Care Of Roses

Marketing Intern 2017

2017-03-10T20:13:00.001-08:00

Supervisor: Marketing Project Manager
Status: None Exempt, Part-Time Hourly, 20 hours per week
Date: 2017

Position Summary:

The Marketing Intern is a key position within the Marketing Department of Heirloom Roses. This person is responsible for assisting the Marketing Project Manager in creating and managing the online content on the heirloomroses.com and social media platforms, as well assisting in the creation and execution of ecommerce promotions and email marketing campaigns. Working closely with the Sales Manager as well as the Marketing Project Manager, this person executes media activity, as assigned, related to promotions and marketing campaigns.

Specific Duties:
Executes deliverables assigned by Marketing Manager according to marketing calendar.
Manage image optimization project to ensure web products have multiple, high-quality, properly compressed images.
Responsible for out-bound content management on all social media platforms.
Monitors and reports activity on industry related blogs / consumer reporting sites.
Works closely with independent graphics designers and photographers to develop content for website and social media needs based on marketing campaigns.
Other tasks as assigned.

Qualifications

Third or fourth year in English, Communications, Marketing or related field.
Desire and ability to adapt and learn.
Self-motivated, strong sense of initiative and resourceful.
Proven ability to manage multiple projects on time and within budget.
Eye for detail.
Ability to be flexible in a fast paced, changing environment.
Ability to write and edit copy related to e-mails, social media and website content.
Working knowledge of standard social media platforms
Ability to work remotely with flexible hours as needed.

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Vogue on Vivienne Westwood

2017-01-09T13:15:00.015-08:00

7th May 2014 - Posted by: Verity Porter - Categories: News

Yesterday we proudly sponsored the ‘Vogue on Vivienne Westwood’ book signing event at the Royal Crescent Hotel as part of this year’s Bath in Fashion celebrations. Our very own intern Gracie was transformed into a live floral installation complete with Georgian dress and wig.

Author Linda Watson gave us a fascinating insight into the career of the extraordinary fashion designer – all the while with Gracie artfully in-situ as our tribute to the bold, creative and trend setting designer.

Vivienne Westwood regularly incorporates flowers into her shows and so we wanted to come up with something that would fit with that Cool Britannia vibe that she is so well known for. We also decided to weave the Georgian themes of ‘Grace and Elegance’ into the installation to tie in with the broader celebrations that are taking place in Bath this year and hopefully created a real talking point for all those that attended.

A special shout out to The Little Lab and their brilliant air-brush tattooing which helped us to complete Gracie’s transformation and to the super talented Taylor Barnes Photography for catching it all on film.

More photos to follow later this week x

Out With the Old, In with the New…..

2017-01-09T13:15:00.013-08:00

7th March 2016 - Posted by: Verity Porter - Categories: News

It’s been a busy few months here, as whilst the school has been in full swing we have been working behind the scenes to put together a new website. Whilst our existing website fit the bill, we thought it was high time that we had a website which was truly representative of Tallulah Rose. We were very privileged to have the opportunity to work with a host of talented people, all of which were pivotal in providing us with our new and exciting website.

Two days were spent with the amazing Damon Charles – a Frome based photographer who has an exceptional eye at capturing his subject in an inspiring form. The photo shoot was a not only great fun, but Damon managed to take some amazing images, all of which you will see throughout the website.

Sue Bush from Touchpoint design, was our design expert. From the beginning she completely got the Tallulah Rose Style, which was brilliant as it meant she was fantastic at conveying that into the website and lastly but not least, Martyn James from Kinetic Pulse – Thank you so much for all of your patience and help with our demands in bringing it all together and providing us with a website which are so very proud of.

It now feels like we have a website which shouts Tallulah Rose, we’re really love it and hope you do too – Enjoy!

To check out further work of our collaborators, click on below:

Damon Charles

Touchpoint Design

Kinetic Pulse

British Flowers Week Celebrations

2017-01-09T13:15:00.011-08:00

30th June 2016 - Posted by: Verity Porter - Categories: Courses / News

What better way to celebrate British Flower week, than spending the day with Lara at Manor Farm Cottage Flowers? We started the day (in glorious sunshine!) with a tour of the farm. Lara gave the students the low-down on how she sows hers seeds and plants her flowers.

From field to vase, Lara explained how continual care (and love!) is required to produce the very best flowers!

