Episodes

https://youtu.be/5IsESlnFzIY?si=ySgAiO3LNUIpvvTd Every day for more than a decade, Mary Jo Hoffman has made a photograph of found nature – no subject too small or too ordinary. For Mary Jo, a former aeronautical engineer, this daily ritual cracked open profound revelations about the connectedness of all things, the importance of place, and her own life. She joined me to talk about her daily practice that led to more than 4,000 consecutive days of images filled with surprise, play, wonder, and jo...

https://youtu.be/14Tb-BfiW6U?si=-oTJseUbcNEP22uU It’s Willow Week here at the Slow Flowers Podcast and Alana Karam of Willamette Willows is my guest. Learn about the three distinct categories of willow plants and their markets – including cultivars suitable for basketry and woven garden structures, as well as the many varieties of curly willow and pussy willow loved by floral designers. Alana breaks it all down and I for one am wondering why more flower farmers aren’t getting into the willow mar...

https://youtu.be/mu0JH_Pj4XE?si=Z3BS5eQRfw56DE7N Wondering what's NEXT in your portfolio of floral products and services? Today’s topic – the art and business of flower pressing -- promises to inspire you. I’m thrilled to share our recent November Slow Flowers Meet-Up with Kate Punnett, who’s based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She is a pressed flower artist dedicated to sustainability and she crafts custom pressed floral art, greeting cards and fine art with botanicals she grows and sources from ...

Hello everyone, Debra Prinzing here from the Slow Flowers Podcast. I hope you have been following along for the past few months as we have been posting Instagram live conversations with our amazing Slow Flowers WORLDWIDE Summit speakers. Sarah Statham of Simply by Arrangement Today, I have a fun conversation to share and it will introduce you (or possibly re-introduce you) to Sarah Statham of Simply by Arrangement, who is based in the north of England in the Yorkshire region. Sarah will be one o...

https://youtu.be/nybZzD1_cEw?si=_UqeABJ7nSfMrKTe In her recent Slow Flowers Journal column, “The Business of Flowers,” Brooke Palmer of Jenny Creek Flowers shared how and why she embraces winter tulip production. Our conversation today explores Brooke’s considerations through the lens of her Slow Flowers sustainability ethos while also forcing thousands of tulips into bloom during the off-season. Brooke and I discuss how she balances building a large customer base around winter-grown tulips with...

https://youtu.be/2d9_GRnbSrI?si=_UjIQWQALrUv-8OJ Owner of Queen Bee Blooms in St. Louis, Missouri, Elizabeth Fichter is a farmer-florist who has given a lot of thought to how she can differentiate her business from the conventional alternative. In today’s episode, she will outline six important actions you can take to better discuss the value and benefits of locally grown flowers with your B2B and B2C customers, as well as share specific things she does to keep her flowers front and center in he...

https://youtu.be/KeVZQ9knkCM?si=um0NyuWq-JNw-KAM Izzie Klingels of Marigold and Mint Botanicals (cover photo (c) Sean O'Neill) Marigold and Mint is a brand quite familiar to Seattle’s local floral aficionados. It was originally a flower farm and tiny shop owned by Katherine Anderson, who later opened The London Plane, a beautiful café & floral shop. During that time, Katherine teamed up with Illustrator/florist Isvald Klingels and designer Christian Petersen to create Marigold and Mint Botanical...

https://youtu.be/azIvryBpa9U?si=AeFTkOqj5-PE9EcB There are small and sizable ways to improve on the practices and habits we’ve relied on for far too long. Today’s guest, wedding and events designer Blair Lynn of Sweet Blossoms, has done tons of research to bring a zero-waste focus to her studio – and she’s sharing those tips with us today. The conversation draws from a guest column Blair wrote for Slow Flowers Journal’s Summer 2023 issue, and we tease out those details in our conversation. From ...

