https://youtu.be/4Ukh0fb2cHU?si=dLk4LlRqhVLk4Ydp




Today, you’re invited to inhale and enjoy the fragrance of flowers, herbs, and foliage. Stefani Bittner of Homestead Design Collective uses sensory plants as a way to immerse her clients in nature. She is the co-author of forthcoming book, “The Fragrant Flower Garden: Growing, Arranging, and Preserving Natural Scents,” and we’re delighted to learn from her.



Alethea Harampolis (L), Stefani Bittner (R) - photo by David Fenton



The Fragrant Flower Garden



Welcome to Stefani Bitter, returning for her second appearance on the Slow Flowers Podcast. A garden designer and Slow Flowers member, Stefani is the owner of Homestead Design Collective, based in Lafayette, California. Follow the link below to listen to my 2017 interview with Stephanie on the publication of Harvest – Unexpected projects using 47 extraordinary garden plants.




https://www.slowflowerspodcast.com/2017/03/22/episode-289-redefining-harvest-with-designers-and-authors-stefani-bittner-and-alethea-harampolis-of-homestead-design-collective/




Modern potpourri



She appeared on the episode with co-author Alethea Harampolis, and they have collaborated on the new book, “The Fragrant Flower Garden: Growing, Arranging, and Preserving Natural Scents” (Ten Speed Press, 2024). The Fragrant Flower Garden invites gardeners and growers to design with fragrance in mind and encourages readers to choose plants that can be smelled, awakening the senses. 



A garden for all the senses, including fragrance, designed by Homestead Design Collective



By connecting people with fragrance in the garden and vase – or by preserving fragrance for longer enjoyment -- we have a richer, more visceral relationshp with nature, they authors say. This means making floral teas, natural perfumes, flower tinctures, modern potpourris, and more applications for scented plants. The idea of creating beauty products from the garden appeals to anyone who desires a non-synthetic alternative to the plethora of chemicals used in beauty and bath products. “Keep in mind that scent is subjective, emotive, and personal,” Stefani points out.











I’m a huge fan of this book and its mission – to engage with plants through the senses – especially scent. When Robin Avni and I were collecting our top themes for the 2024 Slow Flowers Floral Insights &amp; Industry Forecast, we wanted to include fragrant flowers and gardens. Stefani generously shared a preview of the new book, along with photography by David Fenton, which we highlighted in Insight #7 – the Garden Eclectic. In our insight, we encouraged flower farmers, gardeners, and florists – to lead with fragrance as a way to engage customers’ emotional memories with the scent of flowers.



Soaking in the citrus orchard



“You can preserve the scent, perhaps making a flower tincture. You can make perfume, a hydrosol, or an updated potpourri,” Stefani suggests and several projects

Episode 651: Growing and Designing With Fragrant Flowers with Stefani Bittner of Homestead Design Collective

https://youtu.be/QGiRs_UnZw0?si=V4GKZrTbztynvsgC




Sarah Laudin of Sunshine Blooms (left) and Moira MacKinnon of Love &amp; Fantasy Flowers (right), members of Cooperative Flower Network of Edmonton, Alberta



Pickup day with members of the Cooperative Flower Network



Join me today to learn all about local flowers in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, where a group of 11 flower growers have formed the Cooperative Flower Network to bring Alberta-grown botanicals to the floral community. This vibrant flower market and distribution hub supports local cut flower growers and supplies buyers with locally grown, unique and high quality blooms.



I’m especially thrilled to welcome two of the growers, including Cooperative co-founder Moira MacKinnon, owner of Love &amp; Fantasy Flowers, and Sarah Laudin, owner of Sunshine Blooms Farm – both are Slow Flowers members and we’re thrilled that the Cooperative Flower Network is also a new member.







But the BIG news is that CFN will be a partner of the Slow Flowers Summit this coming June when we come to Alberta, with a generous donation of seasonal, Alberta-grown botanicals that will flower the event. Our attendees will get their hands on this beautiful product, and you’ll experience first-hand one of the best-selling point noted by CFN on its website: The question: What sets CFN apart from other floral wholesale services? The answer: Our product is FRESH and we have a guarantee on your orders! We work so closely with our farming community to get you the very best local product. No rehydrating required, no crushed Dahlias from dry packing, and no unwanted substitutions!




https://youtu.be/lBPyBW9J4O0?si=U6YOH7AmWn6i1yFi




During our video interview and my conversation with Sarah and Moira, we preview a new video about the Cooperative Flower Network, produced by Cooperatives First, a nonprofit formed to assist cooperatives in Western Canada. Cooperatives First offers courses, workshops, and important assistance to emerging communities as they form cooperatives.



Follow Cooperative Flower Network on InstagramFollow Love &amp; Fantasy Flowers on Instagram and FacebookFollow Sunshine Blooms Farm on Instagram and Facebook







News of the Week!







I hope today’s episode inspires you to join us in Banff at the Banff Centre for Arts &amp; Creativity, June 23rd-25th at the 7th Slow Flowers Summit. Please check out the link to register below, and learn more about our speakers, agenda, and programming that will inspire you over two days in the Canadian Rockies!




Slow Flowers Summit 2024 - Details &amp; Registration








Slow Flowers Member Meet-Up for February







Don’t miss this Friday’s Slow Flowers member virtual meet-up on February 23rd, with special guest Lennie Larkin of b-side farm, author of Flower Farming for Profit – we’ll hear her insights on pricing and profitability for flower growers – Preregistration is required and you can find the link in to

Episode 650: Cooperative Flower Network of Edmonton, Alberta – a new local flower hub with grower-members Moira MacKinnon and Sarah Laudin

https://youtu.be/ORL7qgHtW7c?si=MqxFzfBunMwYY15l




Happy Valentine’s Day everyone – if you’re listening on February 14th, it&#39;s the day we released Episode 649. I hope you’ve had a great one. 



Jennifer Reed of Jennifer Designs



Today’s guest, Jennifer Reed of Jennifer Designs based in Mullica Hill, New Jersey, regularly conjures up amazing botanical displays at the Philadelphia Flower Show, the largest indoor garden show in the country. Today, she’s joining me to preview America in Bloom, her most ambitious exhibit ever. 







The Philly Show draws gardeners and flower lovers eager for an early dose of springtime. She’s calling the large floral display a botanical road trip of a lifetime, as it celebrates flowers blooming across the U.S. – and in the exhibit’s description, Jennifer writes: “There’s nothing better than hitting the open road and experiencing the beauty of our nation’s public gardens, arboreta, and natural landscapes along the way!”



