For the past several years, we’ve ordered our popular American Flowers Week bouquet labels from Grower’s Discount Labels. And we’ve loved working with this family-owned business with deep ties to farming and publishing!
For 2020, we’re thrilled that Grower’s Discount Labels is joining American Flowers Week as a sponsor, supporting this important domestic flower promotion campaign.
AMERICAN FLOWERS WEEK June 28-July 4, 2020
We’re about to reprint the American Flowers Week labels (actual size: 2-x-3 inch oval) and it’s time to place your order! It’s completely free to participate in American Flowers Week, but if you really want to dazzle your customers, we have an affordable resource for you to use. For the fifth year in a row, use American Flowers Week bouquet labels to highlight your product, your brand and your mission. The labels are available exclusively to all active Slow Flowers members. To offset the cost of design and production, we ask for a nominal contribution from you. Pricing: $20 50 $35 100 $50 200 $100 500 To order: Please send your request to: debraprinzing@gmail.com and indicate the quantity of labels you want. Payment: You’ll receive an invoice payable via PayPal and once payment is complete, the labels will be shipped. We will add $10 Priority Shipping & Handling to each order, due to a Postal Service rate increase to $7.75 for a flat-rate envelope. Deadline/Shipment: All label orders must be received by Friday, June 19th in order for us to mail them to you in time.
Since 1989, Grower’s Discount Labels has been providing graphic design solutions and high quality labels at a discounted price, with personal service at every step. Their goal is to make the process as simple and successful as possible. Check out the Label Gallery and for ideas, check out the Label Designs for Purchase link. When you order floral labels for your own enterprise or brand, take advantage of the special offer above.
NOTE: Grower’s Discount Labels is temporarily unable to accept new customers, but they hope to turn on their Quote Request Form very soon. To make sure you’re notified when that option is available to new customers, fill out this form!
For the fifth consecutive year, our Slow Flowers Botanical Couture Collection will feature creativity and fashion with American-grown flowers and foliages — all to celebrate American Flowers Week!
You’ll soon be the first to see our AFW 2020 Botanical Fashion Collection, created over the past year by a talented lineup of Slow FlowersMembers around the U.S.
The series will first appear in the June 2020 issue of Florists’ Review, followed by many other platforms and channels. In fact, we’ll soon share American Flowers Week badges for you to download free and use in your own promotion and branding.
Until then, help us thank, congratulate and celebrate our Featured Designers:
Creating the dress was like ‘play day’ for adults. The kind of enthusiasm we all felt generated so much energy and laughter, second only to seeing my fields in bloom.
HAWAII
Alison Higgins of Grace Flowers Hawaii (c) Sarah Anderson & Anna Pacheco
For 2020, the designer was inspired by a new floral palette – Hawaii-grown orchids – and a feminine, romantic aesthetic.
I’m so glad we could also show the greenhouses where these flowers come from.
MAINE
Michelle Rech of Electric Flora
Designer Michelle Rech of Electric Flora, based in Portland, partnered with our Slow Flowers sponsor Johnny’s Selected Seeds to create a playful dress adorned with flowers harvested from Johnny’s famous trial gardens in Winslow, Maine.
“Having the opportunity to host a floral fashion designer has been a true highlight for the JSS team,” says Hillary Alger, product manager for herbs and flowers.
“To pause from the busy work of trials and catalog production to participate in something so out of the ordinary stretches our brains in really fun ways.”
American Flowers Week welcomes a new state and a new look by Moníca Pugh of Floras & Bouquets LLC, based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Flower farming is new to South Dakota,” Moníca says. “I’m really hoping that (my participation in) American Flowers week will help get the word out about what’s happening with local flowers.
WASHINGTON
The Pabody Family, pictured in a 2016 American Flowers Week IG mosaic
Sarah Pabody of Triple Wren Farms lives and breathes dahlias at the farm she operates with her husband Steve Pabody in the Northwest corner of Washington State (see their family photo above).
As a farmer-florist, she also runs Triple Wren Weddings, a wedding and event design studio. After seeing how popular the farm’s dahlia fields were with local photographers and their portrait clients, Sarah fantasized about what it would look like if the people having their photos taken wore dahlias rather than only standing among the flowers.
GET READY!!!