https://youtu.be/8HdQwcsoIfo?si=bUuM9g2uKCT5y1Hx We’re diving deep into the world of lily growing, with two experts who share their advice and know-how. Today’s episode was recorded as our October Slow Flowers Member Meet-Up and we have had many requests for the replay video and audio – so you’re in for a real treat. Gretel Adams of Sunny Meadows Flower Farm and Ko Klaver, a plant and bulb specialist at Zabo Plant discuss LA hybrid lily planting and harvesting methods and more. You’ll also learn...

https://youtu.be/XPwCOnCEJQ4?si=QvkEM8TfN2ZhNilS “Diamond Day” is a charming 1970s folksong by English singer-songwriter Vashti Bunyan. The lyrics about a sweet family farm inspired Caitlin Carnahan, today’s guest, to borrow its title for her business, Diamond Day Bouquet. The farm specializes in unique and old-fashioned, garden-style flowers grown organically and with love. Caitlin has developed an expertise growing for the grocery and wholesale market, which we discuss in our conversation. Joi...

https://youtu.be/cSGfpRJ4meU?si=p5pd7fNS8uD5gKqU Kit Wertz and Casey Schwartz are a gifted sister duo who own Flower Duet, a dynamic studio serving Los Angeles and the greater Southern California region. Their diversified floral enterprise ranges from lavish beachfront weddings to popular design workshops for local botanical gardens and cultural institutions. They also provide flowers for an impressive lineup of corporate clients and today, you’ll hear all about Flower Duet’s best practices and ...

https://youtu.be/Ns4hRz816No?si=-_mUx9ElsSCtPQ9Q Decades of flower farming experience add up to a new, 336-page reference guide called “Floral Standards,” compiled by members of the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market. Join me for your first chance to see a preview of this book, and to learn from some of its creative team members. Learn how you can get your hands on this incredible guide to best practices and product specifications for 230 floral crops – from Abelia to Zinnia and more! Floral Stand...

https://youtu.be/s9Rcn7C_F9A?si=IeP-3B9Qcl6ruZO5 Paulina Nieliwocki is celebrating her 10th anniversary as owner and creative director of Blue Jasmine Floral, a New Jersey-based shop and studio serving the greater New York City-Hudson Valley-New Jersey region with wedding and event florals. I’ve always loved how Paulina combines color palettes, floral shapes, and botanical textures to create her pieces -- and today, we’re in for a treat because she’s designing on camera to share a signature arra...

https://youtu.be/ApiN1ZdzaGk?si=bLQsoZe7XzSmvhyA https://youtu.be/EwxlC8aXfrM?si=kXu6PgqkYz9vlish Nothing beats a flower farm tour – and I couldn’t say no to the chance to visit Free Range Flowers in person last week. It’s a beautiful, sustainable cut flower farm and design studio just miles away from the Canadian border outside Bellingham. I’m so happy to share my conversation with farmer-florist Celeste Monke recorded after we walked through the fields and high tunnels where dahlias were explo...

https://youtu.be/shykxxG81v8?si=fQxmKPV-QDTjz1yo At this time of year, I’m feeling those back-to-school vibes -- and more importantly, seeking more knowledge – so I’m happy to feature floral educator Sarah Berquist, who teaches sustainable flower farming and floral entrepreneurship to college students at the Stockbridge School of Agriculture. Join me to learn about her inspiring approach to educating farmer-florists of the future. I’m so happy today to share an extended episode that introduces o...

https://youtu.be/OwiLNusDFHo?si=kPHMwNpLevdMkOSr Like me, so many of our Slow Flowers practitioners have careers rooted in horticulture. And today’s guest, Lisa Dailey of Highlands, North Carolina-based Cultivation, shares how she brings Slow Flowers to her community by melding landscape and cutting garden design and consultation with organic floral design. It all comes together for Lisa and her colleagues at this weekend’s Dazzling Dahlia Festival, the 14th annual celebration that includes a da...

