path appeals to those planning smaller gatherings. Kelly meticulously itemizes each element, allowing clients to remain within their budget, avoid waste, and be assured of delightful blooms. For customers longing for a full immersion in a world of uniquely local florals, the full-service option unveils itself as the ideal path. It is also suitable for events requiring technical installation skills to construct floral arbors, chuppahs, suspended clouds, or oversized arrangements. Kelly’s full-service designs may include exquisite installations such as vinedraped arches or long, vase-laden tablescapes, and she personally oversees every aspect of the setup.

In the world of Kelly Morrison, each bloom, each leaf, and every stem carries not only the story of Color Fields Farm but also the love, passion, and commitment of a true Slow Flowers visionary. It is a story worth celebrating, reflective of the essence of the movement itself—a movement that champions local, sustainable, and deeply meaningful floral experiences.

COLOR FIELDS FARM WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM

PIEDMONT WHOLESALE FLOWERS WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM

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SITE SPECIFIC STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY EMILY ADELIA SAEGER

ecology & art.

Planting Futures explores the culture and role of an adaptive urban forest Editor's Note: Before her recent graduate studies in landscape architecture, Emily Adelia Saeger was instrumental in bringing the 2021 Slow Flowers Summit to Filoli Historic House & Garden, where she was lead horticulturist. She was a Summit co-presenter as part of our Sustainable Farming x Floral Design panel.

“How can we use design to increase access to ecological literacy and promote inclusive stewardship of our vital urban forests?”

This was the question at the heart of Planting Futures, a public participatory art installation that I designed with Jesse Sleamaker.

We are recent graduates of the Masters of Landscape Architecture program at the University of Washington.

Planting Futures explores the rich history and potential futures of plant communities within Seattle’s urban forests, with a particular focus on the East Duwamish Greenbelt, a large swath of urban forest between Interstate 5 and Seattle's Beacon Hill neighborhood.

We wanted this piece to shed light on the ecological importance of urban forests, the challenges they face — particularly as it relates to climate change — and the role of stewardship in shaping their future.

Seattle’s urban forests, including the East Duwamish Greenbelt (EDGB), provide invaluable services to both human and non-human residents of the city. They offer cooler spaces, serve as vital habitats for birds and animals, buffer against noise and air pollution, and provide opportunities for rest and connection with nature. However, maintaining the health of these forests poses complex challenges in the face of a warming climate, industrial land-use degradation, and the presence of vigorous introduced plant species, which can

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SITE SPECIFIC

outcompete greater biodiversity, yet frequently provide cover for some of our most denuded and degraded urban slopes.

As landscape architects and artists, Jesse and I approached the design from a place of encounter and curiosity, spending several months visiting parcels within the EDGB to document plants, soil and "soundscapes." We held conversations with the EDGB stakeholders, including Seattle Park’s Ecologists, Volunteer Forest Stewards, and the Beacon Hill Council, a neighborhood organizing group.

We installed Planting Futures on May 14, 2023, for a one-day exhibition in Jefferson Park, a prominent park in Beacon Hill, Seattle, which offers sweeping views of the city’s downtown and the Olympic Mountain range to the West. The installation invited community members into a process of exploration similar to the one we took, engaging with the plant communities of the EDGB and fostering a deeper understanding of their characteristics, including origin, uses, and relationship to other plants and animals within Seattle’s urban forests.

Within the installation, visitors encountered an elliptical ring of cyanotypes, a historic photographic process, representing various plants of the East Duwamish Greenbelt and Seattle’s urban forests as a whole. The cyanotypes featured native plant species, along with vigorous introduced species and climate-adaptive plants that are expected to do well in the Seattle area in the future, as the climate warms. In conversation with the ellipse was a large reclaimed madrone trunk, woven with striped ivy vines, creating the armature for a collective built arrangement. Buckets of plant cuttings along with infographics about specific plants were available for the public to select from and add to the armature using floral design to represent the shared responsibility of stewardship, while increasing the diversity of voices in conversations around parks stewardship and restoration, which often remain invisible to residents.

We designed Planting Futures for ease of assembly and disassembly, with the hope that it can be a tool to host conversations about land management within parks across Seattle. We are in conversation with Seattle Parks and Recreation about a reinstallation this fall — stay tuned!

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WHERE WE BLOOM PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEMS BROOKLYN

stems brooklyn. flowers by the stem | brooklyn, ny Ten years ago, Suzanna Cameron opened a tiny flower shop called Stems Brooklyn, operating inside the 99-square-foot entry of Sycamore Bar. She had $1,000 in her checking account and a few good ideas. “I was 22; a baby,” she laughs. “I was enrolled at Brooklyn College and I was supposed to get a degree.”

The bar had been looking for a new tenant to occupy space previously rented to a grab-and-go flower vendor and a friend encouraged Suzanna to make the leap to fill the opening.

“I was in the right place at the right time and caught wind of the opportunity,” Suzanna says. “I got that nervous feeling, like when I know I’m going to do something, but I haven’t made a decision yet. I already knew in my body that’s what I was going to do.”

Stems Brooklyn’s name comes from the shop’s signature by-thestem bar. In the beginning, Suzanna took a weekly barebones budget of $300 to purchase blooms at New York’s flower district.

“I had some cylinder vases and some shears, and I opened my door,” she recalls. “I knew that if I purchased $300 worth of flowers, I would probably earn $1,000 to $1,200. I repeated that over and over again, week by week. If I was at the market and the guy told me I had $357 worth of flowers, I would tell myself, ‘I’ve got to take something out.’”

THE NEIGHBORHOOD FLORIST In the heart of New York’s crowded borough of Brooklyn, Suzanna Cameron and her team of florists and designers have created a friendly neighborhood flower shop built on sustainable practices.

STEMS BROOKLYN

She credits financial discipline for her early successes. “Of all the

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM

things I’ve gotten wrong, I’ve done a couple right: one thing has always been marking up appropriately and running my numbers.”

A focus on “designer’s choice” also helped the bottom line. “It

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WHERE WE BLOOM

meant knowing I would use everything I bought, and I wouldn’t have any waste.”

it was time for a bigger space.”