Explaining cutting techniques, Lara shows the students how to cut flowers with an event in mind, always making sure that she cuts her ‘Show Girls’ firstly.

Armed with their buckets and scissors it was then over to the students to cut their very own flowers – definitely a case of kids in a sweet shop, the ladies were in their element!

Following a delicious locally made lunch, Rachel demonstrated how to dress a natural archway, not one to give up she battled on through the heavy rainstorm which inconveniently set in just as she began.

The end result was beautiful albeit a bit soggy – as were we all.

Thankfully it wasn’t too long before the rain stopped, and ladies were able to put good use to their cut flowers. A quick demonstration from myself and Saffy and then it was over to the ladies to produce their own posies – they did a fab job in creating some amazing floral designs

We ended the day with a cuppa and cake and reflected on the days events. The day was a huge success – thank you to all the students that took part and to Lara for being such a great host!

So, having spent some time on the flower farm, it has definitely reinforced why we at Tallulah Rose love to (when possible) use British grown flowers – reasons why, here a few.

• The flowers are at their freshest as they have travelled the minimum distance, which in turn gives them a maximum vase life
• Not only do they look beautiful, but many of the British Flowers have a stunning scent – such a powerful thing which often can revoke a memory
• Buying British and ‘in-season’ means your flowers will be the very best quality.

If you’d would like know more about Manor Farm Cottage Flowers or would like to purchase some of their gorgeous British flowers – check them out on their Facebook page.

Heavenly Country Retreat

2017-01-09T13:15:00.009-08:00

15th June 2016 - Posted by: Verity Porter - Categories: Courses / News

A B S O L U T E L Y A M A Z I N G – that for me would sum up our country flower course retreat, as I’m sure the students on the course would agree?

Sitting out on the lawn with tea and cake (and sun) was the perfect beginning for the excited group of florists (not forgetting our competition winner), to get to know one another and discuss our flowery week ahead.

The days were busy with inspirational wedding installations, whilst the evenings took on a much slower pace – the continual chat and banter brought about much laughter, making for a fun and relaxed atmosphere.

Definitely a full on few days, but the end results were fabulous – our photographer Emily Kelly captured the ladies work perfectly.

Stunning stairs adorned with highly scented roses and peonies

A romantic styled function room with large billowing urns and tall meadow arrangements to create a huge impact isle for a bride

and a fireplace dressed with timeless whites and greens

A large scale archway abundant with deep pinks and green hydrangea

What a week it was, the ladies certainly proved that they are more than capable of producing some stunning pieces of work – not only did they work well together, but their continual encouragement and support to one another made for the perfect team effort – Great work ladies!!

Still on a complete buzz from the course, we’ve gone ahead and booked Sparkford Hall for another retreat – this time in October, this time round we will be dressing the venue as if it were for a winter/Christmas wedding. If you have a passion for all things floral, it will be the perfect opportunity to create some amazing winter installations, whilst also updating your portfolio ahead of time in hope that you may secure some winter weddings.

For more information, please click here.

Tallulah Rose on the Road

2017-01-09T13:15:00.007-08:00

25th April 2016 - Posted by: Verity Porter - Categories: Courses / News

Here at Tallulah Rose we are super excited by our fast approaching luxury residential wedding flower course – our first ever!

The stunning Georgian house, Sparkford Hall will play home to the students, set in the beautiful Somerset countryside it will undoubtedly inspire.

The idea is for this beautiful house to decorated, room by room as though for a luxury wedding. By the end of day three, our temporary home will be utterly transformed into a flower wedding heaven.

Images from Pinterest

Student will learn many techniques along the way, and we will be actively encouraging them to develop their floristry skills whilst building confidence and experimenting with their own style.

On our final day we will be joined by the talented Emily Kelly who will be taking professional images of all the installations, whilst giving her on hand expertise.

Three days on floral decadence, what’s not to love?

Click Wedding Flower Course Retreat to check out more details.

New Year, New You

2017-01-09T13:15:00.005-08:00

7th January 2016 - Posted by: Verity Porter - Categories: Courses / News

Welcome back after what seems like a long break. We hope you’ve had a great Christmas and are excited by what 2015 has to offer?