We’ll share the BIG REVEAL of our 2020 American Flowers Week Botanical Couture collection on June 1st. Stay tuned! In the meantime, EVERYONE is invited to conjure their own American Flowers Week botanical couture wearable, because we hope to flood social media with #americanflowersweek goodness come June 28-July 4! Let your imagination go wild!
Dae, Makena, & Chloe, by Tamara Hough for American Flowers Week
We’ve commissioned flower farmer, botanical artist and new Slow Flowers member Tamara Hough of Morning Glory Flowers to design our American Flowers Week branding for 2020!
The playful and charming floral ladies, faces and fashions that Tamara posts on her Instagram feed captured our imagination as a perfect way to represent the spirit of American Flowers Week!
We asked Tamara to create an original illustration with three botanically-styled women to represent the best of Slow Flowers and American Flowers Week. She designed a trio of gals in beautiful floral headpieces, with bits and pieces from the garden used to create all the facial features — and their fashionable looks! Tamara has even named them: Dae, Makena, & Chloe.
Missouri’s flora expressed in a whimsical dress by Andrea K. Grist. This and all images (c) Tiffany Marie Buckley
Floral artist Andrea K. Gristconjures a playful mini-dress infused with the personality of woodland, meadow and prairie, featuring botanicals sourced from Little Green Garden.
“I was inspired by the native plants and grasses that grow in and around the flower farms of Missouri and Kansas,” she says.
“I wanted a very organic look that’s youthful for our model’s age and size. I call the look ‘Cowgirl meets Yule Sprite’ for its sense of both innocence and powerful confidence.
Beth and Joel Fortin of Little Green Garden harvested all the ingredients from their farm, including flowers, grasses, pods and evergreens. The extensive grounds of our location include tall grass prairies and tree-lined horse trails, reflecting the flora of this region.
Andrea recently shared how she crafted the garment:
“I used felt purchased by the yard for the base of the floral bodice and skirt. I originally thought I could use a spray adhesive to attach the greenery, but I ended up using Oasis cold glue to attach the greenery – small pieces of spirea and cedar,” she explains.
A tip from Andrea: Use books to add weight to the foliage to ensure it attaches securely to fabric.
Once in place, the greenry became the neutral “ground” for Andrea’s botanical textile. The “print” was created by adding flowers of the season. Andrea encouraged her grower friends from Little Green Garden to bring what they loved and wanted to showcase. “It was a complete surprise,” laughs Andrea, who added: “my strategy was to place flowers wherever there was a hole in the greenery where the felt showed through.”
The finished felt panels wrapped around model Samantha Grist (Andrea’s daughter), secured with dress clips and a slender belt. Wavy, flowing hair, a lush floral crown and colorful trailing ribbons complete the “yule sprite” look.
On location, our photographer Tiffany Marie Buckley played with lighting to create a moody, mystical background, merging the initial concept with more fairytale qualities.”
Creative Credits:
Designer: Andrea K. Grist, Andrea K. Grist Floral Art, andreakgristfloralart.com, @andreakgristfloralart Flowers: Little Green Garden LLC, Richmond, Missouri, littlegreengardenllc.com, @littlegreengardenkc Venue: Sunset Trails Stables, Lee’s Summit, Missouri, sunsettrailsstables.com, @sunsettrailsstables Model: Samantha Grist Hair and Makeup: Andrea K. Grist Photography: Tiffany Marie Buckley, Tiffany Marie Photography, tiffanybuckley.com, @tiffanymariephoto
American Flowers Week botanical couture from South Carolina. All photography (c) Philip Casey
Co-designers Toni Reale of Roadside Blooms and Laura Mewbourn of Feast & Flora Farm viewed their American Flowers Week botanical couture collaboration as an opportunity to highlight the unique heritage and culture of coastal South Carolina’s Gullah Geechee, a community descended from West African and Central African enslaved people. The women explain, “we were also inspired by the work of noted Southern painter Jonathan Green and spent a lot of time pouring over photos of his work, as well as photos of women in traditional Gullah dress.
Behind the scenes with Laura Mewbourn of Feast & Flora (left) and Toni Reale of Roadside Blooms (right), with model Giovanni Richardson
“We wanted to focus on primary colors for the flowers — the reds, blues, yellows that so frequently appear in Mr. Green’s paintings — and we selected a location that reflects the culture and story of the Gullah Geechee people,” Laura says. “This palette pops brilliantly against the greenery of the marsh location, as well as the Seashore Farmers’ Lodge No. 767, a fraternal common house built in 1915 by black farmers for their community.”