She researched areas that didn’t have a

Stems Brooklyn has operated out of Suzanna’s

boutique flower shop and found a bright,

third-floor walkup apartment (after an

1,400-square-foot storefront that once

unexpected loss of the lease at Sycamore Bar

housed a thrift shop. Having dedicated space

in 2017); followed a shared yoga studio in

for both retail and production areas feels like

Brooklyn’s Vanderbilt neighborhood, which

a luxury, Suzanna says. “We do full-service

gave Stems slightly twice the space; and now,

wedding design, retail florals, some home

in its current, light-filled location on a busy

décor, and teach workshops.”

corner in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood.

During these transitions, Suzanna invested in building Stems Brooklyn’s e-commerce platform. “The yoga studio was in a neighborhood that was more affluent than

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Bushwick is an industrial neighborhood, and “it’s nice to be the little oasis of green and flowers,” she adds. “People sometimes come in to just look at the flowers.”

where I had started, and Stems gained

Stems Brooklyn calls itself an eco-conscious

momentum there; our online orders started

florist. The shop does not use floral foam,

picking up. I made a big investment in getting

dyed, or bleached botanicals; sources locally

a platform custom-designed for us and knew

and seasonally as much as possible; and

composts green waste. “Early on, it was hard

their flowers are coming from and they shop

getting the flowers, because the farmers

here because they know that’s a focus. It’s

didn’t have a way to transport them to New

taken years of cultivating that community and

York,” she says, although some of her favorite

the language to help people understand that’s

“local” flower supply came from nearby

what we’re doing. That and offering great

Brooklyn Grange, an organic rooftop farm and

design.”

event space.

Everyone who works at Stems Brooklyn

“The industry has changed so much in the

spends three to five days working with

last five years, though. The amount of flower

Suzanna and Shannon Cowan, Stems’ general

farmers who approach us, or who we are

manager, training in fundamentals of design

learning about, continues to grow.” Today,

and learning the shop’s aesthetic and pricing

most of the farms that supply Stems Brooklyn

approach.

on a regular basis deliver to the shop. For large-scale weddings and events, Suzanna’s team picks up flowers from Garden State Flower Cooperative in New Jersey.

“We have an amazing team,” Suzanna proclaims. “That’s what it comes down to.

The team here has supported me and my journey, and we have a collective vision of

Consumer awareness is changing, as well.

working with local flowers and being design-

“More people are conscientious about where

oriented. I couldn’t do this without them.”

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SUSTAINABLE FLORISTRY STORY BY DEBRA PRINIZING PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMBER FOUTS

learning to be kinder to nature.

Lessons on seasonality and sustainability from Britain's Shane Connolly Some of our favorite impressions of a weekend hosting Shane Connolly, British sustainable florist and educator, reveal how he is guided by the seasonal beauty of the moment and geographic impressions of “place” as he approaches floral design.

As his Slow Flowers Society host for three days of lectures and workshops in Seattle, I was joined by friends Gillian Mathews and Diane Larson to usher Shane around town to procure design ingredients. First up, his September 29th presentation at the magnificent Saint Mark’s Cathedral. We started off on the previous morning with a visit to the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market (SWGMC), its abundance of seasonal offerings — flowers, foliage, grasses, branches, and vines — in all their fall glory.

We didn’t rush him, but instead stood back to watch Shane’s process as he selected a glowing autumn palette of burnished mophead and blushing limelight hydrangeas, ‘Magical Pearls’ rose hip canes, golden peony foliage, apricot lemonade cosmos, currant foliage, ‘Black Knight’ scabiosa, blueberry foliage, ‘Magical Autumn Blush’ snowberry, a mix of dark dahlias and muddy garden roses, pale-green quince fruit and blue-green and almost black novelty pumpkins and gourds, among many other eye-pleasing crops. Hearing Shane pose this question was so gratifying for those of us who know what a gift SWGMC is for the local floral community: “Why can’t we have a place like this in London?”

Next, despite the downpour, we witnessed Shane as he eagerly jumped into a golf cart with Ray Larson, curator of the University

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“It was great to absorb Shane’s insights and unique design perspective. I came away really inspired, and haven’t used a snip of chicken wire since the workshop.”

ANNE BRADFIELD ANALOG FLORAL, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

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SUSTAINABLE FLORISTRY of Washington Botanic Garden, to search for just the right branches of fall foliage with crimson and faded apricot hues—branches that Ray carefully pruned from the Washington Park Arboretum for Shane’s use the following day.

Similarly, this time with umbrellas, Shane’s glee was contagious while we toured the University of Washington Farm at the Center for Urban Horticulture.

He pointed out perfect vines of plum-colored tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers, as well as stalks of purple-black kale, as farm manager Perry Acworth offered to clip them for his designs. And that was just during our first day of planning and preparation!

The “Shane Event,” as we called it, attracted an audience of 200plus flower lovers, gardeners, professionals in horticulture and floriculture, “flower guild” volunteers from area congregations, and designers who traveled from afar for two floralintensive workshops scheduled to take place later that weekend.

We were generously welcomed

by Saint Mark’s Cathedral, which opened its doors to the awe-inspiring nave for Shane’s

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Creation” commitment, which

Their Majesties King Charles and

aligns with the Sustainable

Queen Camilla. Shane shared the

Church Flowers effort that Shane,

story of sourcing 100-percent

his wife Candy, and others are

U.K.-grown flowers for this

leading in the U.K.

monumental event — flowers

As the afternoon sun poured through Saint Mark’s soaring windows, Shane’s lecture revealed his influences with some quite historic (through his work with London’s Garden Museum) and others more modern,

the Farm, an organization quite similar to Slow Flowers Society — as well as flowering branches and shrubs, which all five Royal Horticultural Society public gardens contributed.

including design commissions

Watching Shane, assisted by two

that Shane Connolly & Co.'s

Slow Flowers members (Tobey

studio produces for public and

Nelson and Teresa Sabankaya),

private events, weddings, and

was like witnessing a well-

galas at cultural institutions.

choreographed dance.

lecture, “Learning to be Kinder

We were given a glimpse into the

to Nature.” We were inspired to

beautiful and seasonal botanicals

ask Saint Mark’s to hold Shane’s

on display at Westminster

presentation there because of

Abbey this past May as they

the congregation’s “Care for the

“flowered” The Coronation of

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that were gifted by Flowers From

He spent the morning numbering large branches to indicate the order in which they could be inserted into two large urns in Saint Mark’s collection. Next, his compostable funeral spray

illustrated natural materials

for a shallow urn with a wide

(compostable trays, hemp

opening as, “a mesh of ikebana-

twine, twigs, moss, and torn

inspired branches, tied to each

newspaper), to create a foam-

other and wedged in place.”

free base that rivaled the type of construction a conventional florist would otherwise produce with floral foam. The takeaway evoked a potent response, and audience members crowded the stage to photograph the stunning, 100-percent organic spray.