Tammy Tulip by Jennifer Reed for American Flowers Week 2021



The Romance of Peonies by Jennifer Reed for American Flowers Week 2023



Another reason I invited Jennifer to chat with me for this episode is to share her advice to aspiring botanical couture designers thinking about submitting a floral fashion to be part of Slow Flowers’ American Flowers Week campaign later this year. We will review the two floral fashions Jennifer designed for the 2021 and 2023 campaigns – including seeing photos of her work and hearing her secret tips for success.







Thanks so much for joining me today! Here are links to the feature stories we included in past issues of Slow Flowers Journal about Jennifer’s two Botanical Couture looks – including Summer 2021 with Tulip Time, and last summer’s cover look – Jennifer’s dreamy and romantic peony gown.



botanical couture deckDownload







Happy Valentine&#39;s Day




https://vimeo.com/912050579
Slow Flowers on The Weather Channel - click to watch



Slow Flowers has enjoyed some fun news coverage, including with INC. Magazine and The Weather Channel. We’re thrilled that the press is paying attention to the importance of local and seasonal flowers for gifting bouquets and arrangements.











It&#39;s also the beginning of flower &amp; garden show season, with today’s opening of the 2024 Northwest Flower &amp; Garden Festival in Seattle. If you attend, please come and say hello at the Main Stage, where Slow Flowers is hosting Blooms &amp; Bubbles, the daily DIY flower and plant workshops! We’re excited to meet and great our members, seven of whom are teaching and speaking at the show.











One more item of note – if you’re a newsletter subscriber, you’ve already seen the announcement that the February Slow Flowers member virtual meet-up will take place on February 23rd, postponed due to Valentine’s Day. Save the date for next Friday’s session with Lennie Larkin of b-side farm

Episode 649: Flowers as Art: Botanical Couture and Floral Installations with Jennifer Reed of Jennifer Designs

https://youtu.be/ELg88cQ6nyo?si=gry7Oz55FQGIOta7




It’s nearly Valentine’s Day and if you’re panicking about your flower order, today’s episode is just for you. We’re taking a virtual tour of Florabundance in Carpinteria California, to learn from Joost Bongaerts about the domestic US-grown flower sourcing options for this important floral holiday.



If you’re a longtime listener of the Slow Flowers Podcast, you may recall today’s guest Joost Bongaerts, owner of Florabundance, based in Carpinteria, California. We featured a conversation with Joost back in April 2014, on Episode 139 during our very first year of the Slow Flowers Podcast. At the time, I was interested in sharing his story because Florabundance was one of the first if not the very first wholesalers who regularly offered US-grown flowers and foliage.



It&#39;s been a decade – can you believe it? And we’re grateful for Florabundance’s decade-long membership in the Slow Flowers Movement, as well as the advice and insights Joost has personally shared with me over the years.



Now that the Slow Flowers Show has a video component, I thought of Florabundance when we were thinking of a good pre-Valentine’s Day episode – nothing like a beautiful floral show-and-tell to wow and inspire, right?



American Grown tab on Florabundance&#39;s home page



I asked Joost if he would join me to walk through the many US-grown flower options that florists can order for Valentine’s Day. So many of our members, retail florists and studio florists, use Slow Flowers’ mission as part of their branding – to support local and domestic flower farms through their own sourcing practices. He was joined by sales manager Debbie Kline and Jenna Foster, the main buyer who works with boutique flower growers.



To be perfectly honest, in most parts of the U.S., getting local flowers in mid-February is next to impossible. This is slowly changing as flower farming innovations are leading to season extension methods (like winter tulips and early greenhouse crops like anemones and ranunculus), but if you’re not able to find those in your region, ordering from a place like Florabundance is a great option.



Here&#39;s a bit more about Joost Bongaerts:Born in 1959 in Den Haag, The Netherlands, Joost grew up in the Netherlands. His father managed agricultural land holdings all over the country. Joost spent summers working on his family’s farm in northern Holland and became interested in agriculture and horticulture as a result. He studied at Wellant College in Gouda, graduating with a degree in Plant Science. Joost also spent a semester at Michigan State University as part of an exchange student program, which led to his desire to work and live in The United States.



Joost began his professional career in 1981 marketing fresh cut flowers from Holland for The Dutch Flower Auctions &amp; Exporters Organizations, first in Holland and then in Livonia, MI. From 1983 to 1991 Joost work

Episode 648: Our pre-Valentine’s Day Virtual Tour of American-grown flowers with Joost Bongaerts and the Florabundance team

https://youtu.be/Os-7JfjA8II?si=3ffXygXf3klfZPnO




Today, I’m delighted to welcome Elizabeth and Mike Zawislak of Bluegreen Gardens to the Slow Flowers Podcast. Bluegreen Gardens is a boutique cut flower farm specializing in high-value product supplied to wedding and event florists in the greater Columbus, Ohio.



Elizabeth and Mike Zawislak and their Bluegreen Gardens family



As you’ll hear in our conversation, I first met Mike and Elizabeth in person in 2018 when I hosted a Slow Flowers meet-and-greet during the Team Flower Conference in Orlando. We all enjoyed our time together, and I’m thrilled to share their story with you today.



Bluegreen Gardens



Elizabeth and Mike&#39;s flower love story started with their individual love of the outdoors instilled in when they were young. They both followed that interest through life as young adults, which eventually led both to Longwood Gardens, the nation&#39;s premier public garden in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. They continued to work in gardens on the east coast until their engagement, when they decided to move from Wilmington, Delaware, to Elizabeth&#39;s hometown of Columbus.



Bouquet by Bluegreen Gardens



Planning their wedding, including its design and vision, impressed on them that their horticulture experience, their love of flowers, the outdoors, and design could become a family business. Bluegreen Gardens was launched in 2016 with the purchase of farmland in Lancaster, Ohio.



On the farm with Mike and Elizabeth



The property was in the same family for many years and was used most recently as a horse pasture and dumping ground. Elizabeth and Mike’s goal, in addition to raising beautiful flowers, is to restore the eco-system there, and to maintain its natural beauty. They use sustainable practices in both the flower field and floral design studio. And they are allowing most of their property to remain in its natural state of woods or meadow to support wildlife.



Find and follow Bluegreen Gardens at Facebook and Instagram







Thank you to our Sponsors



This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 750 florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms. It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers.



Thank you to Mayesh Wholesale Florist. Family-owned since 1978, Mayesh is the premier wedding and event supplier in the U.S. and we&#39;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.