Production day at the Seashore Farmers’ Lodge No. 767; Toni Reale (left) attaches a vibrant palette of Lowcountry S.C.-grown blooms, including those from Feast & Flora Farm (right).
Flowers grown in local soil at Feast & Flora Farm and foraged on location compose a brillant floral garment for their model, Giovanni Richardson, “Queen Gigi Ma’at Ogechi,” Sea Island Gullah Chieftess and founding member of A Taste of Gullah. “As we created Queen Gigi’s dress, we listened to her stories, bearing witness to a beautiful, strong woman, living her life and honoring her heritage as a descendant of slaves. Through listening, understanding and facing the dark reality that is our history, and our present, we believe we can create a different future,” Toni says.
This project was personal and meaningful to the creators, and they credit their model for her guidance and collaboration. “We saw this as an opportunity to highlight the Gullah Geechee community with the hope of challenging people to think of Charleston not just as a place of iconic landmarks frequented by tourists, but as a place whose farms, homes, and plantations were born on the backs of enslaved people, people whose descendants live here and to whom we owe a debt we will never be able to repay.”
Attaching blooms, one at a time (left) and the dream team (right)
Creative Credits: Floral Designer: Toni Reale, Roadside Blooms, North Charleston, S.C., roadsideblooms.com, @roadsideblooms_shop Farmer/Florist: Laura Mewbourn, Feast & Flora Farm, Meggett, S.C., feastandflorafarm.com, @feastandflora Venue: Seashore Farmers’ Lodge No. 767, James Island, S.C., National Registry of Historic Place Model: Giovanni Richardson, “Queen Gigi Ma’at Ogechi,” Sea Island Gullah Chieftess and founding member of A Taste of Gullah, tasteofgullah.com Design Assistants: Kelsey Bacon, Joy Colby, Scott Woytowick Photography: Philip Casey, philipcaseyphoto.com, @philipcaseyphoto
Peony Dress by Kim Herning, Northern Lights Peonies, Fairbanks, Alaska (c) Roxy Marcy, Alaska Alchemy
The inspiring Botanical Couture Collection is central to the American Flowers Week celebration. This beautiful series of wearable floral fashions was created with locally-harvested flowers and foliages by design teams around the U.S. For 2019, we have the largest collection to date — NINE Looks!
In the days leading up to the American Flowers Week (June 28-July 4), we want to highlight stories of the people, flowers, studios and farms behind these beautiful looks.
Let’s visit Alaska’s Prolific Peony Fields
The fanciful and feminine peony gown designed by Kim Dunshie Herning of Northern Lights Peonies incorporates hundreds, if not thousands of peony stems!
Kim is also on the board of Arctic Alaska Peonies, a sponsor of Slow Flowers, so we’re thrilled that she listened to her inner fashionista and came up with this fabulous gown!
We asked Kim to share how she created this wonderful look.
Materials list: -Two layers of heavy-gauge chicken wire to form the base of the skirt -Wire to fasten and attach sections of chicken wire -Landscape plastic mesh to cover the chick wire skirt -Spruce branches
Peony Varieties: Festiva maxima, Sarah Bernhardt, Felix Supreme, Walter Faxon and My Love
Method: “I rolled out the heavy-gauge chicken wire to create the basic shape of my skirt. I realized that I would need two layers of the wire to make the base strong enough to stand up on its own in order to support the hundreds of peonies I planned to use!
“After I finalized the shape, I wired a layer of plastic landscape mesh over the chicken wire base (the openings in the mesh are comparable to the diameter of a peony stem). I also cut a ‘bendable’ door on the back/hem of the skirt that was large enough for my model to slide into.
“From the underside, I also wired on spruce branches to provide more support for the peony stems once inserted. Then, my team and I filled all of the holes with short-stem peonies that I had been saving during the season in our cooler.”
P.S., Kim says that because the Fairbanks weather was so mild last summer, “the dress lasted a good week!”
What’s next for you, Kim? “My head is spinning with plans for Summer 2019 with a bigger and better peony dress — or maybe two, this time! Who knows?”