His approaches were quite

LEARN MORE SHANE CONNOLLY, SHANE CONNOLLY & CO. WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM

successful. We left the two large urn designs for Saint Mark’s Cathedral to display during its

SLOW FLOWERS SOCIETY PRESENTS “THE SHANE EVENT”

Sunday services. The seasonal

Partners and Sponsors

pieces were breathtaking and appeared utterly compatible for the glorious setting. A few days

Saint Mark’s Cathedral Northwest Flower & Garden Festival

The takeaway from Shane’s large

later, Beatrix Hamm, who heads

urn demonstrations was that by

the Saint Mark’s floral ministry,

inserting buckets of water inside

emailed me to say, “I took down

a decorative vessel, it might

Shane’s arrangement in the

Arboretum Foundation

not be necessary to use chicken

Cathedral this week but kept the

Heronswood Garden

wire mechanics. Or, if you add

base of his construction in the

cross-brace branches inside an

low vessel; after some trimming.

Bellevue Botanical Garden Society

urn as natural mechanics, they

I was able to then construct this

can support other large, upright

week’s floral offering in the base

branches and boughs. Shane

he had created, and it worked

described his branch mechanics

really, really well!”

Seattle Wholesale Growers Market

Parsons + Co.

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FLORAL DESIGN INTENSIVE

KYA GRANUM

After the auspicious public lecture, the workshops were quiet and intimate experiences for professional floral designers and a few devoted flower lovers. Two groups of 15 students each participated in a “Floral Intensive” at the Center for Urban Horticulture.

Shane gave a morning lecture, after which the group gathered to take a walking tour of the Center for Urban Horticulture’s gardens and student farm. Slow Flowers member Rizaniño ‘Riz’ Reyes, assistant director of Heronswood Garden, volunteered to lead Saturday’s walking tour, while Perry Acworth, UW farm manager, was our Sunday tour guide.

For both sessions, workshop students experienced how Shane responds to the seasons and draws inspiration from the garden. People discovered new species and cultivars through his point-of-view, taking photos and notes (and even gathering fallen fruit to collect seeds). Our guides collected cuttings for Shane, and Riz brought buckets of uncommon sprigs from the grounds at Heronswood, elements for Shane’s afternoon demonstrations.

Each student designed florals in a handmade vase, custom-made for our workshops

by Seattle potter Karra Wise, whose vase design was influenced by Shane’s suggested shape and specifications. He wanted each vessel to have a wider base than its opening, and Karra’s hand-glazed pieces were simply perfect for the project.

“The time with Shane was so validating—to hear a renowned florist say things like, ‘Sometimes, I'm happier without flowers,’ and to lean so effortlessly into layers of textured foliage, and to stand firm in his artistry, was really affirming and inspiring.”

STEPHANIE DOWNES VANITA FLORAL, BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, WASHINGTON

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Before sending students off to design their arrangements, Shane offered another game-changing technique. He didn’t want people to use balls of chicken wire. Rather, Shane demonstrated how to build a “twiggy” mechanic with bunches of thin twigs cut slightly shorter than the vase height and arranged side-by-side, ends up, to fill the opening. The loosely packed twigs had enough give-and-take to accommodate the insertion of flower stems, and the resulting designs were abundant, bountiful, and quite secure, thanks to Shane’s twig technique.

We were so pleased to donate the workshop’s leftover flowers to students at the UW Farm, which they used to create bouquets to sell on campus as a fundraiser to support foodgrowing programs for those experiencing hunger. That sure felt good!

ANNIKA MCINTOSH

HANNAH MORGAN

TERESA RAO

TERESA SABANKAYA

JOANIE PARSONS

TOBEY NELSON

LOREEN MCFAUL

JENNIE GROSS

TAMMY MYERS

FLORAL NESTING 2023 STORY BY DEBRA PRINZING PHOTOGRAPHY BY LINDSAY FAIRCHILD CREATIVE DIRECTION BY KATIE ROCHEFORD

florist in residence After a few seasons growing cut flowers and selling them to wedding florists along Maine’s southern coast, Elizabeth Brown of Foxglove Farmhouse landed on a way to share her expertise with the region’s vibrant hospitality sector.

“I realized Foxglove Farmhouse was just me, and I didn’t think I could really expand on my own, but I still wanted to encourage other people to grow.”

She researched potential locations to host workshops and classes rather than bring students to her farm, which is also her family residence. “There’s a big tourism industry here and I wanted to tap into it. From my own personal experience when I travel, the first thing I always ask is, ‘where’s the botanical garden?’ I always want to learn about what gardeners there are growing.”

Elizabeth embraced cut flowers during the pandemic as an activity inspired by the Growing Kindness Project, an initiative created by fellow Slow Flowers member Deanna Kitchen of Twig & Vine Farm in Mount Vernon, Washington.

As she and her two school-aged children shared flowers with others, Elizabeth says she became addicted to the “expression on people’s faces when you give them flowers – bus drivers, school teachers, hospital staff.”

She signed up for an online farming course offered by The Gardener’s Workshop and soon replaced the family’s

A flower farmer grows a cutting garden for guests and tourists of a coastal Maine luxury resort.

croquet lawn with a cutting garden. “It was my ‘floral midlife crisis,’” she chuckles.

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FLORAL NESTING 2023

FLORAL HOSPITALITY Elizabeth’s tips for partnering with tourism destinations FORAGE Gain permission to utilize foliage from shrubs and perennials around the landscape to augment what you cultivate there. “Because Cliff House Maine has a lot of wooded trails, I am able to cut things like sumac and use it for natural dyes.”