Thank you to The Gardener&#39;s Workshop, which offers a full curriculum of online education for flower farmers and farmer-florists. Online education is more important than ever, and you&#39;ll want to check out the course offerings at thegardenersworkshop.com



Thank you to Store It Cold, creators of the revolutionary CoolBot, a popular solu

Episode 647: Meet Elizabeth and Mike Zawislak of Bluegreen Gardens, a Lancaster, Ohio-based boutique flower farm

https://youtu.be/yOLV0XJX1ic?si=h_G5fRCyQrUj7WQE




It’s engagement season and many of our wedding and event designers are busy at this time of year, consulting with prospective couples and pulling together concepts and proposals. For Slow Flowers designers, those who infuse their business values with sourcing and sustainable considerations, there’s an important added layer involved.



Jessica Stewart of Bramble &amp; Blossom



Today’s guest, Jessica Stewart, is well aware of the importance of educating clients about having a local and seasonal approach to designing their wedding flowers. We asked Jessica to unpack all the elements involved in running Bramble &amp; Blossom, and to share her approach to communication during the sales process.



Sustainable and seasonal wedding arch by Bramble &amp; Blossom



Jessica recently gave an incredibly detailed presentation for the January Slow Flowers Member (virtual) meetup and we recorded it to share it as today’s Podcast Episode. You’ll be treated to Jessica’s approach about how she designs for seasonality and sources from local flower farms to produce gorgeous, romantic, evocative weddings.



Wedding by Bramble &amp; Blossom



Jessica’s presentation includes details on how she prepares contracts + proposals; and how she sources and plans for weddings and installations. Her expertise is priceless and you’ll want to listen in.



Here’s a little bit more about Jessica Stewart of Brambles &amp; Blossom, an Eco-Friendly Pittsburgh Wedding Florist



The tagline for Bramble &amp; Blossom includes these guiding principles: Ethical. Sustainable. Anti-Racist. Inclusive. Accessible. Intentional. Stunning.



Joy and Intentionality come across through florals



You’ll notice these characteristics in each Bramble &amp; Blossom design, and in turn, realize how special and rare these qualities area. As Jessica writes on her website: “This seems like a #HumbleBrag at first glance. But the truth is, we wish there was more competition.”



She continues:



There’s a brief moment when each bloom has its peak. As a florist, that moment is what I love most about working with flowers. As a wedding florist, aligning that day with your wedding day is what I live for. That intentionality is the ethos of Bramble &amp; Blossom. 



Our signature style centers on timing things just so. We select every shape, color, and texture in your arrangements to reflect the landscape and hues of the place where you’re getting married and the love story that you&#39;ve shared with us. We exclusively source seasonal, American-grown flowers so that Mother Nature can wish you a happy anniversary each year as those varieties blossom. ​



Everything should feel connected. Because everything is. Your personalities, your love story, your flowers, your wedding day — they were all meant to be. Just like finding a wedding florist you connect with on a deeper, values-centere

Episode 646: Secrets of a Sustainable Wedding Florist with Jessica Stewart of Pittsburgh’s Bramble & Blossom

https://youtu.be/J85KKde0QOg?si=G_qU8ViQQmjc7jHQ




Jessica Hall of Harmony Harvest Farm and The Mum Project



PROMO CODE: Harmony Harvest has provided a promo code for our listeners and viewers. You can apply this to any retail or wholesale order SLOWMUMS



I’m welcoming Jessica Hall of Harmony Harvest Farm back to the Slow Flowers Podcast today with an update on her Weyers Cave, Virginia-based farm’s expanding collection of specialty, old-fashioned, heirloom, and hard-to-find chrysanthemums for growers and gardeners. The Mum Project, as it is called by Jessica and her partners, mom Chris Auville, and sister Stephanie Duncan, reflects the ambitious journey on which these women have embarked to educate themselves and the entire floral community about the exquisite qualities of chrysanthemums.



Harvesting mums at Harmony Harvest Farm



They have networked extensively with other chrysanthemum aficionados, from members of the national chrysanthemum society to growers of public garden collections. Their goal is to expand the Harmony Harvest list of “mother” plants from which they can take cuttings, propagate more plants, and offer high quality plug to growers. In the process, they also are advocating for other flower farmers to get in on the mum game, offering educational resources and events to elevate understanding about growing mums.



Beautiful apricot chrysanthemum petals



To peruse the collection of mums – ranging from ‘Apricot Alexis’, with a blushy-salmon color and a cascade of curving petals, to ‘Vesuvio’, an ultra-weird creamy-ivory chrysanthemum that begs the question - &quot;are you sure that&#39;s a mum?&quot;, there are more than 50 selections in the current inventory of plugs, or plant starts, offered at both retail and wholesale programs.



Inside the high tunnel at Harmony Harvest Farm



Let’s jump right in and join my conversation with Jessica. Because of the time of year, there isn’t much to see in terms of rows of colorful chrysanthemum plants, but Jessica did send us a small video she filmed inside one of the three chrysanthemum growing houses at Harmony Harvest. We’ll see that first and then move right into our conversation, recently recorded on January 11th.



The Mum Project has a scope of more than 50 specialty chrysanthemum varieties



Thanks so much for joining me today! As you heard us discuss, in collaboration with the USDA and other agriculture authorities in states across the US, Harmony Harvest Farm is compliant with all required regulations, training, and inspections. I don’t know about you, but I’m inspired and because I don’t have a lot of cutting garden space, I’m looking at my front garden border with a new point of view, thinking about where I can perennialize some of the juicy chrysanthemums among my grasses, shrubs, roses and other permanent plantings!







PROMO CODE: Harmony Harvest has provided a promo code for our listeners and viewers. You can apply this to an

Episode 645: The Mum Project Update with Jessica Hall of Harmony Harvest Farm

https://youtu.be/unM1Q5WXRgM?si=w--GNPRP6MHFBtwj




Today’s guest is longtime Slow Flowers member Toni Reale, owner and creator of Roadside Blooms in North Charleston, South Carolina. Let’s learn about how she takes risks to grow her diversified floral and plant enterprise – I’m certain that you’ll gain some tips for your business!The shop specializes in weddings, events and everyday deliveries using near 100 percent American- and locally-grown blooms.



Toni Reale, Roadside Blooms



Toni founded Roadside Blooms with a story to tell and a mission to share, believing that beauty and sustainability don’t just co-exist, they work in concert. With over 10 years of experience in the event-planning and floral-design industries, Toni’s many adventures led her to successful entrepreneurship of a values-based enterprise. She has a Master’s degree in geology and taught geology at the College of Charleston; she converted a 1971 British ice cream truck into a mobile flower shop (the original Roadside Blooms) and is a leader of Charleston’s “green and local” movement, Toni has served on various nonprofit boards, including the Charleston Green Fair, and she was recognized as one of Charlie magazine’s &quot;50 Most Progressive&quot; in Charleston in 2014.