Red, White and Bloom Introducing the fifth annual American Flowers Week botanical couture collection
Photos by Tiffany Marie Buckley, Philip Casey, Jenny M. Diaz, Kristen Earley, Roxy Marcy, Joelle Martin, Missy Palacol, Chris Pinchbeck, Haley Swinth and Danielle Werner
Field-fresh
and runway-ready, the American Flowers
Week botanical couture collection features nine fashionable floral looks
produced by Slow Flowers teams
across the U.S. Together, these wearable floral garments represent a diverse story
of originality and inventiveness. Each melds talents of growers and florists,
elevating local and seasonal flowers in unexpected and beautiful ways.
In its fifth
year, American Flowers Week (June 28-July 4) promotes domestic flowers and
foliage in the marketplace, inspiring professionals and consumers alike. When flowers
are seen as fashion, they ignite the imagination and stimulate new awareness of
domestic floral agriculture and the art of floral design.
This year’s participants have transformed familiar and uncommon annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, grasses and herbs into everything from mod minis to luxurious gowns, continuing the American Flowers Week series that began with Susan McLeary’s iconic red-white-and-blue floral ‘fro in 2016. The collection has grown to 20 pieces, each of which portrays floral design as art rather than a commodity.
The Slow Flowers application process invited designer-farmer teams around the country to submit their best ideas for showcasing regional traditions, seasonal crops and distinct cultural and historic influences through the floral medium. The alluring results are found in the pages of Florists’ Review’s Slow Flowers Journal. When a model dons a garment fashioned from petals, fronds, buds and blades . . . we as viewers experience wonder and curiosity. These designs shine a light on the passionate individuals who have turned ideas into reality. From gardens to gowns. From cut flowers to couture. From seedlings to style.
Appreciate these artisans and learn from their creative process as they transform fields of blooms into a collection of American floral fashion ingenuity.
ALASKA “The inspiration for our garment came from the floral looks of past seasons,” says Kim Herning of Northern Lights Peonies, based in Fairbanks, Alaska. “And since we are peony farmers, we knew we would be working with peony blooms in all colors and sizes. The style of the peony dress harkens back to women’s fashion in the 1700s and is also reminiscent of the ‘Barbie cakes’ my mother would make in the 1960s. We hope by combining our beautiful peonies with a lovely model in a fantasy setting we would create magic.”
Creative Credits Design team: Kim Herning, Roxy Marcy and Tirzah Friesen Venue and Flowers: Northern Lights Peonies, Fairbanks, Alaska, @northernlightspeonies Lead Designer: Kim Herning, Northern Lights Peonies, Arctic Alaska Peonies @arcticalaskapeonies Model and H/MU: Tirzah Friesen Photography: Roxy Marcy with Alaska Alchemy @alaskaalchemy
WASHINGTON
“I’ve always been inspired by the American West,” explains floral designer Tammy Myers of First and Bloom, based in the Seattle area. “My mother is a quilter. My father loves American history. My grandfather was a descendant of the Karuk Tribe in Northern California. To me, a quilt is a beautiful symbol of true American history. Upon more research, I discovered these iconic patchwork designs actually originate from women during the Colonial period of the 1700s. Later, Native women, known for making beautiful blankets, also started using these same quilting techniques. Quilts are truly a labor of love that brings warmth and comfort to whomever they surround. I find flowers have a similar nature. They too, bring joy and comfort to whomever they are near.
“Authenticity
was very important to me for this project. Our model, Anne Davidson, is of Native Athabaskan descent and the area
where this scene was photographed at Laughing
Goat Farm in Enumclaw, Wash., is an area rich in Native American
history.”
Creative Credits Designer: Tammy Myers, First & Bloom, firstandbloom.com, @firstandbloom Design Assistance: Amy Brown and Leila Jorden @leilajjorden Flowers: Laughing Goat Flower Farm, Enumclaw, Wash., laughinggoatfarm.com, @laughinggoatflowerfarm Additional Flowers: Seattle Wholesale Growers Market, seattlewholesalegrowersmarket, @seattlewholesalegrowersmarket Venue: Laughing Goat Farm Model: Anne Davidson, @amd98065 Hair and Makeup: Elizabeth White Artistry @elizabethwhiteartistry Photography: Missy Palacol Photography @missy.palacol
CALIFORNIA
“Our
brave, boundary-pushing young woman is wearing 1960s Vogue attire created from gerbera daisies,” says artist and
photographer Jenny M. Diaz.
“The ’60s were such a pivotal decade for women. Women were demanding more
inclusion in the workforce, equal pay and control of their personal rights.
