American Flowers Week 2017 Recap
09 Sunday Jul 2017
Written by Debra Prinzing in American Flowers Week 2017, By the Numbers, Floral Design, News & Events, Promotional Ideas, Resources for Farmers & Florists, Sponsors and Partners
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Yep, you read that right: 5 million and counting! That’s the social media impressions generated by YOU and YOUR Instagram & Twitter Posts in the past 30 days!! #AmericanFlowersWeek has exploded — just like fireworks!
In our third year, participation in AFW more than tripled the impressions generated last year, putting #americanflowersweek on the map in all 50 states!
[Imagine the true metrics if Facebook let us track hashtags? Just sayin’!]
Thank you to each one who joined in! The Slow Flowers Community has the momentum to effect change in the marketplace, so continue posting and sharing the #slowflowers message every week of the year! Source: Keyhole.co
The 3rd Annual American Flowers Week has come to a close and it was our best ever!With participation across the U.S. in all sectors of the floral industry, this New Floral Holiday is waving the flag and making a splash from coast to coast.
Read on to discover how the Slow Flowers Community spent this year’s campaign celebrating American-grown flowers — be inspired and start making plans for your 2018 floral parties, events and creative projects!
Floral Fashions — a Couture Approach
Showcasing the design work of four Slow Flowers members, from left: Tara Folker of Splints & Daisies; Riz Reyes of RHR Horticulture; Teresa Sabankaya of Bonny Doon Garden Co. and Amy Kunkel-Patterson of Gather Design Co.
This year, Slow Flowers, which presents American Flowers Week, commissioned five floral-inspired fashion shoots depicting iconic American grown blooms. The designers who contributed their creativity and artistic talents teamed up with generous flower farms that donated stems straight from their fields and greenhouses.
Four of the five looks are shown above. We’re saving the final look to feature in an article that will appear in the August 2017 issue of Florists’ Review — so stay tuned for the big reveal! Our All-American floral looks would never have been possible without the support of Slow Flowers’ sponsors, including Certified American Grown, Arctic Alaska Peony Cooperative, Longfield Gardens, Syndicate Sales, Seattle Wholesale Growers Market, Johnny’s Selected Seeds and Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers.
American Flowers Week at the Grocery Store
Melanie Cherry, Town & Country Markets’ floral boss, shared this shot of an in-store sunflower display for American Flowers Week.
Diana Westcott, regional floral buyer for Whole Foods’ Mid-Atlantic Region based in Maryland, shared this beautiful display from one of her floral departments!
Slowflowers member Rita Anders of Weimar, Texas-based Cuts of Color, delivered hundreds of bouquets and bunches of American Flowers Week blooms to Central Market in Houston. She texted us these photos and added: “Labels look great! I love the labels!”
Steve Pabody, partner in Triple Wren Farms in Ferndale, Washington (with his wife Sarah Pabody) have a fabulous partnership with Cone & Steiner General, a neighborhood convenience store, with soon-to-be 3 Seattle locations.
AMERICAN FLOWERS WEEK Promotion Idea
Kathleen Barber of Erika’s Fresh Flowers in Astoria, Oregon, donated all net proceeds of her locally grown bouquets sold during American Flowers Week to Northwest Battle Buddies, a nonprofit partnering combat veterans with professionally trained dogs. Love this idea and the personal, healing connections being made with Kathleen’s flowers.
AMERICAN FLOWERS WEEK Installation
Rayne Grace Hoke of KittyWitch Botanicals, who manages Slow Flowers member O’Donal’s Nursery’s floral program, created an impressive and simply gorgeous installation to celebrate #americanflowersweek.
AMERICAN FLOWERS WEEK Styled Shoots
Tammy Myers of First & Bloom, based in the Seattle area, designed an Americana-themed styled shoot with a local home-goods retailer that repurposes vintage army tents and camouflage into pillows and cushions.
“We blended our ‘Flowers Everyday’ campaign with American Flowers Week,” Tammy says. “We had lots of summer blooms mixed with Hudson Louie’s touches of camouflage pillows and clean white linen.”
Creative credits:
Missy Palacol Photography
Venue: Oddfellows Café + Bar
Pillows: Jessica Louie, Hudson Louie
Tablescape Design : Callie Holcomb, Holcomb Weddings & Events
Palmer Flowers, based in Ft. Collins, Colorado, and other locations, posted this alluring styled shoot: “For American Flowers Week, we decided to go all out and make our own Warrior Princess.”
AMERICAN FLOWERS WEEK Parties!