New Year is traditionally a time for people to reflect on life and set out to make new resolutions….a promise to ourselves to do either an act of self-improvement or to do something nice for someone else. Whether it be wanting to get fit and healthy or quit an addition, it is also often a time when we question our careers – each of us here at Tallulah Rose have done just that. Making that jump from one career to another is a massive decision, but once you are on your new path it really is very liberating

If it has been your new years resolution to become a florist then our February Career course could be just the answer. Not only will it provide you with practical skills but will also assist in providing the foundations required to start a new business.

So, if you wanting to become the budding florist in 2015 then visit our website for further course details www.tallulahroseflowers.com

Our next four week career course begins 2nd February.

Frolicking with very British flowers

2017-01-09T13:15:00.003-08:00

21st June 2014 - Posted by: Verity Porter - Categories: News

On Friday we welcomed Lara to the Flower School with her buckets of very British flowers to collaborate on our first British Flower Day Course.

Lara from Manor Farm Cottage Flowers

After an introduction to British flowers from a grower’s perspective it was time to get hands on and create gorgeous natural hand ties as nature intended them to be. When flowers are this fresh and this seasonal, there’s no need to over style – they simply speak for themselves in all their British glory!

Just some of our flower heroes for the day included bright blue Cornflowers, deep purple and pink heavenly scented Sweet Peas, Dahlias, Zinnias and Larkspur – all of which are at their freshest right now so if you are looking for some July floral inspiration, they are a great place to start.

A big thank you to Lara for nurturing these wonderful blooms and of course to our day students who we had a blast with!

You can see more of Lara’s beautiful blooms and her styling of them via her Manor Farm Cottage Facebook page.

Slip a Tallulah Rose Voucher Under the Tree

2017-01-09T13:15:00.001-08:00

23rd November 2016 - Posted by: Verity Porter - Categories: News / Shop

With the Christmas market starting tomorrow, Christmas has definitely arrived here in Bath and with that comes the craziness of trying to navigate your way around the city. Sit back in the comfort of your own home and shop online (like most of us tend to do these days). Feeling stuck for gift ideas, why not buy one of our Tallulah gift vouchers?

Now in several denominations (£50, £100, £150, £200, and £500), these vouchers would make for a fabulous gift ideal for any flower loving friends and family. If you’re a Tallulah fan wanting to do one of our courses, perhaps hint to a friend or family member to buy one of our vouchers so it could be used towards a course

In addition to the voucher we are also selling our very own Tallulah aprons – how lovely would it be to bundle one of these together with a voucher to make the perfect present.

All Tallulah Rose gift vouchers will arrive beautifully packaged ready for you to put under the Christmas tree!

For more information shop, online at Tallulah Rose Flowers or alternatively email us at hello@tallulahroseflowers.com and we can arrange the rest……

Happy Shopping!

🎅🌹 Saturday Series 🌹🎅 A Special Message From Heirloom Roses + Open Your Gift! 🌹🎅

2016-12-22T18:31:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas friends, family and loyal customers!

We are excited to share all the growth that has taken place at Heirloom over the past year! We have completed our largest growing season ever in the 40 years of Heirloom Rose’s history, shipping more __roses than ever before to climates ranging from balmy Southern California to the extreme cold climate of Alaska. It is truly amazing to witness day after day the dedication of the rose growing community to cultivating and preserving the beauty and tradition of roses.

As we enter the 2017 growing season, we are once again confirming our commitment to Heirloom’s beginnings by offering an even wider selection of Old Garden Roses. Many of these plants have not been available in over ten years and cannot be found anywhere else. We hope these historic __roses will enrich your gardens and lives.

In addition to bringing back these Old Garden classics, we will also be introducing many new introductions throughout the year. These roses are currently tucked away nice and snug in our greenhouses, growing roots in preparation to be shipped to homes and gardens across America.

As we finish a year filled with change and growth, we look forward to a new year full of giving. We want to share our love for roses with everyone. We believe the fragrant beauty and fond memories that come from a rose remind us of those we love and the small, yet beautiful things which brighten our world.

Our goal for 2017 is to Share the Love: the love of roses, the love of family and the love of growing beautiful things!

We hope you will join us as we share roses by taking a bouquet to your neighbors, planting a special rose with someone you love or helping a young gardener get started growing their very first rose. We look forward to working with you to “Share the Love” in 2017.

On behalf of the Hanna Family and our entire team at Heirloom Roses, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

God Bless,

Ben Hanna

Owner of Heirloom roses Inc.