Production day at the Seashore Farmers’ Lodge No. 767; Toni Reale (right) attaches a vibrant palette of Lowcountry S.C.-grown blooms, including those from Laura Mewborn of Feast &amp; Flora Farm (left).



Toni partnered with Laura Mewborn of Feast &amp; Flora to create a beautiful botanical couture design for American Flowers Week 2019, collaborating with her friend Giovanni Richardson, a Sea Island Gullah Chieftess, who modeled the historically significant floral garment. I’ll share a link to their story in today’s show notes.  



The Roadside Blooms team (Toni Reale is second from right)



Let me tell you why I asked Toni to be my guest today. We have been tracking the innovation in the floral retail space over the past years, and when I learned that Toni expanded Roadside Blooms to a larger store this past summer, I wanted to learn more. As you may have heard in our 2024 Slow Flowers Floral Insights &amp; Industry Forecast, which I shared in last week’s episode, one of our key insights is called “Floral Literacy.” I shared about the exciting retail news that Slow Flowers members represent a countertrend in brick-and-mortar retail, including Roadside Blooms’ new retail floral spaces, and others&#39; new ventures, which are closely associated with values, community, and an unique approach to locally-sourced flowers.



So let’s jump in and meet Toni Reale of Roadside Blooms. Toni filmed a few short video clips to share the interior and exterior of her new shop and I’ve edited those into my recent interview with her. Thanks so much for joining us today – I am so inspired by the story that Toni Shared and she gave me a jolt of encouragement that

Episode 644: Roadside Blooms’ Toni Reale – on taking risk to buy land and build a new flower shop in North Charleston, South Carolina

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTVga8HIZOM




It&#39;s 2024~ Welcome to a New Year! This is the 10th year we’ve produced the Slow Flowers&#39; Floral Insights and Industry Forecast, which originated in 2015 as a series of media presentations that we also shared with members and listeners.



This episode is accompanied by two important, free resources. First, a video report that I recently recorded with Robin Avni, creative director of BLOOM Imprint, our Slow Flowers publishing venture. This is the video companion to today’s podcast. Click above to watch.







We have also produced a 38-page digital magazine-style report, filled with deeper analysis of each of our 2024 insights. 




Click here to read the full report &quot;Simplicity&quot;








Here&#39;s a bit more about Robin Avni. She is a creative veteran in the media and high-tech industries whose experience includes 15-plus years in the publishing industry and eight years at Microsoft in design and creative management. Robin has successfully managed innovative, award-winning design teams and high-profile projects and she has received numerous national design and photography editing awards for her own work. 



Robin has produced more than 15 books, including seven titles created for the BLOOM Imprint catalog. In 2004, following Microsoft, she founded bricolage*, a consultancy specializing in creative strategy, content development, and trend analysis focused on the home and garden. She has worked with Fortune 500 companies, national advertising agencies and award-winning media properties, applying timely actionable insights to their businesses.







Let’s jump right in and embrace 2024 – we’re calling it The Year of Simplicity! I can’t wait for you to learn about each of the insights and the people who have influenced and inspired us to identify them.




Click to read the Forecast Press Release








News of the Week







The Slow Flowers Summit Early Bird Registration campaign has come to a close and we congratulate the folks who took advantage of the money-savings opportunity to grab early registration! Ticket sales continue through June – and if you’re already a Slow Flowers member, you’ll still receive $100 off your registration, which is the equivalent of the Standard annual membership, so it basically pays for itself! In the coming weeks, we’ll be highlighting more of our speakers and more about some of the special experiences associated with joining our community in Banff, Alberta, Canada – June 23-25th!




Click for More Details + Summit Registration












One more item of note! If you missed the January Slow Flowers Newsletter that dropped a few days ago, click the link below to read it. This edition is filled with lots of floral goodness, free resources, news, and more.




Click to read the January 2024 Newsletter








Our Sustainable Wedding Expert: Jessica Stewart of Bramble &amp; Blossom



Join us on Friday, January 12, 2024 -

Episode 643: Slow Flowers Floral Insights and Industry Forecast for 2024

https://youtu.be/q8vpkczS_6I?si=0f7YAE6kmrI2MbrU




2023 Slow Flowers Year in Review (PDF)Download the PDF of our Year in Review presentation







Slow Flowers Society 2023 Year in Review with Debra Prinzing







News of the Week







Our commitment to featuring a diversity of subject matter experts and experienced voices, not to mention bringing the Slow Flowers Summit to an unforgettable location, will continue for 2024. And for the first time, we’re hosting an international Summit at Banff Centre for Arts &amp; Creativity in Banff, Alberta, Canada. Please join us, June 23-25, 2024. Save $100 off your registration if you grab your seat by December 31, 2023. Slow Flowers Members always receive $100 off their registration, so you’ll save double if you are a member!




Click for more details and your $100 Registration








Thank you to our Sponsors



Slow Flowers Society 2023 Sponsors



This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 750 florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms.  It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers.







Thank you to our lead sponsor for 2023, Farmgirl Flowers. Farmgirl Flowers delivers iconic burlap-wrapped bouquets and lush, abundant arrangements to customers across the U.S., supporting U.S. flower farms by purchasing more than $10 million dollars of U.S.-grown fresh and seasonal flowers and foliage annually. Discover more at farmgirlflowers.com. 



Thank you, Johnny&#39;s Selected Seeds, an employee-owned company that provides our industry the best flower, herb and vegetable seeds -- supplied to farms large and small and even backyard cutting gardens like mine. Find the full catalog of flower seeds and bulbs at johnnyseeds.com.



Thank you, Mayesh Wholesale Florist. Family-owned since 1978, Mayesh is the premier wedding and event supplier in the U.S. and we&#39;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.



Thank you, The Gardener&#39;s Workshop, which offers a full curriculum of online education for flower farmers and farmer-florists. Online education is more important than ever, and you&#39;ll want to check out the course offerings at thegardenersworkshop.com.







Coming Up in January







Next week, for our first episode of 2024 on Wednesday, January 3rd, I will be joined by BLOOM Imprint&#39;s Robin Avni to co-present our 2024 Slow Flowers Floral Insights and Industry Forecast. 



Join us for the first look at seven emerging themes in the floral design, flower farming, gardening, and sustainability lifestyle market. We will also release our 38-page report to share with you.



Coming up in 2024, you&#39;re invited to join our Slow Flowers Member Virtual Meet-Up on Friday, January 12, 2024 -- when we welcome Slow Flowers member Jessi

Episode 642: Debra Prinzing Reflects on Slow Flowers Society’s 2023 Year in Review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EdhR47SiWo




If you’re a regular listener, you’ve heard the announcement about our first ever international Slow Flowers Summit heading to Banff, Alberta, Canada in June 2024.