“I
chose the city of Fresno as my backdrop because many of the structures date
back to the ’60s. The gerbera daisies are strong, not only in their appearance,
but also how they create a pattern on the dress. Our gray background
contrasting with a beautiful model in my bright gerbera dress made for a
perfect combination. We wanted to show
how strong women can be — on the rooftop, looking out into the world, hanging
over the edge, riding a skateboard — all while looking stunning. My hope is
that when someone sees this look, they are inspired to push themselves further.
I am a graphic designer who wanted to push myself to create this look from
start to finish. Yes, I was absolutely terrified, but I stepped out of my
comfort zones and jumped in head first!”
Creative Credits: Designer: Jenny M. Diaz, jennymdiaz.com, @jennymdiaz Flowers: Dramm + Echter, Encinitas, Calif., drammechter.com, @dramm_and_echter Venue: Fresno, Calif. Model: Kara Trukki @luckytrukki Hair and Makeup: Sixx Valenzuela, @sixxvalenzuela Photography: Jenny M. Diaz
MISSOURI
Andrea
K. Grist conjures a
playful mini-dress infused with the personality of woodland, meadow and
prairie, featuring botanicals sourced from Little
Green Garden. “I
was inspired by the native plants and grasses that grow in and around the
flower farms of Missouri and Kansas,” she says. “I wanted a very
organic look that’s youthful for our model’s age and size. I call the look
‘Cowgirl meets Yule Sprite’ for its sense of both innocence and powerful
confidence. Beth and Joel Fortin of
Little Green Garden harvested all the ingredients from their farm, including
flowers, grasses, pods and evergreens. The extensive grounds of our location
include tall grass prairies and tree-lined horse trails, reflecting the flora
of this region. On location, our photographer Tiffany Marie Buckley played with lighting to create a moody,
mystical background, merging the initial concept with more fairytale qualities.”
Creative Credits: Designer: Andrea K. Grist, Andrea K. Grist Floral Art, andreakgristfloralart.com, @andreakgristfloralart Flowers: Little Green Garden LLC, Richmond, Missouri, littlegreengardenllc.com, @littlegreengardenkc Venue: Sunset Trails Stables, Lee’s Summit, Missouri, sunsettrailsstables.com, @sunsettrailsstables Model: Samantha Grist Hair and Makeup: Andrea K. Grist Photography: Tiffany Marie Buckley, Tiffany Marie Photography, tiffanybuckley.com, @tiffanymariephoto
MICHIGAN
Heather Grit of Caledonia, Mich.-based Glamour and Grit Floral highlights the
winter beauty of Michigan, saying “as a designer, I have to be creative in
the colder months and think outside the box to create a dress that doesn’t
scream ‘Christmas.'”
She
harvested trimmings from 17 types of evergreens growing at a Michigan tree
farm, including spruces and firs. “I wanted to give our dress dimension
and texture — and show how pretty Michigan can be when there is snow on the
ground and the flowers are dormant.”
Creative Credits: Designer: Heather Grit, Glamour and Grit Floral, glamourandgritfloral.com, @glamourandgrit Plants and Greenery: Speyer Greenhouse, Byron Center, Mich., @speyergreenhouse; and Hart Tree Farm, Rockford, Mich., harttreefarm.net Venue: Private location, Caledonia, Mich. Model: Kailee Naber, @kaileenaber Hair and Makeup: Tawwney Sayre, Makeup by Tawwney, @tawwney.jua Photography: Joelle Martin, Lavender and Lace Photography LLC, lavenderandlacephotos.com, @lavenderandlacephotos
MAINE
Rayne Grace Hoke’s inspiration for the late-summer dress was two-fold. She
envisioned a floral version of her family’s collection of heirloom crazy quilts
and drew from the extensive flowers, greenery and herbs at Johnny’s
Selected Seeds’ research
farm in Albion, Maine.
When Rayne arrived at the 40-acre certified
organic farm, she was mesmerized by the varieties available at the peak of the
season.
“I let the palette of organic
botanicals ‘speak’ to me, as their twists and swirls, colors and shapes
influenced this dress design,” she says. “The setting and flowers
lent themselves to the natural progression that allowed me to turn our model
into a flower harvest goddess. I created a pattern with flowers to mimic fabric
for the dress’s bodice. Grasses of all types created the garment’s skirt. The
key to constructing this look was to make sure the undergarment we used was
fitted and could support the weight of the flowers. This is when my skills in
fashion design and sewing come in handy!”
