FLORAL RETREAT STORY + PHOTOGRAPHY BY EMMA MAY DIXON
slow flowers in australia Lessons learned from flower farmers across the ocean There is so much to learn, to experience, and to explore when we are open to the gifts of Mother Nature. She teaches me something new each day, in every season. As a flower farmer and gardener, that’s what it’s all about. I watch my mentors and leaders in the floral community, and I do my best to soak it all in. Someone recently commented on one of my Instagram posts, “Enjoy your twenties and learn as much as you can, because they fly right by.” Well, for me, that’s the goal! A little flower farm in Oregon is home, and a few months ago, my cousin Rilley Syphers and I followed a dream – to skip winter and travel Down Under. Thanks to the beauty of social media, a generous soul named Ashlea Ranken of Yellow House Flower Farm in Hexham, Victoria, Australia, invited us to stay at her family’s sheep and flower farm. She also arranged for us to visit two other Aussie flower farms. The experience was life-changing and inspiring! In the Dja Dja Wurrung countryside, a region in central Australia, we sat down together with a cuppa in hand, excited to share our experiences and knowledge with fellow flower farming enthusiasts! Janae and Chris Paquin-Bowden from Fleurs de Lyonville welcomed us into their floral world. We laughed about our mutual experiences, trials and errors, traded helpful tips, and shared future goals with each other, but there were a few main insights that truly inspired us. Chris asked, “Can you imagine what roses have to be treated with in order to be approved for import?” He and Janae told us about a florist who said her hands burned after working with chemically treated imported roses. Many gardeners and farmers are aware of the environmental issue of flowers flown in from other countries, but there is still a huge need for education. There are many
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SPRING 2023
RILLEY + EMMA Cousins Rilley Syphers (left) and Emma May Dixon (right) grow flowers and design weddings together at Crowley House Farm in Rickreall, Oregon. Emerging voices in the Slow Flowers Movement, they love sharing their adventures with fellow "bloomers," fans of "A Blooming Good Time" podcast.
CHECK OUT EMMA'S INSTAGRAM PODCAST RILLEY'S INSTAGRAM