COLOR FOR IMPACT Designing a specific bloom palette ensures a harmonious look.

Elizabeth drew inspiration from the gardens of Celia Thaxter, a famous Maine poet, artist, and noted gardener, whose 1894 classic is called “The Island Garden.” The book was illustrated by American impressionist Childe Hassam, who painted gardens in vibrant reds and pinks – flower colors that became Elizabeth’s garden palette.

MAKE IT EASY Have plenty of clippers and Mason jars available for guests’ use and encourage them to make simple bedside posies.

CREATIVE PROGRAMMING “Our plan is to expand how we use the cutting garden, including holding some dinners and botanical cocktail classes here,” Elizabth says. “I just completed a certificate in therapeutic horticulture, so I would love to expand on the spa offerings and use the garden for wellness and mental health opportunities.”

Towards the end of 2022, Elizabeth reached out to Cliff House Maine, a destination resort in Cape Neddick, Maine, located about one hour north of Boston, and proposed that she take over some of the culinary garden’s unused raised beds to grow cut flowers. A native daughter of York, the neighboring town, Elizabeth returned to the area as an adult because she wanted to raise her children where they also could experience the ocean, the woods, and the magic of place. The population there is fairly small in the winter, and then it quadruples in size during the summer season, she says. “There are some gorgeous resorts here that are bringing in tons of tourists every single week; people come to Maine because they want a true local experience.”

Teaching tourists and visitors about flower gardening seemed like a great solution — and Elizabeth found the ideal partnership with Cliff House Maine.

Management and staff responded with excitement and allocated funds for Elizabeth’s planting budget. Early on, she met with the chef to determine what he wanted to keep and how many beds she could devote to cut flowers. In all, she inherited 20 raised beds, each measuring 30-by-10 feet.

She brought in Maine Coast organic soil, which contains nutrient-rich lobster shells, to amend the existing planting soil in the raised beds.

Growing for a destination hospitality venue had both similarities and differences from her Foxglove Farmhouse production area, Elizabeth says. “At a hotel, you have to think about what is going to be in bloom to harvest, but also think about crops you won’t cut as hard because you want the gardens to look lush and beautiful for our guests. It’s a balancing act.”

LEARN MORE

Planting took place in May, with the goal of a cutting garden

FOXGLOVE FARMHOUSE

in bloom before tourists arrived on Memorial Day weekend.

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM

One of her success strategies was to add more perennials and native plants, such as New England aster, lupines, and Joe Pye weed, which allowed Elizabeth to leave at least onethird of the flowers for the birds and bees. “I started some flowers from seed, but also brought in annuals from a local

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SUMMER 2023

FLORAL NESTING 2023 greenhouse, because tourism season is in full swing by June, and I wanted flowers bursting open by then.”

Mimicking her weekly schedule at Foxglove Farmhouse, Elizabeth harvested two days a week at “Tiller’s Row,” the Cliff House Maine gardens. “I’d go over early and harvest flowers. I had a little red wagon that I’d pull through the woods to deliver flowers to the resort. It felt very much like a British countryside estate,” she laughs.

Elizabeth’s recalls her favorite moments of the season: “I would set up a big table with Mason jars and snips, unload my buckets of flowers, and get to designing. The guests were welcome to join me and design flowers for their rooms.

I loved bringing a balance of cultivated flowers from the garden and foraged so I could talk about native blooms.”

She also invited resort guests to join her in the cutting garden throughout the season. “Usually, I do lead a botanical craft, like sun prints or flower crowns. It was a pretty dreamy experience!” Story times for children of resort guests was another favorite program. “I’d have them help me plant seeds and water, and we talked about pollinators. Parents loved that Cliff House Maine offered something for kids that was nature-based education.”

Paid as a seasonal contract employee, Elizabeth estimates she worked 15 to 20 hours per week throughout the season — May through September. She’s transitioned to season-

extension programming for Cliff House Maine, including preserving dried flowers, using dye plants for projects, and teaching people how to press flowers. For the upcoming holiday season, she plans to teach guests about dying ribbons or napkins for the table and talk about sustainable holiday decorations.

New opportunities as Cliff House Maine’s Florist in Residence continue to cross-pollinate across the resort, she says. “I encouraged the staff to take their work breaks in the garden; it made me so happy when I would see a hostess from the restaurant come down and just sit on a bench and take 10 minutes there. Or, I would come upon a bartender in

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AUTUMN 2023

the cutting garden, who asked, ‘can you suggest an edible flower I can use in a drink?’”

Elizabeth knows that bringing her flower passion to Cliff House Maine has yielded measurable results and enhanced its hospitality program. “To have a hotel or resort that understands the value in bringing in a local element like flowers for their guests — that’s huge. Resort venues are in competition with other guest options, like Airbnb, so it’s important that they bring in experiences for their guests to enhance their stays.

Here, I have an audience of people who come to a beautiful place looking to learn more about this area, and it has been so fun for me to watch it unfold. The impact of having fresh flowers in the lobby, and seeing how people respond when I say, ‘oh, I just harvested those flowers here,’ is amazing.

"This floral hospitality program I have designed could easily be replicated by others who grow and love flowers - and who want to find their place in the floral world."

People can’t believe it and comment on what a nice touch the flowers bring.”

SLOW FLOWERS JOURNAL

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FLORAL NESTING 2023 STORY BY DEBRA PRINZING PHOTOGRAPHY BY SISTER B STUDIOS

the forage house Forage Florals is a retail flower shop in Santa Ynez, California, where founder Jill Redman immerses customers in her distinct, garden-inspired aesthetic. The shop opened in 2019, and it offers full-service floral design with locally sourced botanicals and products for the home from area artisans and makers, plus a touch of vintage mixed with found objects.

The name “forage” comes from Jill’s practice of wild-foraging from her family’s central California property.

A florist extends her lifestyle brand with a vacation rental in Santa Barbara’s wine country.

Jill draws from a diverse creative background, including interior space planning and design, metalsmith work, and jewelry fabrication. All of these facets inform the Forage Florals brand, one that’s truly a reflection of her aesthetic.

Forage Florals offers workshops and pop-up experiences inside the 40-by-40-foot shop, but Jill realized that popular events like botanical dyeing or wreathmaking are limited due to the constraints of being in a retail setting.