Slip a Tallulah Rose Voucher Under the Tree

2016-11-23T10:13:00.001-08:00

23rd November 2016 - Posted by: Verity Porter - Categories: News / Shop

In addition to the voucher we are also selling our very own Tallulah aprons – how lovely would it be to bundle one of these together with a voucher to make the perfect present.

All Tallulah Rose gift vouchers will arrive beautifully packaged ready for you to put under the Christmas tree!

For more information shop, online at Tallulah Rose Flowers or alternatively email us at hello@tallulahroseflowers.com and we can arrange the rest……

Happy Shopping!

✿❀ Saturday Series ❀✿ Beautiful, Premium, Own-Root Roses ❀✿

2016-11-08T21:33:00.005-08:00

“A rose is a rose is a rose.” While this statement may have been true concerning Gertrude Stein’s poem Sacred Emily and the idea that objects and circumstances exist in the moment, always the same, it does not hold true regarding the quality of the rose plant. Not all __roses are created equal!

Which is why, here at Heirloom Roses, we are proud to offer only the finest quality of own-root roses. Grown in this way, our __roses are more hardy, more disease resistant and last longer than the commonplace grafted rose, which you can buy at the convenience store. We stand behind our guarantee, that our own-root roses will stay true to color and enhance your garden for years to come.

Whether you are just getting started, or you are a veteran rose grower, our own-root roses will enhance your yard, filling your garden with beauty and fragrance. As we enter summer, now is the perfect time to add to your garden, with a rose to be admired by all. Be sure to choose only the best, and grow true to kind, own-root roses.

✿❀ Saturday Series ❀✿ It's All About Watering. ❀✿

2016-11-08T21:33:00.003-08:00

Summer is upon us, and with all the extra heat it is crucial to keep your __roses well hydrated and cool. Roses should be watered deeply two to three times a week in the summer. __roses love the water, but it is good for them to go one to two days without it. This reduces the risk of over-watering and disease. If you are concerned about the extreme heat, instead of spraying your roses with water to keep them cool, try mulching around the base of the plant with a thick layer of compost, soil amendments and grass clippings. To learn more about the best practices to follow when watering your roses click here.

✿❀Saturday Series❀✿ Hot Summer Gardening Trends ❀✿

2016-11-08T21:33:00.001-08:00

Many times in the excitement of getting a beautiful rose we rush to plant because we want to see it bloom. However, we often forget that in order to maximize the effect of the beautiful rose more careful planning is required. A well planned rose garden makes it easier to care for the __roses and enjoy them.

Over the years, we’ve noticed a few hot trends which take a rose garden to the next level. First, these gardens use color. Lots of color! Often the colors used are either coordinating or contrasting. Coordinating colors blend the garden together for a seamless effect, while the use of contrasting colors creates a dramatic effect, leaving a lasting impression. Roses in these gardens are also planted in large groups or clusters. This style emphasizes the color of the __roses and makes spaces look bigger than they really are. Another way these gardens maximize their space and create visual interest is by planting climbers. This height adds drama and creates a spectacular display. Finally, these gardens use fragrance to their advantage. Rose gardens full of fragrant roses create an atmosphere of peace and beauty, adding to the overall experience for all who enjoy the garden. Following these general rules when designing your rose garden will ensure your garden is a pleasure to work and play in and will leave a lasting impression on all who enter.

Flower Farm Journal

2016-10-17T10:26:00.001-07:00

October 17th. 2016

Workshop Registration Opens Today

Written by Floret

The team and I are all huddled around our computers nervously awaiting the launch of the 2017 Floret workshops at 10 a.m. Pacific time today.

As I shared with our newsletter subscribers earlier today, (if you don’t get our newsletters, be sure sign up here) with my book due out in February, we’ve chosen to scale back our on-farm workshop offerings next year to make room for the release and also to have more time with our families.

Floret will be hosting just FOUR workshops in 2017: three Flower Farming Intensives and one Floral Design Intensive. We anticipate that seats will fill very fast, so if you have your heart set on attending a class next year, you’ll want to be ready to register right at 10 a.m. PST.

You can review the dates and details of each of the four classes on our Upcoming Workshops page. When the clock strikes 10 a.m. PST, tickets will go live and appear at the bottom of each workshop description page. Be sure to refresh the page if they don’t show up right away.

