hen you buy local flowers gathered into Wa seasonal bouquet, you’re supporting family farms and enriching your community’s ties to sustainable agriculture. ust-picked local flowers are incredibly fresh. J The petal color is more vivid; the floral varieties are more diverse. Each floral harvest speaks to the seasonal cycle of nature in your garden, meadow or farm. VOLUME 1 The best of Slow Flowers Journal from the pages of Florists’ Review (2017-2019) BY DEBRA PRINZING 2 SLOW FLOWERS JOURNAL | Volume 1 3 o the Slow Flowers CommunityT of flower farmers, floral designers, farmer-florists Publisher: Travis Rigby and passionate flower lovers. Together, we have created an Author + Editor: Debra Prinzing entire movement! Managing Editor + Art Director: Robin Avni Designer: Jenny Moore-Diaz Copy Editor: David Coake Cover Photography: © Missy Palacol Photography © 2020. Wildflower.Media and Slow Flowers, LLC All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission of the publisher. Slow Flowers Journal was produced by Wildflower Media Inc., Topeka, Kansas; and Slow Flowers LLC, Seattle, Washington. www.floristsreview.com www.slowflowerssociety.com Printed in the U.S.A. ISBN: 978-1-7337826-3-0 4 CREDITS SLOW FLOWERS JOURNAL | Volume 1 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS 8 42 86 116 The Slow Flowers Manifesto SECTION 3 SECTION 5 SECTION 7 The Business of Flowers Farm to Table Resources Creating a marketplace that Meals and gatherings with locally- 118 Growers’ Inspiration 10 connects customers with local and grown flowers at the heart of seasonal blooms. the table. 119 Made in the U.S.A. From Field to Vase Inspiration 44 Farmgirl Flowers 88 Floral Tourism Comes to 48 Flowers + Weeds the Farm 49 Hops Petunia 90 You’re Invited 12 92 Floral R+R SECTION 1 24 50 The London Plane 58 SECTION 2 SECTION 4 94 Flowers, Wine + Friends Slow Flowers Heroes 51 Pine State Flowers The Florist Farmer Botanical Couture Five women who nurture 52 Juniper Flowers 96 Tabletop Inspiration meaningful connections between Rooting a floral design business in Field-fresh and runway-ready, their customers and flowers. the garden, meadow or farm. 53 The Herb + Garden fashionable florals to wear, created 54 Marketing Inspiration for American Flowers Week, 14 Tobey Nelson 26 Field + Florist June 28-July 4. 98 16 Whit McClure 29 Farm, Fare + Floral 60 Red, White + Bloom SECTION 6 126 About Debra 18 Kelly Shore 30 Two Little Buds 62 Sunflower Sensation Slow Weddings Publisher’s Letter 20 Betany Coffland 31 Clara’s Garden 64 Botanical Menswear Florists design for couples who 22 Holly Chapple 32 Dahlia May Flower Farm 66 American Rose Tutu value seasonality, sense of place, and sustainability. 34 Pepperharrow Farm 68 Ferns + Fronds Lark + Harrow 100 I Do, Aloha Style 70 Tropical Hawaii Blooms 36 Bloom Floral Design 102 North Star 72 Woodland Couture 38 Gloria B. Collins 104 Back to Nature 74 Dahlia Quilt 40 Casablanca Floral 106 Brookyn in Bloom 75 Vintage Vibes 107 Urban Roots 76 Pretty in Peonies 108 Seasonal Style 78 Floral Storytelling 110 Fall/Winter Bridal Bouquets 80 Ode to the Iris 112 Spring Bridal Bouquets 82 Floral Harvest 114 Summer Bridal Bouquets 83 1960’s-Inspired Mini-Dress 84 Efflorescent 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS SLOW FLOWERS JOURNAL | Volume 1 7 MANIFESTO he inspiration for Slow Flowers begins in Slow Flowers is a response to the dramatic changes gardens,T meadows, orchards and fields, where the of the past 25 years. It recognizes that most humans timeless act of cutting or harvesting botanicals are disconnected from fragrant garden flowers and season by season is part of the natural cycle of a year. small-scale flower farming. It aspires to take back the For millennia, humans have picked flowers, foliage act of flower growing and recognize it as a relevant and and branches from nature to use in the domestic respected branch of agriculture. environment for décor and display. Flowers, herbs and leaves have played an equally important role in Slow Flowers aims to reconnect flower consumers and cultural and spiritual practices for many people and professionals in the floral industry with the source of traditions. They have been ever-present in the history their flowers. We believe that when the marketplace of humankind, symbolizing the essence of life. uses transparent origin labeling of all botanical varieties, it elevates the value of local, seasonal and As the industrial age reshaped modern life, commerce sustainably-grown florals. formed around flowers, reducing many floral crops into commodities that are produced, sold and used Slow Flowers commits to the following practices: with little regard to the environmental and human • To recognize and respect the seasons by costs. This has resulted in a floral industry largely celebrating and designing with flowers when based on high-volume, low-cost production, greatly they naturally bloom. devaluing flowers to the point where it has been quite • To reduce the transportation footprint of the challenging to make a living wage as a flower farmer in flowers and foliage consumed in the the U.S. marketplace by sourcing as locally as possible. • To support flower farmers small and large by For various reasons, be it economic, trade or crediting them when possible through proper government policy, the floral industry since the early labeling at the wholesale and consumer level. 