These constraints got her thinking about opening a separate venue, one large enough for private parties, culinary and wine-related events, photo shoots, and small workshops. “We knew we wanted to do some kind of vacation rental that gave

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AUTUMN 2023

FLORAL NESTING 2023 us an opportunity to serve the wedding industry here in wine country. I didn’t really want to create a wedding venue, but I did want to design a space and elevate it as a high-end hospitality experience, along with curated lifestyle offerings.”

In 2022, Jill began hunting for a property that would fit her vision for The Forage House. She found a one-story, 1960s-style ranch house on the market in Los Alamos, a home that a real estate agent mentioned by chance. “It was a clunker, for sure, but as soon as I saw it, I knew I could make it into the perfect entertaining house,” Jill says. “I fell in love with it and it just made sense to bring the Forage Florals experience there.”

Located about 15 miles from Santa Ynez, Los Alamos is one of the little towns in the Santa Ynez Valley, and it has gained a reputation as the area’s culinary destination, thanks to recent profiles in Vogue, Forbes, and other publications. The residence had good bones and most of the required renovations were cosmetic rather than structural, Jill explains.

VISIT THE FORAGE HOUSE The Forage House was designed by husband-and-wife team Jill Redman—interior designer, floral designer and owner of the beautiful Forage Florals boutique—and Brady Redman, owner and designer of Apiana Native Landscaping. Introductory bookings begin at $650 per night.

Retreat additions include curated floral design workshops and yogameditation workshops. Culinary additions include welcome trays, picnic lunches, wine tastings, and late-night snacks. Personal chefs, personal shopping, and wine experiences are also available.

The first thing Jill noticed when she walked inside was a gorgeous brick fireplace. “My first thought was, ‘people are going to see

LEARN MORE

this and want to be on that patio,’” Jill recalls. “I immediately

FORAGE HOUSE

felt the warm energy of the house and knew that it could be

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM

an amazing gathering place for guests who want to enjoy time

FORAGE FLORALS WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM

together with friends.” After removing the window enclosures and converting the wood-burning fireplace with gas, the transformed space is “sunny and beautiful, and now you can see the view of the walnut trees and the oak trees.”

Jill assembled a group of tradespeople and began the overhaul, which took nearly one year. “I spent a lot of time looking at design inspiration but I finally turned off Instagram during my decision-making process and decided to stay with my Forage Florals style. It’s a style that you can’t pin down, but it’s what I’m drawn to — really good older furniture combined with clean and fresh finishes that has a timeless, high-end feeling.”

SLOW FLOWERS JOURNAL

33

FLORAL NESTING 2023 The Forage Florals lifestyle brand translates beautifully to The Forage House. “There are fresh flowers everywhere: on the two dining tables, on every nightstand, in the bathroom, in the hallway, and the entryway — this is my subliminal way of helping guests to slow down and realize what it’s like to have flowers in their lives.”

Items from the shop are stocked for guests to purchase. “We include all of our favorite products, like body butters, our favorite socks, our little dried-flower bunches. When people make a booking, we send them a list of offerings, like preparing welcome baskets for their guests. We sell wine in the store, so we also have wine add-ons.”

Jill modernized the infrastructure with a new gas line, new plumbing, and heating. She transformed the kitchen and gutted and rebuilt each bathroom, but left the original footprint of each space. “There were many non-negotiables, like the tile work and cabinetry, but we tried to hit the medium mark with our budget,” Jill notes.

Renovation efforts peeled back layers of linoleum and carpet to reveal the original concrete slab floors.

“That left almost 4,000 square feet of concrete slab that were grinded and polished throughout, which created a beautiful finish that almost looks like terrazzo,” Jill says. “I wanted to keep as much as we could without things feeling dated or old, like the original pillars at the front of the house.”

The upgraded property is now divided between a small, permanent apartment (required by local codes), and the primary vacation rental, with four bedrooms and three bathrooms that sleeps up to 10 guests.

Rather than spending tens or possibly hundreds of thousands to build an in-ground swimming pool, Jill invested in an “affordable splurge” to install a 10-foot-diameter cedar soaking tub, made locally in Santa Barbara by Gordon and Grant.

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AUTU,MN 2023

FLORAL NESTING 2023

“The house needed water! Every good vacation rental needs a place for people to unwind and I love the hot tub — it’s so California to me. The barrel style evokes wine country and when you’re in the water, it feels like you’re in a spa.”

Newly opened, The Forage House fills a need in the region, Jill points out. “There are all these big venues and wineries that cost $20,000 just to rent for your event or party. This place allows us to offer higher-end experiences and curate them to groups coming into the region.”

She is planning future collaborations with local chefs and women winemakers to expand the types of experiences guests might wish to add to their stay at The Forage House. “We actually bought the lot next door,” Jill adds. “Right now, it’s just a big field, but I’m hoping to find someone who might want to plant the field with wildflowers and cutting flowers. I don’t necessarily need a flower farm, but I want to have that all-inclusive floral experience for guests.”

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AUTUMN 2023

SLOW FLOWERS PODCAST HIGHLIGHTS

top five.

Slow Flowers Podcast Episodes (July-September 2023)

EPISODE 617 | JULY 5TH A visit to Anne and Scott Sumner’s Walla Walla flower farm with a bonus fiddle-and-guitar performance.

WATCH HERE

EPISODE 619 | JULY 19TH Meet Erin Greene, King Estate Winery’s culinary garden manager, on growing organic and biodynamic food and flowers.

WATCH HERE

EPISODE 624 | AUGUST 23RD Brooklyn in Bloom with Suzanna Cameron of Stems Brooklyn.

WATCH HERE

EPISODE 625 | AUGUST 30TH Kristen Griffith-VanderYacht designs a signature summer arrangement and introduces his new book, “Flower Love: Lush Floral Arrangements for the Heart and Home".

WATCH HERE

EPISODE 628 | SEPTEMBER 19TH Jennifer Jewell’s love letter to seeds and her new book, “What We Sow: On the Personal, Ecological, and Cultural Significance of Seeds”.

WATCH HERE

SLOW FLOWERS JOURNAL

37

FLORAL RETREAT PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARAH PETRARCA

dahlia dreaming.