We have two ticket options available: you can pay in full or opt for a payment plan. You can find more information about our payment plans HERE.

PLEASE NOTE: We have a limited number of each payment option available, and tickets are on a first come, first serve basis.

UPDATE: Our website is experiencing very high levels of traffic. As of 10:20 PST only two tickets were still available. We recommend that you refresh the page to confirm if tickets are available.

Flower Farm Journal

2016-10-16T21:26:00.001-07:00

October 16th. 2016

Announcing the 2017 Floret Workshop Scholarship Winners

Written by Floret

The team and I are filled with so much excited and nervous energy to make this announcement. I know the anticipation among Floret followers has also been building and we so appreciate everyone’s patience while we took some extra time to review the entries.

The massive storm front pounding the Pacific Northwest thankfully wasn’t nearly as bad as they predicted, which was a welcome relief. The farm is fine, but the high winds did leave us without power for eight hours over the weekend, which forced us to get creative about how to review the record number (1032!) of entries we received this year. In a moment of panic (on my part) Chris pulled our camper alongside the house, fired up the generator and ran extension cords through the windows to power our computers. While I’m sure it looked a little funny to the neighbors, it sure did the trick!

We received applications from a record 49 of 50 U.S. states (where are all you flower lovers in Nevada?), and 8 of the 10 Canadian provinces, plus the Yukon territory. The scholarship opportunity also reached a global audience, with applications from 23 other countries, from Bulgaria to Barbados and from South Africa to Singapore. A huge thanks to each and every person who submitted an application!

The Floret team worked around the clock to finish reviewing the essays, narrowing the list down to 60, then 35, before handing me the finalists to make the difficult decision. This was by far the best bunch of finalists we’ve ever had, making the decision that much harder. Thankfully, I was able to choose not two, but three awardees, thanks to the extremely kind and generous soul and past workshop attendee who offered to sponsor a scholarship. I shared this before, but I think it is worth sharing again that she described the workshop as “life changing and life affirming, and I want to give that opportunity to someone who also needs to be there.”

The process of reviewing your submissions is always such a treat for me and the team. Some of the essays made us laugh. Some left us a little misty-eyed. We were humbled by the candor and honesty shared in your stories. The confessions of anxiety and self doubt, of leaving the stability of deeply unsatisfying jobs to pursue your passions….the need to carve out more space in your lives for the things that bring you joy and make your souls sing….the yearning for the freedom to take risks to pursue dreams.

As we read through the submissions, there were a few key themes that surfaced. For example, we noted that conventional career paths have left far, far too many people feeling emotionally and creatively empty.

One applicant described her office job as climbing “this paved mountain of expectations…only to find feelings of emptiness and confusion.” Another confessed, “My biggest fear is doing something I don’t love for the rest of my life.”

There is an intense internal tug of war between what you feel you “should” do and what your heart calls you to do. You are looking for ways of “making” a job instead of “taking” a job. The garden beckons you.

“Growing __flowers feels like finding home.”

“I am ready to reclaim some of the very parts of my heart that make me ME.”

I want “to live my passion and truth.”

Many confessed they lack the confidence to go out on a limb and pursue their dreams. Others yearn for the camaraderie of fellow flower lovers and kindred spirits who face similar struggles and share similar dreams.

“I’m so ready to join my tribe coaxing beautiful things from the earth, using sustainable growing practices, and sharing the gorgeous bounty with others.”

Growing __flowers and digging in the dirt is therapeutic. For some, gardening has been vital to fighting cancer, healing from trauma and overcoming addiction. Complicated lives find quiet peace in the garden. There, you find calm amid the chaos of the world.

“Farming allowed my heart to heal and gave my life a new purpose and fulfillment.”

“I have experienced how flowers can heal, how they can unlock hearts, and how they can transform.”

Many scholarship seekers shared that, similar to my story they had very special memories of flowers from their childhoods, shared with parents, grandparents, and other loved ones. Flowers help fill you up and connect you with the natural world, loved ones lost and the little people in our lives.

Thank you, again, to everyone who completed a scholarship application. I’m overwhelmed by the outpouring of support, the many pledges to pay it forward and the enthusiastic interest in seasonal flowers.

Please join me in congratulating our three 2017 winners:

Joanna Letz, Bluma Farm, Sunol, CA.

