FOREVER FLOWERS BY DEBRA PRINZING
modern everlastings. These aren’t faded or dusty dried flowers A version of this story first appeared online at Johnny's Selected Seeds.
Oregon); Heather Henson of
here in the high desert, we no
Boreal Blooms (Cold Lake, Alberta,
longer have fresh flowers. So, it’s
Canada); Meryl Gartside of Blue
all about everlastings, as well as
Like the fashion industry’s
Lobster Flower Farm (Cape Cod,
grasses and pods, and other things
penchant for updating popular
Massachusetts); and Tiffany
you leave in your fields that age
silhouettes from decades past, the
Anderson of Earth & Seeds Flower
when temperatures turn colder.
floral marketplace is rediscovering
Farm (Reno, Nevada).
Dried flowers are seasonal flowers.
the incredible value and design
When we turn these ingredients
potential of dried botanicals.
SELECTION AND PLANNING
Today’s growers can choose from a
Dried flowers have been a
ability to talk to our community
significant part of Boreal Blooms’
about what seasonal flowers are.
product mix for the past six
We discuss the high environmental
years, said Heather Henson.
cost of imported flowers, and
“Our growing season in northern
embrace what we have in our
Alberta is extremely short for fresh
climate and environment right
flowers – it’s about three months
now.”
much wider lineup of ingredients for their dried-flower programs, and florists welcome the increased variety of colors, textures, and forms for their designs. We spoke with four Slow Flowers Society members, farmer-florists who discuss their approaches to growing flowers for drying, as well as how they use dried flowers as an important revenue stream in their enterprises. This article covers three phases in the lifecycle of dried botanicals: Selection and Planning; Growing, Harvesting, and Drying; and Designing,
long. It’s not possible for me to make a good living with fresh flowers alone. I was looking for a way to make my farm viable, and it turns out that dried flowers do really well here in our cold, dry winter climate. I have been able to slowly create a market and a fan base of people who love dried flowers, and our dried bouquets are
Pricing, and Selling.
a mainstay of the business.”
Our experts include: Bethany Little
Similarly, Reno’s short growing
of Charles Little & Co. (Eugene,
season has inspired Tiffany Anderson to expand her emphasis on dried flowers at Earth & Seeds. “As we shift into fall and winter
20
SPRING 2023
into home décor, it gives us the
Some of Tiffany’s favorite annuals include cornflower, nigella, and poppies grown for their pods; perennial Veronica, herbs, and hydrangeas are also top Earth & Seeds crops. “I also tried growing broom corn last year, which was really cool to play with, especially for wreaths. And I found blushing lantern (Silene vulgaris) to be so useful.” Over the past seven years, Meryl Gartside has changed the focus of what Blue Lobster Flower Farm