Mary Kate Kinnane’s growing and design workshop for dahlia-lovers near and far An early practitioner of seasonally inspired wedding design, Mary Kate Kinnane creates experiential opportunities for her clients to gain a deeper understanding of the importance of local flowers. She launched a “Farmer Florist Series” eight years ago to connect students with popular crops, designing the sessions to include hands-on instruction on growing and designing with popular flowers. The workshops span the season, with “Perfect Peonies” taught in June and “Dahlia Dreaming” offered in August.

“These are the two garden perennials that people are most interested in,” Mary Kate explains. “There is a huge gardening community here — between all the clubs and

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AUTUMN 2023

LEARN MORE THE LOCAL BOUQUET WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM

DAHLIA SHED WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM

people with summer homes in the area — and the workshops have become our tried-and-true events.”

Based in Little Compton, Rhode Island, the name of Mary Kate’s full-service design studio reflects her brand values: The Local Bouquet. The studio specializes in wedding design and offers a range of flower subscriptions for local customers. Mary Kate partners with farms that supply her studio throughout the wedding season, but that aren’t typically open to the public for onsite visits.

“We schedule our classes at peak bloom time, so people enjoy a full show when they’re walking the fields at Electric Moon Peony Farm and Dahlia Shed,” she explains.

This past August, Mary Kate returned with 15 students to Dahlia Shed in Middletown, Rhode Island, where owner Amy Rodrigues introduced the farm’s 80 dahlia varieties and discussed her field setup, disease and pest information, care, and harvest timing.

“We see a wide variety of people and skill levels — people who just love dahlias and those who haven’t dipped into that perennial yet — and they all learn so much,” Mary Kate explains. The 2023 dahlia session drew students from area garden clubs and those who traveled from Boston and even further distances. “We’ve become an agritourism destination, so people who might be coming to places like Newport, Rhode Island, for vacation can make the workshop one of their stops.”

FLORAL RETREAT

During the Dahlia Shed class, students learned how to make a centerpiece as Mary Kate demonstrated design techniques. “I’m pretty informal and relaxed when I’m teaching. We cover some of the rules and basics of floral design and I have the students design along with me.

Amy and I both share the history of our companies and our mission around sourcing, and we encourage the Slow Flowers family to grow. It has been cool to see some of the people who have taken our classes go on to become awesome growers or awesome designers.”

Mary Kate views her workshops as an extension of The Local Bouquet’s brand. She created a custom journal for students to use, a keepsake of sorts, with a cover that features a floral illustration with a peony and a dahlia.

For Dahlia Dreaming, the journal also includes sources for tools, Amy’s top dahlia recommendations, and tips on planting the tubers. “We want the students to keep this resource on their desk when they get home,” Mary Kate says.

The workshops reflect her studio’s support of local flower farmers. “My whole goal is to highlight all the hard work and all the beauty that these farmers are creating. You might see their flowers on their Instagram feed, but until you visit their farms and meet them personally, you really don’t get the whole picture. It’s such a beautiful story. My studio is a small piece of that story — in buying the flowers and designing weddings — but I want to bring people back to the beginning, to the farm where those flowers are grown.”

WINNING WORKSHOPS Here are some of Mary Kate’s tips for adding workshops to your floral business: Announce the following season’s class schedule around the holidays to market them as perfect gifts for gardeners and flower lovers.

Advertise, advertise, advertise! Use avenues like social media and newsletters to make weekly posts to remind the public about your workshops.

Choose topics that are of interest and relevance to your region.

Partner with a farm or grower who wants to share their knowledge and offer students a rare opportunity to visit and tour that location.

Set a price that covers your time and compensates the farmer for their time and their flowers. Mary Kate’s workshops are priced at $235 for a 2.5-hour session.

Experiment with timing to fit students’ preferences. The peony workshop takes place on a Friday evening while the dahlia workshop is scheduled for a Saturday morning.

Always professionally photograph your workshops. “It’s my goal to do this every two years to ensure we have fresh image galleries when it comes time to advertise."

Include branding on ALL materials used.

Whether it’s a sticker on the buckets of flowers or a custom journal, carrying your brand all the way through the event helps you stand out and creates a custom experience for students.

Create a station for each student, including a bucket with a selection of justharvested flowers, the container or vase, chicken wire, clippers, and a gift bag.

Send a hand-written thank-you note after each year of workshops. This simple gesture goes a long way to make a personal connection with your clients and helps them want to refer your workshops to friends and family.

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AUTUMN 2023

SLOW FLOWERS JOURNAL

43

44 AUTUMN 2023

THE BUSINESS OF FLOWERS BY KELLY SHORE PHOTOGRAPHY BY BETH CALDWELL

winter sourcing strategy.

Develop a consistent strategy to ensure a year-round supply of domestic flowers

Sourcing domestic flowers in the shoulder months, which tend to

TIPS + TRICKS

be mid-October to mid-April for a majority of U.S., is a huge pain

Here are some tips and details to get you started:

point for many floral designers and farmer-florists. What I hear over and over from our community is that it’s challenging to find U.S.-grown products at local wholesalers or that the domestic floral products they do find are incredibly limited or poor quality.

Many creatives are left floundering come winter, which can be so frustrating, especially after you have spent the previous months promoting seasonal and locally grown flowers to customers.

We hook them, then lose the momentum for the next half of the year when clients desire farm-fresh flowers in their home or for events. We’ve been preaching the Slow Flowers message and conditioning our clients to buy into it. And then, the options to source flowers (when we aren’t growing them or able to purchase directly from local growers) seems to disappear with the first frost date!

In January 2021, due to my growing frustration and those of other like-minded florists, I started The Floral Source as a farm-direct, drop-ship wholesale service. I listened to the needs of designers and the grower community and sought to fill the void through relationships I had developed for my own studio. I started with four California farms and have since extended the list to 28 farms from Florida to Alaska, offering freshly-harvested inventory throughout the year.

Because our flowers and greenery are shipped direct from partner farms, we’ve opened up the door to greater accessibility

ONE Consider ordering a “Seasonal Surprise Box” to familiarize yourself with the process. The box includes 10-12 bunches of the freshest seasonal botanicals harvested from an Americangrown farm in California.