Joanna will be traveling to Floret from near Berkeley, CA where she is in her third year of operating a 1.5 acre flower farm. She described her business as being at a crossroad; it is “make or break time.”

In her essay, Joanna shared that by operating her farm she “could never have imagined the journey it would take me on. The 16 hour days often seem endless and my diet of donuts and canned espressos from the corner store cannot be very good for me…but I have built this business myself. And despite the long hard days which sometimes feel like they will never end, I know that what I have created is what I want for my life. I also realize, that in order to grow, I cannot do it alone….I know I need to assess and re-define my business and farm to be able to continue to grow in a sustainable way- not only for the planet but also for me. I am here- ready, willing and able to bring what I have already learned from my own business and equally excited to listen, learn and take in everything the Floret workshop can offer me.”

Maggie Smith, Pine State Flowers, Durham, NC

Maggie is the owner of Pine State Flowers, the only flower shop in North Carolina that exclusively sources locally-grown flowers. “The part of the business I most love is being the biggest buyer of flowers for many of the flower farms in the area, especially beginning flower farmers.”

Building the business has been a huge labor of love for Maggie. A self-taught designer, Maggie’s shop only recently expanding into weddings.

“Writing this, I’m looking at a polaroid of a bare room, with one broken table and a lone bucket of flowers. It was taken three years ago on the shop’s opening day. I used to be embarrassed that the shop was so plain, but now I love this reminder of everything I’ve done. At the time, I couldn’t even scrape together $100. Getting the shop to where it is today was a tremendous effort, I’m almost crying thinking of the exhaustion. I know I’ve gotten myself farther than many of the dreamers, but the truth is running this business often feels like a grind. I can count on one hand the times I’ve invested in myself—which is what this workshop means to me.”

Grace Alexander of Grace Alexander Flowers, Taunton, Somerset, U.K.

Grace Alexander is our first scholarship recipient from outside North America. A U.K.-based farmer-florist, Grace will be traveling to Floret for one of our Flower Farming Intensives. Grace just gained access to what she describes as a “derelict Edwardian walled garden” which will quadruple her current garden growing space.

I absolutely adored her introduction: “I’m still getting used to saying I’m a flower farmer, although it’s been nearly four seasons now. I’m also a clinical psychologist and it’s very hard to separate the two identities. I started growing flowers in the garden of my thatched cottage in Somerset, England, for my own mental health, but I got completely hooked. So now, alongside my full time job, I grow flowers for other people. Like you, I love the emotional impact on people of beauty, the memories of scent and of colour that touch something important. I also love the fact that flowers and plants connect people to something we all have in common. The earth and the ground and growing things.”

Congratulations again, ladies! All of us here at Floret are so thrilled to have you out to the farm next season.

As a reminder, tomorrow marks the opening of registration for our 2017 Workshops. We’re anticipating that the seats will fill super fast. If you have your heart set on attending a Floret workshop next year, be sure to set a reminder alarm so that you are ready at 10 a.m. to try to snag a seat. Payment plan options are available, also on a first-come-first-serve basis.

I’ll close with this quote from one of the applications:

Wendell Berry describes farming or stewardship best I think with these words “The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope.”

Flower Farm Journal

2016-10-13T15:22:00.001-07:00

October 13th. 2016

Good News & Bad News about Floret Workshop Scholarships

Written by Floret

Wow–what a response to this year’s Floret Workshop Scholarship opportunity!

In between digging dahlias and preparing for a series of major storms, the Floret Team and I have been slowly and steadily working our way through the record number of applications that we received for this year’s scholarships. With so many intriguing personal stories and essays, narrowing down the winners is proving to be harder than ever.

Our original plan was to announce the winners here on Friday October 14th. But after being flooded with so many amazing applications (more than 1,000!), we are realizing that we need more time.

So, the bad news is we won’t be able to announce the winners here tomorrow. We are working round the clock so that we can post winners here by Sunday. I hope you’ll hold tight while we continue the process. We want to read each and every word of your thoughtful, heartfelt essays.

But I have a bit of good news to share with you as well.

We will now be offering THREE scholarships to attend a Floret workshop. Earlier this week, we got one of the sweetest emails from a past workshop participant. In her message, she shared that the workshop was “life changing and life affirming, and I want to give that opportunity to someone who also needs to be there.” The team and I are so touched by her kind words and incredible generosity and can’t wait to bless another person with the gift of attending a Floret Workshop.