Not only are we super excited about bringing our seventh annual Slow Flowers Summit to Canada, we’re also proud to announce that all of our speakers are Canadian-based Slow Flowers members, designers and flower farmers, and Canadian sustainability experts.



The new film series includes a short feature about the important Toronto-based flower hub, The Local Flower Collective



One of our speakers is longtime Slow Flowers member Jaime Reeves, a Toronto-based floral designer who five years ago co-founded The Local Flower Collective. A wedding and event florist, Jaime owns Leaf &amp; Bloom, a design studio that specializes in weddings and events. At the time of the founding of The Local Flower Collective, she partnered with her studio-mate Carrie Fisher of Roadside Florist.



Proud to feature all Canadian SpeakersTop row: Heather Henson, Lourdes Still, and Hitomi GilliamMiddle row: Melanie Harrington, Janis Harris, Latifa Pelletier-Ahmed, and Cynthia ZamariaBottom row: Lorna Jackson, Jaimie Reeves, Cara Scott and Becky Feasby



Carrie is no longer involved with the project, but so many others are! Today, you’ll meet Jaimie and enjoy a preview of a panel presentation at the Slow Flowers Summit. The panel will cover collective and cooperative flower selling and features Jaimie along with Lorna Jackson and Carrie Scott of Island Flower Growers in Victoria, B.C.



A few weeks ago, I accelerated plans to bring on Jaimie as a Slow Flowers Podcast guest when Open Food Network Canada reached out to share news of their documentary series featuring a film about The Local Flower Collective. I wanted to learn more about OFN’s new series, “Women Leading Change,” and its first film in the series, about The Local Flower Collective.



Women Leading Change includes video profiles celebrating the role that women entrepreneurs and grassroots organizers are playing in building sustainable food and farming systems in communities across Canada. From rural farmers’ markets, to urban buying clubs and coops, the series explores how digital technologies are supporting the formation of regional distribution hubs that help farmers and consumers connect in new ways. Funding for this project was provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the AgriCommunication Program.







The first episode of Women Leading Change focuses on The Local Flower Collective, a specialty cut flower hub that supports ecological flower growers and high-end floral designers into a thriving short-chain distribution network. The film introduces The Collective and six of its flower farms. OFN will release four additional videos in this series and you can find out more details about that in our show notes as well.



Let’s jump right in and hear all about it

Episode 641: “Women Leading Change,” a new video featuring Toronto-based The Local Flower Collective, with cofounder Jaimie Reeves, filmmaker Craig Conoley, and David Thomas of Open Food Network Canada

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DM_gRuFjlnA




Today’s episode is like a floral runway show for growers and designers alike and you’ll be wowed by the new flower seed introductions for 2024, revealed by Hillary Alger and Joy Longfellow of Johnny’s Selected Seeds.



Flower experts Joy Longfellow and Hilary Alger of Johnny&#39;s Seeds



We are so happy to have had such a long relationship with Johnny’s Seeds as a content partner and sponsor of the Slow Flowers movement. And at this time of year, gardeners and flower farmers alike anticipate the arrival of Johnny’s new catalog of seeds – seeds for backyard cutting gardens like mine and for larger acreage of our flower farmers who grow in rows, high tunnels, and greenhouses.We invited Joy and Hillary, Johnny&#39;s Seeds&#39; floral experts, to introduce new flower seed varieties for 2024! Hillary and Joy recently shared new blooms for farms and gardens in a Johnny&#39;s webinar. During last week’s Slow Flowers Meet-Up for members, they took us behind the scenes to hear more about the dazzling, colorful selection of floral varieties and mixes available for 2024.



We recorded the session to share with you on video and audio, so you’ll want to get out your pens and paper to take notes. Learn why their favorite standouts are worth considering as we discuss growing cut flowers from seeds.



Hillary Alger has over 12 years of experience on Johnny&#39;s Seeds&#39; research team. She is currently the Product Manager for flowers and herbs. Joy Longfellow is the Flower Team Technician at Johnny&#39;s, managing every aspect of Johnny&#39;s flower trialing program.



Links and more resources:Johnny’s November New Flower Seeds webinar/A PDF of the slide presentation are here.



Tech Sheet for Snapdragon Productionhttps://www.johnnyseeds.com/growers-library/flowers/snapdragon/snapdragon-production.html



Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/johnnys_seeds/



Hillary Algerhttps://www.instagram.com/hillaryalger/



Joy Longfellowhttps://www.instagram.com/joyatjohnnys/







Meet You in Banff!







Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity



Are you coming to Banff for the 2024 Slow Flowers Summit?! There’s not much time left to reserve your discounted ticket and take advantage of Early Bird Registration rate! You’ll save $100 off your Slow Flowers Summit registration, now through December 31st.  I can’t wait to see you in Banff, Alberta, Canada – June 23-25, 2024.




Click here to reserve your spot -- and join us in Banff!








Thank you to our Sponsors



This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 750 florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms. It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers.







Thank you to our lead sponsor, Farmgirl Flowers. Farmgirl Flowers delivers iconic burlap-wrapped bouquets and lush, abundant arrangements to

Episode 640: New Flower Introductions for 2024 with Hillary Alger and Joy Longfellow of Johnny’s Selected Seeds

https://youtu.be/gMiHdS8Z9Sc?si=W6bODEm9PB1VKmst




Kristen Rubin, Sweetwater Stem Co.



This week we’re learning about how one grower has managed her first five flower farming years. Kristen Rubin of Sweetwater Stem Co., in Gig Harbor, Washington, will share how she found sales channels for her blooms at a time when local farmers’ markets were closed due to the Pandemic. Kristen and her husband Allan bought what she describes as a vintage, 8-acre farm in 2019, previously home to highland cattle, when she relocated to her home state of Washington after living in Anchorage, Alaska for a brief period. They chose the name Sweetwater Stem Co. to honor Kristen&#39;s family legacy. Her great grandfather arrived in Idaho at the turn of the century as a pioneer and founded the town of Sweetwater. ​



Sweetwater Stem Co. Gig Harbor, Washington



Sweetwater Stem Co. field crops



The new farm’s location in Gig Harbor’s Ray Nash Valley became the idyllic spot to put into practice their philosophy of sustainable organic farming.  ​They use minimal till practices and broad-fork their beds to maintain healthy soil biome. Beneficial insects are released during the growing season to guard against pests and non-chemical methods are used to sustain plant health. They use fish fertilizer and brew compost tea to foliar feed by spraying plants weekly to help create an ideal environment for healthy plants and to attract pollinators to their safe haven.



Sweetwater Stem Co.&#39;s market bouquets



​Sweetwater Stem Co. grows a variety of flowers and foliage throughout the year, including old-fashioned favorites like zinnias, lisianthus, snapdragons and dahlias, as well as early spring bulb crops like tulips and ranunculus. 