TWO Plan ahead to schedule the arrival of product a minimum three days prior to your event to allow time for conditioning.

THREE Focus on color palettes instead of specific blooms.

FOUR Keep a log of where and what you are sourcing locally, and identify the gaps you need to fill with domestic products.

FIVE Familiarize yourself with our inventory, and consider creating a standing weekly order, especially during the winter months.

LEARN MORE THE FLORAL SOURCE WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM

to American-grown botanicals — not only during the shoulder months, but year-round. The Floral Source is also an important

SLOW FLOWERS JOURNAL

45

THE BUSINESS OF FLOWERS American-grown flowers.

If you are not close to a wholesaler — or if a branch is not willing to work with you — then you have the option of working with The Floral Source to order farm-direct boxes. Multiple farms grow a large mix of flowers and greenery but many focus on just a few PHOTOGRAPHY BY BETH CALDWELL

specific varieties. While we do not farms in an order, we do our best to hear what your needs are and curate a box to fit the specific ask.

Since starting down this path as a “personal shopper” for florists in

resource for those living in areas

snapdragons, delphinium, protea,

search of domestic botanicals, I’ve

that may have a limited number

tulips, irises, and lilies.

spoken with hundreds of florists

of flower growers or beyond a reasonable driving distance to a big wholesaler.

and designers. I’ve gained deeper What are some things that you’ll

understanding about their wishes

be surprised to find are available

and needs, developing some pre-

out of California to source from

curated options:

What does winter sourcing look

November to April? I’ve learned

like and what are the options?

that dahlias are reliably offered

I hear from florists who feel

from August through April;

stock, five bunches larkspur,

overwhelmed or fear they won’t

peonies are available as early as

five bunches statice, and five

be able to make things work

January with limited varieties;

bunches delphinium (typically

during the off-season. The Floral

and hydrangea remains in-season

10 stems per bunch)

Source is designed to help you

most of the year with a brief break

transition to sourcing domestically

between May and August.

and maintain your aesthetic and core values as a business owner.

•

•

A mixed box with five bunches

A mixed box with three bunches garden roses (12 stem bunches) and four bunches

My best advice when getting

garden spray roses (seven to

started is to determine what

nine stems per bunch)

First, let’s start with what is

works best for you based on your

available year-round, including

location. If you are close to a

items that you can rely on and

wholesaler, start a conversation

box with one bunch each of 12

provide at all times. That list

with them about your needs and

varieties

includes a variety of greenery,

ask if they can source from more

standard roses, spray roses,

American growers. The more

Valentine’s Day through the

greenhouse garden roses, stock,

florist voices that speak together

December winter holidays.

larkspur, statice, hellebores,

and express a need, the more likely wholesalers will invest in

46

combine products from different

AUTUMN 2023

•

•

A mixed tropical greenery

Seasonally curated boxes from

SLOW FLOWERS SUMMIT PHOTOGRAPHY BY MISSY PALACOL

community flourishes. bellevue, washington The sixth annual Slow Flowers Summit welcomed 145 attendees to the Bellevue Botanical Garden (BBG), an idyllic Pacific Northwest public garden located just outside Seattle.

JOIN US NEXT YEAR The seventh Slow Flowers Summit

From the delicious pre-Summit Dinner on the Farm, to the

will take place June 23-25, 2024, at

closing reception and tour hosted by Seattle Wholesale Growers

the Banff Centre for Arts + Creativity

Market and Mayesh Wholesale Florist, there was a notable spirit of collaboration and community — and a celebration of local flowers — in the atmosphere.

Dinner on the Farm was an experience for all of the senses, as Slow Flowers members Amy and Kenny Green, owners of KIKA Flowers, hosted Summit attendees and guests to Mercer Island Funny Farm—the equestrian center where Amy grows her blooms.

Guests enjoyed sunshine and warmth on a quintessential

in Banff, Alberta, Canada – our first Canadian Summit venue. The full schedule and details are available at SLOWFLOWERSSUMMIT.COM

FLORAL ABUNDANCE The teams designed with approximately 2,000 donated flowers and foliage stems, provided

by Slow Flowers member farms and sponsors. They included: Alpenglow Gardens

Seattle summer evening just days after the Solstice.

Bloomz Flower Farm

They wore sunglasses and hats, and sat in the shade of umbrellas

Charles Little & Co.

or played basketball during cocktail hour. The delicious appetizers,

Eda Creek Flower Farm

Cake Flower Farm CamFlor Inc.

signature cocktails, and a soul food menu inspired by cultural influences from around the region were served family-style, courtesy of our celebrity chef, Kristi Brown, of That Brown Girl Cooks.

Feathers & Flowers Green Valley Floral Grow Girl Seattle Laughing Goat Flower Farm Mayesh Wholesale Florist

After dinner, as the western sun began its slow move toward the

Salty Acres Flower Farm

horizon, some dinner guests toured the gardens with Amy Green,

Seattle Wholesale Growers Market

while others joined the Mercer Island Funny Farm staff to "meet" the animal—horses, rabbits, chickens, and one cantankerous turkey!

Sowing Joy Farm SUOT Farm & Flowers The Floral Source

During the next two days, the award-winning BBG and its LEED-certified Visitors Center served as home base for Summit sessions. The 53-acre cultural destination includes numerous gardens, each with its own focus and character. A highlight for our

SLOW FLOWERS JOURNAL

49

Slow Flowers Summit speakers, from left: Sarah Reyes, Gina Lett-Shrewsberry, Valerie Crisostomo, Julio Freitas, Debra Prinzing, Tracy Yang, Dee Hall, and Lennie Larkin; (seated) from left: Amy Balsters and Becky Feasby; a garden bench, embellished with a floral garland during the Floral Takeover.

attendees was the Perennial Border.

more. Designed to empower flower

Renowned for year-round dramatic

farmers and floral designers alike in

displays, the perennial border

understanding costs, pricing, and

is an example of a distinctively

profitability, Lennie's presentation

American-style mixed border, and

was illustrated with a centerpiece

is a living demonstration of what

demonstration to illustrate stem

plantings work best in Northwest

pricing.

gardens throughout all four seasons.

keynote presentation, "Build

tours led by BBG docents, director

a Better Bouquet." She wowed

James Gagliardi and BBG Society

florists, farmer-florists and growers

director Joseph Abken opened the

alike by sharing and passing around

Summit with "Gardens for People,"

her lush samples of seasonal,

an introduction to the history,

hand-tied bouquets in a variety of

plantings, and programs of this

palettes, shapes, and floral recipes.

special place.