She continues: “I hope my love for the stunning beauty of Maine comes
through, as well as love for what I do as an artist.”
Creative Credits: Designer: Rayne Grace Hoke, Flora’s Muse, Biddeford, Maine, florasmuse.com, @florasmuse Design Assistant: Hillary Alger, Product Manager for Herbs and Flowers, Johnny’s Selected Seeds Flowers and Foliage: Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Winslow, Maine, johnnyseeds.com, @johnnys_seeds Venue: Johnny’s Trial Gardens, Albion, Maine Model: Mary Yarumian, @marybebythesea Hair and Makeup: Mary Yarumian Photography: Kristen Earley, Johnny’s Selected Seeds; Chris Pinchbeck, pinchbeckphoto.com
SOUTH CAROLINA
Co-designers Toni Reale of Roadside Blooms and Laura
Mewbourn of Feast & Flora Farm
viewed their botanical couture collaboration as an opportunity to highlight the
unique heritage and culture of coastal South Carolina’s Gullah Geechee, a
community descended from West African and Central African enslaved people. The
women explain, “we were also inspired by the work of noted Southern
painter Jonathan Green and spent a lot of time pouring over photos of his work,
as well as photos of women in traditional Gullah dress.
“We
wanted to focus on primary colors for the flowers — the reds, blues, yellows
that so frequently appear in Mr. Green’s paintings — and we selected a
location that reflects the culture and story of the Gullah Geechee people. This
palette pops brilliantly against the greenery of the marsh location, as well as
the Seashore Farmers’ Lodge No. 767, a fraternal common house built in 1915 by
black farmers for their community.”
Flowers
grown in local soil at Feast & Flora Farm and foraged on location compose a
brillant floral garment for their model, Giovanni Richardson, “Queen Gigi
Ma’at Ogechi,” Sea Island Gullah Chieftess and founding member of A Taste
of Gullah. “As we created Queen Gigi’s dress, we listened to her stories,
bearing witness to a beautiful, strong woman, living her life and honoring her
heritage as a descendant of slaves. Through listening, understanding and facing
the dark reality that is our history, and our present, we believe we can create
a different future,” Reale and Mewbourn say.
This project was personal and meaningful to the creators, and they credit their model for her guidance and collaboration. “We saw this as an opportunity to highlight the Gullah Geechee community with the hope of challenging people to think of Charleston not just as a place of iconic landmarks frequented by tourists, but as a place whose farms, homes, and plantations were born on the backs of enslaved people, people whose descendants live here and to whom we owe a debt we will never be able to repay.”
Creative Credits: Floral Designer: Toni Reale, Roadside Blooms, North Charleston, S.C., roadsideblooms.com, @roadsideblooms_shop Farmer/Florist: Laura Mewbourn, Feast & Flora Farm, Meggett, S.C., feastandflorafarm.com, @feastandflora Venue: Seashore Farmers’ Lodge No. 767, James Island, S.C., National Registry of Historic Places Model: Giovanni Richardson, “Queen Gigi Ma’at Ogechi,” Sea Island Gullah Chieftess and founding member of A Taste of Gullah, tasteofgullah.com Design Assistants: Kelsey Bacon, Joy Colby, Scott Woytowick Photography: Philip Casey, philipcaseyphoto.com, @philipcaseyphoto
OREGON
Beth Syphers
wanted to tell a story of a sassy, confident, modern-day young woman, and she
framed her narrative around the late 1950s and early 1960s. “I also wanted
this design to embrace women in all shapes and sizes and reflect their power,”
she says. “Bethany Little of Charles Little & Co., a farm known for
fabulous dried flowers, assisted me with this project. We decided to highlight
the 1960s dried flower vibe. We loved showcasing a combination of dried and
fresh flowers as a way to extend the ‘local’ season in our floral designs. To
me, flowers in all stages of their lifecycle have beauty. I would love folks to
look at this design and be confident about stepping away from following the
crowd; to not be afraid of what people think of their art, but to be bold and
unique.”