Thank you in advance for your patience. Check back here Sunday for our announcement of the winners.

Flower Farm Journal

2016-10-06T14:10:00.001-07:00

October 6th. 2016

It is tulip planting time

Written by Floret

Everywhere I look there are signs that the season is changing. The once verdant green landscape is now tinged with gold and copper tones. As the daylight hours grow shorter, it is a reminder that now is the time to get bulbs in the ground in order to have an abundant flush of early spring blooms.

To help fellow flower lovers prepare for spring, I put together a little two-part series on fall-planted bulbs. Yesterday’s post was all about narcissus (daffodils). Today’s focus is on tulips.

Standard tulip shapes can be kind of boring, at least for me. I’m much more drawn to the double-flowered types, parrot tulips, and French-style fringed varieties. I crave the exotic, unusual and showy types that really make a bouquet stand out. I especially love tulips that don’t look like your everyday tulip.

I try to grow flower varieties that you can’t get just anywhere. This is particularly important given the fact that our little 2-acre farm is surrounded by plantation-sized tulip farms that mass-produce inexpensive common tulips. Even though Floret is a tiny fish in a big sea of flower growers in Skagit Valley, we’re able to compete–and get better prices–because we grow tulips that are totally different than the kind available in the mass market (plus we offer them earlier–more on that below).

Tulips are an incredibly diverse family of plants. Some have fringed petals, others have pointed ones, and some are so ruffled and full that they are commonly mistaken for peonies. Some varieties even carry a soft, subtle scent. With so many wonderful qualities, it’s no wonder that tulips are one of the most popular cut __flowers on the market. Because they are one of the easiest spring bulbs you can grow, tulips are a mainstay in the spring cutting garden. Here at Floret we plant tens of thousands of them each year.

There are a few different methods for growing these showy spring bloomers, depending on whether you simply want to add color to your spring landscape or harvest them in abundance as cut flowers. No matter how you plant them, be sure to pick a spot that gets full sun and doesn’t have any standing water, since really wet soils will encourage disease and rot.

In the garden, tulips make the most impact when planted en masse. For a real show, I recommend ditching the bulb planter, instead planting clusters of 10 bulbs. Simply dig out a generous circle of soil, about 6 inches deep, mix in a little organic bulb fertilizer and compost, and then plant your bulbs roughly three times as deep as they are tall. Tulips can be planted quite close, less than an inch from each other, similar to eggs in a carton. Once your bulbs are securely in place, water deeply and then refill the hole with the soil you removed earlier. Add a few inches of well rotted compost on top to act as a mulch. Be sure to insert some type of stake so you remember where you planted them.

If your intention is to grow tulips solely for cutting, plant them in long rows or a wide trench. Because we live in the largest tulip producing valley in the United States, we grow the majority of our bulbs in trenches in the hoophouse to beat the local competition to market, since they will flower nearly a month earlier indoors. This indoor planting is followed by a smaller outdoor field planting, extending our harvest window to nearly two full months.

For the trench method, dig out a 3 foot wide trench to a depth of 6 inches, piling all the dirt to one side. Sprinkle in a light dusting of organic bulb fertilizer and rake it in, smoothing the bottom at the same time. Working with a partner, with one person on each side of the trench, set the bulbs in pointy side up, like eggs in a carton. Close, but not touching.

Once the bulbs are in, water them deeply, letting the drench fill up at least half way full with water, which encourages vigorous root growth, in turn producing even larger flowers. Backfill the trench, mulch the top with an inch or two of compost and lay down irrigation lines, watering deeply a few times throughout the winter. It’s really quite simple!

Tulips can also be grown in bulb crates and forced into flower during the winter months in a heated greenhouse. However, this technique requires pre-chilled bulbs and quite a bit of precision. To be honest, we’re still trying to master the art ourselves. Once I get it figured out though, I’ll be sure to share what we learn.

Come spring, as the bulbs start to push up through the soil, it is important to keep the beds weeded and also start watering more regularly. Harvest when the buds are just beginning to color, but before they have fully opened for the longest vase life.