Gig Harbor Flower Farmers&#39; Guild



In the second half of our conversation, Kristen will share the news of the Gig Harbor Flower Farmers Guild, a cohort of several are growers formed about one year ago to operate a weekly direct-to-consumer flower market and a specialty wholesale-to-florists hub. Still in the development stage, the guild has talent, creativity, and a vision to bring more local flowers to their community – and you’ll be inspired by their plans. 



Follow Sweetwater Stem Co. on Instagram and FacebookFollow Gig Harbor Flower Farmers Guild on Instagram







News of the Week







Our Slow Flowers December newsletter dropped last week and you can find the link in today’s show notes. It’s packed with great content, resources, stories, and flowers.




Click to read our Slow Flowers December Newsletter












Remember to grab your ticket to the 2024 Slow Flowers Summit – there’s just three weeks left to take advantage of Early Bird Registration rate! You’ll save $100 Off your Slow Flowers Summit registration, now through December 31st.  We can’t wait to see you in Banff, Alberta, Canada – June 23-25, 2024.




Click to Register for the 2024 Slow Flowers Summit








Flower expe

Episode 639: Kristen Rubin of Sweetwater Stem Co. and the new Gig Harbor Flower Farmers Guild

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2LUprKQ7r8




The Slow Flowers Podcast is grateful to the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market for its longtime support -- and today&#39;s episode underscores our relationship. From its beginnings in 2010, when a group of local flower farmers hatched up the idea of starting a wholesale hub for local flowers here in Seattle, my storytelling has been intertwined with their stories. My guests today are part of that narrative. Please join me on a visit to Field to Heart owned by Danielle (Dee) Swan and Valiant Poole.



Valiant Poole (left) and Dee Swan (right) of Field to Heart



Danielle (Dee) Swan at Seattle Wholesale Growers Market&#39;s Field to Heart product display



When I first me this couple, they were based in Snohomish, an agricultural county located about 30 minutes north of Seattle. Both have an extensive background in the arts, horticulture, fine gardening, and organic landscape maintenance. They apply this experience and passion to providing sustainably grown, chemical free, high-quality flowers to florists in the Pacific Northwest.







In 2018, Dee and Valiant relocated Field to Heart to Curtis, Washington, to a new home and acreage located west of Centralia. The area is known as the center point, about 90 miles in either direction between Seattle and Portland, which has allowed Field to Heart to also supply Portland area florists who shop at the Oregon Flower Growers Association, also a Slow Flowers member, located at the Portland Flower Market.



The view from Field to Heart



Earlier this month, I had a trip to the Washington coast planned with a friend, and in looking at the map for my return to Seattle, I realized that we were due west of Field to Heart. I have always loved the botanicals that Dee and Valiant grow and I basically invited myself to visit them on my drive home. When she emailed me back, Dee wrote: “We’d love to show you around Field to Heart! We should be here all day on Saturday making wreaths…being farmers it’s hard to get away even in the off season.” 



Low Tunnels with Craspedia globosa



I brought my camera and started filming the minute I arrived. You’ll see inside the high tunnels, the low tunnels, and spent time as I chat with Dee and Valiant on their porch. In preparation for their winter wreath and garland production, the porch is converted into an outside studio filled with greenery and other design elements. It’s also the location of the wreathing workshops they host during December.



Pottery by Dee Swan of Field to Heart



I also wanted to mention that you can find Dee’s handmade pottery mugs and vases on the Field to Heart website and at the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market. I love her sentiments: “We often wonder if we are farmers with the eyes of an artist or artists with a farmers’ touch. We are educated in both and strive to create our lives around both disciplines, whether it be plant identification to painting, music to &#39;garden

Episode 638: A visit to Washington flower farm Field to Heart, with Dee Swan and Valiant Poole

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ7Eb9uGN-k




Sarah Jo Eversole at Everbloom Fields



Today, you’re invited to join me on a visit to Everbloom Fields, an urban flower farm located just south of downtown Dallas. Sarah Jo Eversole is the primary farmer with a little maintenance help from her husband, Matt, and their two young children are often found playing among the flowers while Sarah Jo tends to her crops.



Anemones from Everbloom Fields



You’ll learn how Sarah Jo started Everbloom Fields six years ago, after working for many years as a data analyst. She blends a love of flowers and science, embracing flower farming as a new outlet for her data skills within the world of agriculture and entrepreneurship.  



Event flowers and lisianthus



Everbloom Fields grows high quality cut flowers for Dallas and North Texas area organizations, designers and events. Sarah Jo farms using sustainable practices on a bonus lot located behind her family’s historic 1878 farmhouse. Her field crops yield thousands of flowers and her 1,700 sq. ft high tunnel extends the growing season. A native Texan, Sarah Jo loves the dirt, sunshine, and science. Please join our conversation about the challenges and rewards of growing cut flowers in Texas.



Spring flowers - the Everbloom Fields&#39; specialization



And you’ll learn why Sarah Jo focuses most of her energy on offering quality cut flowers primarily in the Spring season (March - May) with lighter offerings during summer and autumn.



Ranunculus and Market Bouquets



Sarah Jo Eversole in her urban micro farm at Everbloom Fields



Click here to find Sarah’s extensive blog, which includes info-packed posts like: “Growing Cut Flowers in Warm-Hot Climates” “Bee-Friendly Perennials for the Flower Farm”“Texas Native Shrubs for Cut Flowers and Foliage” Sarah Jo is a wealth of information and inspiration for anyone growing flowers in the heat, humidity, and other challenging climate conditions like wind and ice storms!



Follow Everbloom Fields on Instagram and Facebook







This Week&#39;s News







If you’re in the U.S., you’re probably racing around getting ready for the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend. And if you’re a Slow Flowers member, keep an eye out for our Thankful for You package of marketing resources and exclusive content just for you – it will land in your in-box today, November 22, 2023, as a celebration of our Member Appreciation Month. We’ve collected a bounty to share with you, including new social media badges, the updated Member Marketing Toolkit, our Autumn 2023 issue of Slow Flowers Journal digital e-zine, and the 1 hour/50 minute video of Shane Connolly’s lecture and design demonstrations from his Seattle appearance this past September. Reach out to hello@slowflowers.com if you can’t find the email in your in-box!







See you at the Slow Flowers Summit!







Next up, there’s still time to grab your ticket to the 2024 Slow Flowers Summit a

Episode 637: Growing high-value cut flowers for Dallas weddings and event florists, with Sarah Jo Eversole of Everbloom Fields

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIj5Amfyo4w




A conversation about the native plants and sustainable land care practices of the Canadian prairies and grasslands



Last Friday, November 10th, we held a virtual members meet-up to introduce the just-announced Slow Flowers Summit in 2024.



