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

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