The takeaway empowered everyone

day, bringing inspiring and informative messages to a packed

AUTUMN 2023

closed the day with the second

After early-Monday morning

Two keynotes rounded out the

50

Amy Balsters of The Floral Coach

to develop a new approach to stress-free, profitable bouquetmaking.

room. Lennie Larkin of B-Side

Between Lennie's and Amy's

Farm drilled down on "The Flower

sessions, the entire Summit

Dollar," a visual interpretation of

community participated in our

floral costs — from administration

Floral Takeover of the Bellevue

and supplies to land, payroll, and

Botanical Garden. After receiving

the go-ahead from BBG, whose horticulture staff loved the idea of a floral takeover, our attendees spent their afternoon "flowering" eight venues.

Slow Flowers members and creative team leaders, Lori Poliski of Flori LLC and Tammy Myers of First & Bloom, coordinated the locations, curated the floral collections, and put together "kits" of supplies, mechanics, and tools, for each team. The floral takeover teams were equipped with a number of foam-free products for their installations, thanks to the generosity of sponsors including New Age Floral (Agra Wool, Oshun Pouches, and hemp twine); EcoFresh Bouquet (compostable bouquet wraps); and OLMS Bamboo (compostable picks).

Many attendees commented that they had never before tried some of these innovations, and were delighted to learn about materials and new techniques from fellow designers.

With a rewarding sense of collaboration and community, all of our guests gathered on the patio of BBG's Visitor's Center for a festive opening-night cocktail party prepared by Madres Kitchen, a local farm-to-fork, woman-owned catering company who served all of our meals on Monday and Tuesday.

The raves are in and our attendees felt well-nourished by the menu.

SLOW FLOWERS JOURNAL

51

From left: Attendees “flowered” several areas of the Bellevue Botanical Garden, including a woodland stump along the Tateuchi Loop Trail; growers contributed buckets overflowing with beautiful and local blooms.

On Tuesday, the Summit continued with our third keynote speaker,

This was the first time we had a venue space

Julio Freitas of The Flower Hat. As

to accommodate simultaneous presentations,

with Amy and Lennie, Julio tailored "Growing Flowers for Your Own Designs" to address the interests

which allowed us to invite more speakers and cover more topics.

of both growers and designers.

52

His illustrated lecture covered the

were enhanced by their animated

covered warehouses where Seattle

benefits of locally grown flowers,

discussions with audiences;

Wholesale Growers Market and

and highlighted favorite varieties

likewise, flower farming sessions

Mayesh Wholesale Florist are based.

and palettes for wedding designs.

featured conversations and

Julio created a seasonal centerpiece

demonstrations with Dee Hall

while also participating in the lively

and Tracy Yang; and the inspiring

Q&A session, and sent attendees

sustainability sessions were led

home with a link to download his

by Becky Feasby and Sarah Reyes.

"Essential Crop Guide for Farmer-

All of these speakers brought their

Florists."

expertise, passion, and creativity

Three subject matter tracks that

to the stage, stimulating more

followed allowed attendees to

dialogue and connections among

attend sessions covering Floral

the attendees.

Design, Flower Farming, and

The closing hours of the 2023 Slow

new and old friends before heading

Sustainability topics.

Flowers Summit took place at one of

home after a rewarding Slow

Gina Lett-Shrewsberry and Valerie

the country’s most influential floral

Flowers gathering.

Crisostomo's floral design sessions

hubs — inside the flower mural-

AUTUMN 2023

The two companies jointly hosted our private, closing-day reception and floral open house. Attendees were invited to check out floral displays, peek in the coolers, meet local growers, and shop for flowers.

Madres Kitchen served delicious refreshments, while flower lovers from near and far enjoyed networking and saying goodbye to

SLOW FLOWERS MANIFESTO Slow Flowers aims to reconnect flower consumers and floral professionals with the source of their flowers. We believe that when the origin of all botanical varieties sold to consumers and florists is clearly labeled, we place higher value on local, seasonal, and sustainably grown florals, used artistically to express beauty.

SLOW FLOWERS COMMITS TO THE FOLLOWING PRACTICES 1. To recognize and respect the seasons by celebrating and designing with flowers when they naturally bloom.

2. To reduce the transportation footprint of flowers and foliage by sourcing as locally as possible.

3. To support flower farmers small and large by crediting them when possible through proper labeling at the wholesale and consumer level.

4. To encourage sustainable and organic farming practices that respect people and the environment.

5. To proactively pursue equity. inclusion. and representation in the floral marketplace. intentionally valuing Black floral professionals and farmers. floral designers, and vendors of color in our business practices with as much support as we give to environmental sustainability.

6. To eliminate waste and the use of chemical products in the floral industry.

The Slow Flowers Movement puts a priority on sourcing local and domestic flowers.

In a way, this also means that we redefine beauty. As a Slow Food chef cooks with what is seasonally available, a Slow Flowers florist designs with what is seasonally available.

slowflowerssociety.com I @slowflowerssociety © Slow Flowers LLC SLOW FLOWERS JOURNAL

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about BLOOM Imprint BLOOM identifies and develops projects that shine a light on the floral lifestyle, showcasing the stories of floral personalities, creatives, entrepreneurs, farmers, and artisans.

OUR BOOKS FEATURED IN

BOOK DEVELOPMENT + EZINE PUBLISHING Founded in 2020, BLOOM engages readers to experience a new relationship with flowers, inspiring them to embrace local, seasonal, and sustainable practices. Our publications reveal the voice and vision of our authors and writers, pairing their written narratives with beautiful imagery and strong graphic design concepts. Located in the Pacific Northwest, the company works with a variety of creativies on the development and/or production of books, magazines, and specialty publications.

BLOOMIMPRINT.COM | @BLOOM.IMPRINT | BLOOM@BLOOMIMPRINT.COM