We shared the dates -- June 23-25, 2024 -- the venue, beautiful Banff Centre for Arts &amp; Creativity in Banff, Alberta, Canada, surrounded by the Canadian Rockies, and highlights of our program. 



We have eleven inspiring speakers, an extensive hands-on design immersion, and presentations on flower farming, floral design, floral entrepreneurship and sustainability. I can’t wait to see you there! 



Latifa Pelletier-Ahmed, Becky Feasby, and Lourdes Still



I invited two of our Summit speakers, Becky Feasby of Prairie Girl Flowers and Latifa Pelletier-Ahmed, owner of ALCLA Native Plants, a Calgary area nursery. As a surprise bonus, Lourdes Still of Masagana Flower Farm in Manitoba, who will also present at the Slow Flowers Summit, joined our conversation.



We covered the highlights of their involvement in the world of plants, flowers, and horticulture In Canada’s prairies and grasslands – and the conversation took a wonderful turn toward sustainability and regenerative practices.



Here’s a bit more about these three women:



Latifa Pelletier-Ahmed of ALCLA Native Plants



Latifa Pelletier-Ahmed is a botanist, herbalist, educator, and artist, and is co-owner of ALCLA Native Plants a native plant nursery based in Treaty 7 Territory, near Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She holds a BSc in Botany from the University of Calgary and an MSc in Herbal Medicine from Middlesex University, London, UK. She has been working with native plants for 15 years and her expertise includes identification, sustainable collection, cultivation, and ethnobotany.



In 2016 she founded Latifa’s Herbs, which primarily serves to educate the public on the edible and medicinal uses of wild plant species in both Alberta and British Columbia. Latifa is a former faculty member at Pacific Rim College in Victoria, BC where she taught Botany and Horticulture in addition to Wild Plant Nutrition.







Becky Feasby, Prairie Girl Flowers



Becky Feasby completed her gardening and landscape design training in New York, Calgary, and Chicago and has completed floral design training with many leading florists who specialize in environmental-friendly floristry and who support the Slow Flowers movement.



She previously worked as the Horticultural Therapist at the Alberta Children&#39;s Hospital, where she oversaw the design and management of five acres of gardens. In creating prairie girl flowers, she wanted to utilize all of her training to bring sustainable beauty to Calgarians - and to cultivate a change in the floral industry.  A change that makes florals better for the planet and creates opportunities for clients to make a conscious choice that supports local growers and our

Episode 636: Slow Flowers Summit heads to Canada in 2024. Meet Becky Feasby, Latifa Pelletier-Ahmed, and Lourdes Still

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlIq1TrnmY8




So wonderful to reunite with Slow Flowers friend Andrea K. Grist!



Today’s episode includes a short conversation with longtime Slow Flowers Society member Andrea Grist, of Florasource KC, based in Overland Park, KS, outside Kansas City. Andrea is a past guest of this podcast and I caught up with her in person when she had a long layover while flying through Seattle in August. Ostensibly, we met for lunch, but I couldn’t not bring along my video camera to record a quick conversation and updates on what she’s been doing.



KC Growers Market branding



Andrea discusses KC Growers Market, a new brand initiative of Florasource KC highlighting local and domestically grown cut flowers and greens. The “store within a store” concept has been long in coming and launched this past June after Florasource KC partnered with KC Flower Farmer Wholesale Market, a group of approximately 10 flower farmers in Kansas and Missouri whose goal is to get local botanicals in the hands of Kansas City area florists.



KC Growers Market flower display at the peak of summer season



I’m excited to follow this story as it unfolds. The growers set up shop at Florasource KC on Wednesday, July 5th and continued filling the buckets and tables there each Tuesday through the end of the season in late October.



We congratulate Andrea, Florasource KC and its KC Growers Market, and all the farmers of the KC Flower Farmers Wholesale Market for making this new collaboration happen. It will be fun to see where things take everyone for 2024.



Listen to past episodes featuring Andrea Grist:Episode 219 (November 2015): Gatherings in Bloom with Andrea K. Grist, Kansas City area floral artistEpisode 556 (May 2022): A floral conversation with Andrea K. Grist of Florasource KC and KC Bloom Hub



Follow Florasource KC on InstagramFollow KC Growers Market on InstagramFollow KC Flower Farmers Wholesale Market on Instagram







News of the Week







Take advantage of Early Bird Registration, which just opened for the 2024 Slow Flowers Summit. Save $100 off your Slow Flowers Summit registration, now through December 31st. 



General registration is $799 USD through December 31st ($899 beginning January 1st) Slow Flowers Members registration is $699 USD through December 31st ($799 beginning January 1st)Follow the link in today’s show notes or head over to SlowFlowersSummit.com to find all the details for our dates – June 23-25, 2024, the venue, beautiful Banff Centre for Arts &amp; Creativity in Banff, Alberta, Canada, surrounded by the Canadian Rockies, and read all about our speakers and program. We have eleven inspiring speakers, an extensive hands-on design immersion, and presentations on flower farming, floral design, floral entrepreneurship and sustainability. I can’t wait to see you there!




Click Here for All the Slow Flowers Summit Details &amp; Registration








Becky Feasby of Prairie Girl Flowers

Episode 635: Making space for local flowers at the conventional wholesale florist, with Andrea Grist of Florasource KC

https://youtu.be/6mAqGZYBCb4




We’re releasing today’s episode on Wednesday, November 1st, and this means you’ve probably just wrapped up your Halloween festivities. But as we turn our attention to harvest, home, and the November holidays, the seasonal decorations continue -- and of course with that, orange-gold-and-rusty color palettes are ever present. With that our minds, today’s episode shares plant passions and design ideas that are perfect for this time of year.



Succulent pumpkin design by Eileen Tongson of FarmGal Flowers (left) and Marigold Garland by Caitlin Mathes of The Marigold Garden (right)



You’ll enjoy the creative session with two seasonal autumn botanicals: pumpkins + marigolds, featuring Caitlin Mathes of The Marigold Gardens in Ithaca, New York, and Eileen Tongson of FarmGal Flowers based in Orlando.



A recent FarmGal Flowers succulent pumpkin workshop with Eileen Tongson (far right) and her students.



A favorite succulent pumpkin design



We learn from Eileen, who shares her succulent pumpkins design, and discusses how she has developed her very successful autumn workshops and private classes during the entire month of October. Watch Eileen’s step-by-step designs for decorating pumpkins and gourds with a rainbow of local, Florida-grown succulents.