https://youtu.be/IqJU6_Qp0QE?si=GMjliuNJQWgkrKjM Chet and Kristy Anderson are flower farming pioneers, having operated The Fresh Herb Co. for more than four decades, supplying farmers’ markets and Whole Foods shoppers in the Rocky Mountain region, selling their flowers direct to local customers, and hosting weddings and events at their beautiful farm in Longmont, Colorado. Joined by their adult son, also called Chet, they continue to expand The Fresh Herb Co., including its impressive, year-roun...

https://youtu.be/pDSIccF_SF4?si=XwzwLRt-FlclsTPq We know that there’s been widespread embrace of the Slow Flowers Movement across the world, especially in countries that have seen their flower production move overseas. While the concept of Slow Flowers started right here, the term and philosophy have been adopted and embraced worldwide – and we definitely take credit! It’s inspiring to meet folks across the globe who are bringing local flowers to their communities – and today, you’ll meet Corali...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfjE0dyUdhs Urban flower farmer Tara Kolla, owner of Silver Lake Farms in Los Angeles. When she owned and operated Silver Lake Farms, Tara Kolla was one of Los Angeles’s pioneering urban flower growers. She helped change legislation to approve backyard flower farming and was a popular vendor at Hollywood Farmers’ Market. In 2016, Tara and her husband dramatically reimagined their lives and moved to the La Rochelle region of France. They bought a 18th century stone...

https://youtu.be/4dzbUJnM3Nw?si=UXmjbry0cAV3qUkj Farmer-florist Stacy Marshall recently opened her beautiful flower farm in historic Poulsbo, Washington, to host British sustainable design educator Rachel Wardley of Tallulah Rose Flower School. I spent a morning visiting with these two floral friends to learn about their recent collaboration to elevate local flowers, seasonal flowers, and sustainable practices. Stacy Marshall (left) and Rachel Wardley (right) at Petal & Pitchfork Farm in Poulsbo...

https://youtu.be/921NUJkytSA?si=iOaSZycs9A2TsK1s After building her studio’s wedding and event portfolio, Lexi Richards knew she wanted to pursue channels that combine her floral art with commerce and civic commissions. Join me as we discuss her branding approach to attract corporate bookings and public artist-in-residency work. Lexi Richards of Twiggage & Blooms Today’s guest, Lexi Richards, owns Twiggage & Bloom, where she and her family grow beautiful, sustainable flowers on their Mission, Br...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOkAV6uAmio Based in Burlington, Vermont, Jayson Munn owns Jayson Munn Design. He specializes in creating inspired arrangements for weddings, corporate events, and photo styling throughout New England, but Jayson never veers too far from his gardening influences. Join me for a heartfelt conversation with Jayson as we chat about nature, flowers, plants, and living slow & seasonally – our interview wraps up with Jayson’s perfect summer floral demonstration. Jayson M...

https://youtu.be/O-dQ36H_K1E?si=Z0CpuSA9D21iwMTQ Emily Pek of Frayed Knot Farm recently contributed an essay to Slow Flowers Journal’s Summer 2024 issue, sharing her philosophy on the importance of community connections for sustaining a vibrant cut flower business that has served the greater Cleveland area for the past seven years. We invited Emily to discuss her story and her journey with the Slow Flowers Podcast – and I’m excited for you to join us today. Emily Pek, Frayed Knot Farm Let’s jump...

https://youtu.be/az7trqAVClc?si=8Ki4Fqd7yiFfmvoB Ten years ago, Rebecca Bodicky combined her fine arts education with flower shop and restaurant experience to open the Alice Blue Collective, a design studio and urban micro farm in St. Louis, Missouri. Join me in conversation with Rebecca as she reflects on her floral journey and shares her approach to combining art with flowers. Rebecca Bodicky, Alice Blue Collective Alice Blue Collective is a St. Louis-based artistic project bringing the unexpe...