Creative Credits: Designer: Beth Syphers, Crowley House Flower Farm, Rickreall, Oregon, chflowers.com, @crowleyhouse Fresh and Dried Floral: Crowley House Flower Farm and Beth and Charles Little, Charles Little & Co., Eugene, Oregon, charleslittleandcompany.com, @charleslittleandco Venue: McMinnville, Oregon Models: Rilley Syphers and Remington Kuenzi Hair and Makeup: Rilley Syphers, @rilley.h.s Photography: Haley Swinth, haleyswinthphoto.com, @haleyswinth
FLORIDA
Eileen
Tongson is a farmer-florist in the Orlando area who partnered with FernTrust,
one of the nation’s largest sources of Florida-grown ferns and foliage.
“My starting point for the design was a visit to FernTrust, where I was
able to see up close all the foliage they grow,” she says. “All of
the shades of green, not to mention the textures and shapes of foliage, were so
inspiring! Many people still do not know that Central Florida is the cut
foliage capital of the world. I wanted to create a design that highlights this
amazing botanical product and encourage other designers to use it as more than
just foliage in their floral arrangements.”
Eileen’s
botanical gown and the fern-farm location are thoroughly integrated. “We
want you to look at our story and immediately know its setting — the real,
natural Florida. We were so fortunate that the most perfect oranges were still
on the trees at FernTrust. Spanish moss was moving in the breeze. There were
also majestic oak trees overhead and countless varieties of ferns below. What a
dreamy, magical place!”
Creative Credits: Designer: Eileen Tongson, FarmGal Flowers, Orlando, Florida, farmgalflowers.com, @farmgalflowers Foliage: Jana Register, FernTrust, Seville, Florida, ferntrust.com, @ferntrustinc Venue: FernTrust Model: Isabel Tongson, @isabel.tongson Hair: Katrina Elbo, J. Bauman Salon, shearkatrina.com, @shearkatrina Makeup: Miki Walker, Make Me Up Miki, makemeupmiki.com, @mikilanii Photography: Danielle Werner, Live Wonderful Photography, livewonderful.com, @livewonderful_
We’ve just received our fabulous American Flowers Week labels (actual size: 2-x-3 inch oval) and it’s time to place your order! It’s completely free to participate in American Flowers Week, but if you really want to dazzle your customers, we have an affordable resource for you to use. For the 4th year in a row, you can use American Flowers Week bouquet labels to highlight your product, your brand and your mission. The labels are available exclusively to all active Slow Flowers members. To offset the cost of design and production, we ask for a nominal contribution from you. Pricing: $20 50 $35 100 $50 200 $100 500 To order: Please send your request to: debraprinzing@gmail.com and indicate the quantity of labels you want. Payment: You’ll receive an invoice payable via PayPal and once payment is complete, the labels will be shipped. We will add $10 Priority Shipping & Handling to each order, due to a Postal Service rate increase to $7.65 for a flat-rate envelope. Deadline/Shipment: All label orders must be received by Friday, June 21st in order for us to mail them to you in time.
Use American Flowers Week’s badges and graphics in your marketing. Click here for a link to download. The logos and social media-formatted badges are free for you to download and include in your own camapigns and promotions.
A special thanks to designer Jenny Diaz, for her contribution over the past four years. We love the look and vibe of the branding you’ve created, Jenny!
As a special branding bonus for 2019, We are so thrilled to share this beautiful red-white-and-blue illustrated floral print that we commissioned from Seattle-based artist Josephine Rice.
Parie Design’s all-American and local backyard farm-to-table dinner (c) Mallory Morgan Creative
We’re so excited to announce that American Flowers Week now has a comprehensive Events Calendar – AND – an easy way for you to add your event to it. Click here to add your event or select the form from the Event>dropdown>Add Your Event in the menu above.
The goal: To share as many American Flowers Week floral events on the calendar, coast-to-coast. Emphasis is placed on all June and July Events!
The Hudson Valley Flower Growers threw a fabulous party for American Flowers Week!
Why is this important? We’ll be sharing the events calendar with the media, with our subscribers and on social media. We want flower lovers all across the U.S. to learn about you and your blooms. They want new opportunities to attend workshops, pop-ups, meet-ups, parties and public floral events.
Gorgeous, natural light fills The Station, where florist Suzie Bunn and her business Statice Floral hosted a Farmer-Florist Party during American Flowers Week.
Adding your event is FREE.We reserve the right to edit for length or decline if the event isn’t relevant to American Flowers Week.
We’ve included lots of categories to help you organize (and help users find) specific types of events. They include:
Farm-to-Table Dinner
Floral Conference
Floral Design Workshop
Flower Farming Event
Lecture/Demonstration
Meet-Up/Gathering
Pop-Up Sale
Andrea Grist partnered with local flower farmers to teach a design workshop in Kansas City.