1990s has undergone a major shift in the way flowers • To encourage sustainable and organic farming are grown and marketed. Slow Flowers began in practices that respect people and the the U.S., where 80 percent of cut flowers sold are environment. imported from other countries and continents. The • To eliminate waste and the use of chemical Slow Flowers Movement recognizes that this is not products in the floral industry. sustainable for people or for the planet, particularly when flowers are often considered a luxury. Slow The Slow Flowers Movement puts a priority on Flowers believes that it is impossible to support sourcing domestic flowers. In a way, this also means the continued production and consumption of a that we are redefining beauty. perishable product that devours so many valuable resources (jet fuel, packaging material, water, to name a few), especially when there is a fresh and beautiful domestic alternative. Hillary Alger 8 MANIFESTO FROM FIELD TO VASE The mission of Slow Flowers is to inspire the floral industry and its consumers to embrace local, seasonal and sustainable flowers. To some, our goals may be lofty. But without a dream that makes us reach for the stars, how can change ever occur? THE SLOW FLOWERS MOVEMENT HAS TWO KEY GOALS: To change the flower sourcing practices of consumers and professionals through outreach and education that highlights the benefits of local, seasonal and domestic floriculture. To build a movement that promotes cultivation and sales of local, seasonal and sustainable flowers, while nurturing authentic connections between consumers, farmers and florists. Slow Flowers gives a name and terminology multiplying effect of a passionate “Tribe” is priceless to what was once considered a “fringe” or less-than- and impossible to measure accurately. mainstream category in the floral marketplace. By presenting stories that put a face on and give voice to Clearly, in less than one decade, there has been an domestic flower farmers, while helping professional increased awareness of the term Slow Flowers and florists leverage their connections with domestic, what it defines. Wikipedia has published an entry locally-grown and seasonal flowers and foliage, Slow about Slow Flowers, acknowledging that “Slow Flowers has evolved into an accepted and relevant Flowers encourages consumers to support their local floral industry niche. It’s now considered a viable economy and consciously purchase cut flowers grown branding and business option for professionals in the locally, seasonally and ethically in the United States…” floral marketplace. During the past five years since we began to measure use of the hash-tag #slowflowers on Keyhole.co, an In 2017, Slow Flowers partnered with Wildflower independent tracking service, the term has generated Media’s publisher Travis Rigby to bring a new point nearly 196 million social media impressions. of view to Florists’ Review, the venerable industry periodical, debuting the Slow Flowers Journal section. Metrics are one thing. Human connections are another The partnership with Florists’ Review has been measure entirely. In these pages, I hope you will valuable, providing a forum for beautiful and inspiring discover the heart of the Slow Flowers Movement. editorial content, month after month. It also led to this It’s not just about experiencing the sensory pleasures project, Slow Flowers Journal, Volume One, which that an heirloom, artisan-grown and artfully arranged features the “best of” from our editorial articles and flower provides. It’s about the stories of individuals images that originally appeared in Florists’ Review from motivated by passion, creativity, ethical values and 2017-2019. We’ve added lots of new stories, interviews their own aspirations to change the status quo. and photography to enhance the core content, as well. Here, in these pages, you will meet and be inspired by One of the most rewarding results of building the Slow both the blooms and the people who grow and design Flowers Community is that our members become with them. And I believe you will never again hold a our brand ambassadors and our spokespersons bouquet of flowers in your arms without considering across North America, in their own communities the Slow Flowers practitioners who brought that seed and regions and through their own channels. That to life, simply for your enjoyment. Missy Palacol SLOW FLOWERS JOURNAL | Volume 1 11 SECTION 1 SLOW FLOWERS Heroes Five women who nurture meaningful connections between their customers and flowers.