A brand NEW regional flower farming group called Lowcountry Flower Growers (based in and around Charleston, S.C.), held their inaugural event to celebrate American Flowers Week. Thanks to Jim Martin of Compost in my Shoe for sharing this pic from their July 1st public Floral Event! Lowcountry Flower Growers presented a program on innovative, creative and beautiful ways to use the Zinnia, held at the Marion Square Park Farmers Market in Charleston.
The SC Upstate Flowers’ party continued this year, for 2017 American Flowers Week. Held June 19th at Urban Petals in Greer, S.C., a studio owned by florist Anna Stouffer, the event
encouraged local florists to “spend an evening with their peers and enjoy flower fun without the pressure of arranging for clients.”
Marybeth Wehrung of Stars of the Meadow flower farm and the Hudson Valley Flower Growers Network.
Floral designer Gloria B. Collins of GBC Style joined in the fun to network with flowers.
Last year, Marybeth Wehrung of Stars of the Meadow farm in New York’s Hudson Valley used American Flowers Week stickers on her mixed bouquets sold through two local natural grocery stores last year. This year, along with other members of the Hudson Valley Flower Growers Network, they staged an “Arranging Soiree” of their own at Porco Homestead Farms in New Paltz, N.Y. Check out the group photos above!
Co-hosts Kelly and Katie
Slow Flowers member Kelly Shore of Petals by the Shore teamed up with Katie MacGregor of Rose Gold Events & Styling to host an #americanflowersweek FLOWER CROWN WORKSHOP and Potluck at new Slow Flowers member farm, M&M Plants in Dickerson, Maryland.
Guests designed with M&M Plants blooms, as well as flowers from The Petal Patch Flower Farm and Hidden Ridge Farm, Flowers & Herbs for beautiful results!
AMERICAN FLOWERS WEEK in the News!
“America’s diversity found in its flowers: Florists wave the flag for locally grown,” by JANET EASTMAN of The Oregonian
AMERICAN FLOWERS WEEK on INSTAGRAM
Type #AmericanFlowersWeek into your Instagram search and you’ll be wowed by the beautiful flower fields, floral arrangements and faces from the Slow Flowers Community that pop up. One of our favorites, perhaps even topping his 2016 #americanflowersweek post, is from Flower Farmer Dennis Westphall of Jello Mold Farm, aka @mister.mold.
His post and many others caught the attention of Janet Eastman of The Oregonian while she was reporting her story shown above — and she posted a follow-up on July 3rd to share with her readers. In the coming weeks, we’ll recap a full gallery of #americanflowersweek Instagram goodies, but for now, check out Janet’s fav picks in her gallery titled “Funny people with 4th of July pride pose with American-grown flowers”!
Sponsor Thanks — American Flowers Week
Longfield Gardens’ #AmericanFlowersWeek photo contest awarded two lucky winners each a $100 gift certificate — we loved seeing the participation and hashtagging, of course!
Members of Syndicate Sales’ “Syndicate Stars” rewards program earn QUADRUPLE points on all cases of American-made products ordered through wholesale florists from June 15 to July 15. #syndicateamericanmade #mysyndicatestyle
Johnny’s Selected Seeds had multiple American Flowers Week posts in support of planting flower seeds, gardening and designing with locally-grown flowers. We loved this creative use of the “I Pledge Allegiance to American Grown Flowers” pin!
SLOW FLOWERS SUMMIT THANKS!
Thanks to our Slowflowers.com sponsors — especially for your support of #americanflowersweek and the Slow Flowers Summit! Attendees to the Summit took home this beautiful and generous collection of Swag! Including:
Certified American Grown Flowers: Field to Vase Dinner Tour tote bags & #americangrown name tag lanyards
Arctic Alaska Peonies: 200 just-picked Alaska peonies for our designers’ use in the foam-free Flower Wall (see above photo)
Syndicate Sales: American-manufactured bud vases for all participants and a $50 Visa Gift Card for the doorprize drawings
Johnny’s Selected Seeds: Special “couture sunflower” packets and product catalogs
Longfield Gardens: Two $50 shopping sprees for bulbs and plants
Seattle Wholesale Growers Market: Hundreds and Hundreds of stems of locally-grown PNW flowers and foliages for our flower wall and decor.
PLUS:
Florists’ Review Magazine — issues for everyone
Better Homes & Gardens Magazine and Country Gardens — issues for everyone
Pacific Horticulture Magazine — issues for everyone
Nettle Textiles — Ribbon samples for everyone
Florabundance — $150 American-grown flowers & foliage shopping spree
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt — An Amy Stewart “Girl Waits With Gun” Reader Package
Amy Stewart — 10 copies of “Gilding the Lily,” the UK version of “Flower Confidential (signed!)
Sarah Wagstaff of TUOT Flower Farm — One night’s B&B stay in Burlington, Washington