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Designed for creative professionals, thought leaders and the progressive floral marketplace | July 1-2, 2019
SEATTLE, WA (February 11, 2018) – Slowflowers.com, the comprehensive online resource that connects consumers with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers, announced details of the third annual SLOW FLOWERS SUMMIT, expanded to two days, set for July 1- 2, 2019, coinciding with the fifth American Flowers Week campaign.
“The SLOW FLOWERS SUMMIT is tailored to meet the interests of the progressive floral community, including designers, growers, farmer-florists, wholesalers, retailers and flower lovers,” says Debra Prinzing, producer of the Summit and founder of the Slow Flowers Movement.
“As an inclusive gathering for creative floral professionals, the SUMMIT reflects the mission of Slow Flowers:
To change the flower sourcing practices of consumers and professionals through outreach and education that highlights the benefits of local, seasonal and domestic floral agriculture.
The SUMMIT will be held at two venues: On July 1, attendees will convene at the PAIKKA Event Space on the Vandalia Tower property in St. Paul, Minn. On July 2, the conference will move to the innovative Twin Cities Flower Exchange, located at The Good Acre in Falcon Heights, Minn.
Prinzing developed the SUMMIT as an alternative to conventional floral conferences and as an interactive “live” component to the virtual American Flowers Week campaign (June 28-July 4). AFW devotes a week of activity via regional events and social media platforms to promote domestic flowers, raise consumer awareness and unite America’s flower farmers with the U.S. floral industry.
Terri McEnaney, president of St. Paul-based Bailey Nurseries Inc., will keynote the SUMMIT with “Branding Your Green Platform,” and share the successful marketing lessons of the Endless Summer Hydrangea, among other popular plant introductions.
Los Angeles-based floral artist Whit McClure of Whit Hazen Studio, will give the capstone presentation on “Floral Activism,” inspiring attendees to use their art and entrepreneurial ventures for public good.
Other SUMMIT speakers include:
Louesa Roebuck, author of Foraged Flora, and Carly Jenkins of Killing Frost Farm will present “The Art & Ethics of Foraging,” sharingtheir advice and experience about designing with an eye for wild-gathered material. Following the presentation, Christine Hoffman of Twin Cities Flower Exchange will demonstrate a large-scale “botanical tapestry” in the Paikka Courtyard.
Kalisa Jenne-Fraser and Missy Palacol of Kalyx Group and Niesha Blancas of Fetching Social Media will present “Authentic and Visual Storytelling for Social Media,” including a fast-track primer to help attendees align visual content that reflects brand and personal story.
The day’s final panel: “Farm-to-Florist: Seeding and Growing a Regional Flower Hub,”invites three innovators at the heart of flower-enterprise centers to discuss business models and lessons/advice for success. They include Christine Hoffman of Twin Cities Flower Exchange; Kelly Morrison of Piedmont Wholesale Flowers; and Amanda Maurmann of Michigan Flower Growers Cooperative.
Tickets to the two-day event are $425, including refreshments/meals and a July 1st cocktail reception with the speakers. Slow Flowers members receive discounted pricing of $375. Pre-Registration is available at slowflowerssummit.com.
BONUS Events: On Sunday, June 30, 2019, Summit registrants will enjoy free, self-guided tours at two Minnesota flower farms, including Blue Sky Flower Farm in Lakeville, Minn., and Green Earth Growers in Prior Lake, Minn. On Sunday evening, guests will be welcome to a Slow Flowers Dinner on the Farm, produced by Dinner on the Farm. Dinner tickets are sold separately at $100 per person. Order tickets here.
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About the organizer:
Debra Prinzing is a Seattle-based writer, speaker and leading advocate for American Grown Flowers. Through her many Slow Flowers-branded projects, she has convened a national conversation that stimulates consumers and professionals alike to make conscious choices about their floral purchases.
Debra is the producer of SlowFlowers.com, the online directory to American grown farms, florists, shops and studios who supply domestic and local flowers.
Each Wednesday, approximately 2,500 listeners tune into Debra’s “Slow Flowers Podcast,” available for free downloads at her web site, debraprinzing.com, or on iTunes and via other podcast services. She is the author of 10 books, including Slow Flowers and The 50 Mile Bouquet.
