Slow Flowers Podcast

https://youtu.be/fGsFSJ7AbQs?si=eNS68SJUcm17ScNN In late August, I joined other members of the Northwest Horticultural Society for a special event in Susan Ryan’s Tacoma residential garden. We learned her philosophy around designing florals from the landscape and created a seasonal floral arrangement using familiar and uncommon design ingredients. I was there to introduce and interview Susan, as the two of us discussed her garden-gathered approach to floral design. Susan led us on a walking tour

https://youtu.be/p0YXGzmxmGs?si=M1bLBc4VBjudIh2S Last month, I partnered with Seattle Growers Market to host a group of flower and garden lovers who had joined Laura Iarocci’s Explore Flower Tours visit to the Pacific Northwest. An Atlanta-based floral designer who specializes in weddings and events, floral design education for church and cathedral flower guilds, and floral-enriched tours in Europe, the U.S., and beyond, Laura is also a Slow Flowers member who highlights local flowers and sustai

https://youtu.be/POoTHpbaQCA?si=DBy_34cDOmkDdFDj The 2027 Slow Flowers Summit will take place live and in-person on the grounds of Filoli Historic House and Garden, the famed cultural destination in the San Francisco Bay Area. Late last month, I traveled there for a site visit and planning session, meeting up with several of Filoli’s horticulture and floriculture team members, including Jackie Salas, today’s guest. The weather was glorious and Jackie led Niesha Blancas, our social media manager,

https://youtu.be/ghmgQ3yuTrE?si=sm4fuDckincOJRYe Celebrating their 10th season of what the Windmeyer family calls “The Grand Experiment,” Lynn and Tim Windmeyer are breathing new life into land in and around St. Joseph, Missouri, where seven generations of Tim’s family have farmed, since approximately 1868. Named Homeplace Fields, the endeavor combines Lynn’s creative design talents and Tim’s agricultural skills. Both are Missouri natives. Lynn’s love for flower growing was instilled by her moth

https://youtu.be/3b8sXWElGzQ?si=MEoPebVs3zY_zakt Today’s episode tells the story of Outlook Flower & Bulb Farm in Outlook, Washington, where Joel Martin and his father-in-law Harvey Hess are reviving a flower farm that originated when Joel’s ancestors moved from the Netherlands to the U.S. and settled in Eastern Washington in 1949. John Friend, Joel’s grandfather, took things over in 1965 and continued to operate it as Friend Bulb & Flower Farm. Known for a wide assortment of cut flowers and pre

https://youtu.be/ISLSuR2MQEA?si=OxJ43x9BJ_YyNlhJ In The Genius of Flowers, award-winning journalist and flower historian Jill Brooke reveals a truth that resonates: flowers are not passive, fragile objects. They don’t suffer in silence—they are master strategists, adapting, collaborating, and thriving through ice ages, climate shifts, and constant change. Blending science, history, and personal growth, this eye-opening book explores the meaning of flowers, the symbolism of flowers, and how natur