Caitlin Mathes of The Marigold Gardens



Marigold inspiration in color and form - from The Marigold Gardens



And we gain inspiration from Caitlin, as she shares about growing, harvesting, and preserving marigolds for autumn celebrations and beyond. You’ll learn how to make a marigold and fall foliage flower crown (which Caitlin calls a “wearigold”) and also watch hows she strings fresh marigold garlands (and discusses how to dry them). 



Download The Marigold Gardens’ list of all 66 varieties of marigolds that Caitlin grows



marigold varieties handoutDownload



Download Eileen’s succulent pumpkin worksheet, including a supply list.



Succulents and Pumpkins with FarmGal FlowersDownload







News of this Week







In news of the week, It’s TIME! We’ve opened up tickets sales today, November 1st, for the 2024 Slow Flowers Summit Early Bird Registration.Save $100 off your Slow Flowers Summit registration, now through December 31st. General registration is $799 USD ($899 on January 1st) Slow Flowers Members registration is $699 USD ($799 on January 1st). Head over to SlowFlowersSummit.com to find all the details for our dates – June 23-25, 2024, the venue, beautiful Banff Centre for Art &amp; Creativity in Banff, Alberta, Canada, surrounded by the Canadian Rockies, and read all about our speakers and program. We have eleven inspiring speakers, an extensive hands-on design immersion, and presentations on flower farming, floral design, floral entrepreneurship and sustainability. I can’t wait to see you there!







Thank you to our Sponsors



This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more

Episode 634: Marigolds and Succulent Pumpkins, autumn botanical design with Caitlin Mathes of The Marigold Gardens and Eileen Tongson of FarmGal Flowers

https://youtube.com/live/orcgviPZEdU?feature=share




We’ve just wrapped up our celebration of the 10-year Anniversary of the Slow Flowers Podcast with a retrospective of a decade that brought you more than 500 original episodes of interviews. Whew! I am in awe of the amazing guests we have featured, their passion for local flowers, their ingenuity, dedication, and contributions to the Slow Flowers Movement. Let’s see what the next decade brings!



Jodi Logue, Moss and Madder Farm



Today, we resume our weekly ritual of bringing you a new podcast episode on Wednesday. After listening to my interviews, be sure to click on over to slowflowerspodcast.com to watch my video conversation with each week’s guest or guests. We are also posting these “vodcasts” as our social media team calls them to YouTube, Facebook Live and Instagram Live – and we always try to share the link via Instagram.



Jodi at one of her local flowers pop-up events



This past weekend, I traveled to the opposite side of Puget Sound from my home – south to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and then over to the Kitsap Peninsula to a town called Olalla. I took the 45-minute trip at the invitation of farmer florist Jodi Logue, owner of Moss and Madder Farm.



&quot;Pie and Coffee,&quot; an autumn Flower Farmer Gathering at Moss and Madder Farm



I first got to know Jodi when she joined Slow Flowers Society and earlier this year attended the Slow Flowers Summit – it was so nice to have so many new members, many of them from the Seattle area, attend that wonderful event. Not long after the Summit, I received an email from Jodi inviting me to a gathering at her farm. She wrote: “I&#39;ve been occasionally hosting a flower farmer meet up for folks in our area and we have a good little group of people who come out pretty regularly. We met monthly through the off season. My main goal in hosting these get-togethers has been to mostly build community but as we&#39;ve been meeting, we&#39;ve all voiced a common wish for a flower hub/collective type opportunity in our area. It’s something I&#39;m working on getting started this fall. I think the flower farmers would totally be excited to if we put on a get-together and included you and any other flower friends in the area. We would love to work around your schedule to make it happen.”



Meet Jodi and Aaron Logue of Moss and Madder



What a tempting invitation! It took me a few months, but this past weekend, the date was set for a gathering at Moss and Madder Farm. It was lovely to connect with a few Slow Flowers members in attendance and several people who are new to me – their farms range from 1-year-old to a farm in its 9th season; from people who have, like Jodi, recently quit full-time jobs in careers like nursing, oceanography, and teaching; and others who are flower farming while also caregiving or parenting or working off-farm jobs. The unifying thread connecting us all was women entrepreneurs who have been draw

Episode 633: Building a Community of Local Flower Farmers Over Pie and Coffee, with Jodi Logue of Moss and Madder Farm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5bWvsGt8yg








This is our final encore episode as part of the 10-year celebration of the Slow Flowers Podcast being on the air as the original floral podcast since our debut in July 2013. Thanks for celebrating with me as we returned to the archives and shared a few of the special the stories and voices of flower farmers and florists featured in the past decade.



This week, I’m sharing a favorite encore episode from the 10th year of the Slow Flowers Podcast, a video conversation with Joanna Lutz of Bluma Flower Farm based in Berkeley, California, recorded in July 2022.







At Bluma Farm, located on a Berkeley rooftop, Joanna and her team produce hyperlocal, certified-organic flowers. Joanna grew up in Oakland and Berkeley, California, attended Berkeley High and then ventured across the country to Bard College where she majored in history and human rights.



During a study abroad program that spanned five countries in eight months, she looked at the impact of globalization on small farmers, realized the importance of small organic and diversified farms, and was inspired to create a farm of her own. She started farming in 2008 working with and learning from many long-time organic farmers in California.



Rooftop overview of Bluma Flower Farm in Berkeley, California



Bluma Farm was born in the fall of 2014. I am so happy today to re-introduce you to Joanna and her story. She recorded our interview from her farm, located six stories high and silhouetted by a brilliant summer sky.



Harvesting flowers



It’s so impressive to learn how this beautiful and sustainably-focused micro farm is cranking out gorgeous blooms on only 1/4-acre of growing area. And it’s incredibly inspiring to witness Joanna’s focus on community and on sharing Bluma Flower Farm with others.



Find and follow Bluma Farm:Bluma Farm on InstagramBluma Farm on Facebook







News of the Week







Banff Centre for the Arts



We’ve just announced all the details, including dates, venue, program and speakers, for the seventh annual Slow Flowers Summit – It’s going to be our first international Summit, taking place June 23-25th 2024 at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Banff, Alberta, Canada.



This will be such a special conference and we will have much, much more to share in the coming weeks, including speaker interviews, video tours, and travel tips for all of our folks – like you, dear listener – who might want to dust off that passport and make plans for a spectacular destination. Take note, Early Bird ticket sales open November 1st and continue through December 31st, during which time you will save $100 off the registration. And as always, Slow Flowers members always receive $100 off as a member benefit. We can’t wait to see you there!




Click to see more about our Venue, Speakers &amp; Program








Succulent pumpkin design by Eileen Tongson of FarmGal Flowers (left) and Marigold Garland by Caitlin Ma

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