Here at Floret, we treat our tulips as annuals, and actually pull the entire plant up, bulb and all, during harvest. This gives us maximum stem length, extended storage, and a long vase life. With the bulb attached, tulips can be stored dry for up to one month in the cooler, because they are still connected to their food source. The photo below shows how we store them in the cooler. When it’s time to use them, cut off the bulb and place stems into water with flower food.

If you want to perennialize your tulips, it’s important to leave at least two sets of leaves on the stem when harvesting to replenish the bulb and give it energy to bloom the following season. Just note that blooms may be of lesser quality in subsequent years.

Tulips tend to curve a bit after harvest. To encourage upright stems, wrap the top two-thirds of the flower in a paper funnel and stand upright in water for a few hours. Tulips have a naturally long vase life, and many varieties can last up to a week and a half. Adding flower preservative also furthers vase life.

Once fully hydrated, fresh-picked tulip stems continue to elongate and grow for a few days, so if you’re making a bouquet or arrangement, be sure to tuck the __flowers deeper than seems necessary with this in mind.

One of my favorite tulips is ‘La Belle Epoque.’ Classified as a Double Late, this beauty only grows to 12-16” but what it lacks in size it makes up for in color. I confess I have a soft spot in my heart for the apricot-hued blooms, so predictably this pretty double tulip also makes my top favorites list. The base of these full blooms start out as what I would describe as a smokey-mauve or rosy-plum hue which becomes more apricot and smokey peach along the edges and as it ages, making it even more interesting and exotic. It can be mixed with many different hues and is greedily snatched up by designers with an eye for the unique.

I re-opened up our little online Floret Shop just yesterday and have been blown away by the response. A huge thanks to everyone who placed orders. Incredibly, a number of our bulbs sold out almost immediately. (Don’t worry, I stocked a lot of ‘La Belle Epoque’ and as I type this there are still many available).

To continue the celebration of the fall re-opening of the Floret Shop, I’m giving away a collection of our specialty tulips. Enter to win below. Note: Because of export restrictions, this giveaway is only open to U.S. residents. I’ll post winners in this space on Monday. Good luck!
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Flower Farm Journal

2016-10-06T01:10:00.001-07:00

October 5th. 2016

How to Grow (and Win) Specialty Narcissus

Written by Floret

One of the first __flowers to bloom in abundance each spring, daffodils (narcissus) are a must-have for any flower lover. Here at Floret we grow dozens of beautiful varieties and each year we expand our treasured collection. This diverse flower group is rarely plagued by pests or disease, plus deer and other varmints usually steer clear of them. They come in a wide range of different shapes and sizes and many even have a sweet scent.

Fall-planted bulbs produce hardy, easy to grow spring __flowers that thrive in both sun or part shade. As an added bonus, bulbs multiply rapidly, and in just 2 to 3 years after planting, you can have double what you started with, making them reliable workhorses in the early spring garden.

There are two different methods for growing these cheerful spring bloomers, depending on whether you simply want to add color to your spring landscape or harvest them in abundance as cut flowers. No matter how you plant them, be sure to pick a spot that gets at least partial sun and doesn’t have standing water, since really wet soils will encourage bulbs to rot.

In the garden, narcissus make the most impact when planted en masse. For a dazzling display, I recommend ditching the bulb planter and instead planting clumps of at least 10-20 bulbs. Simply dig out a generous circle of soil, 6-8 inches deep, mix in a little bulb fertilizer, compost, and then plant your bulbs at a depth 3 to 4 times the bulb’s height, and as far apart as they are wide.

Once your bulbs are securely in place, water deeply and then refill the hole with the soil you removed earlier. Add a few inches of well rotted compost on top to act as a mulch. Be sure to insert some type of stake so you remember where you planted them. If your intention is to grow narcissus solely for cutting then you can follow this same method but plant bulbs in long rows.

In the spring, harvest blooms that haven’t fully opened. If picked when the buds are fully colored, but still slightly nodding (also known as the “goose neck” stage) a solid week of vase life can be expected. Wear gloves when harvesting narcissus as they ooze a slimy sap that can irritate your skin.

This slimy sap is also toxic to other flowers and will shorten their vase life significantly. To avoid affecting other blooms in an arrangement, you’ll need to “condition” the narcissus first. To do this, place freshly cut stems into cool water, on their own, for at least 2 to 3 hours; during that time, the stem ends will callus over and the toxic sap will stop flowing. After that, don’t recut the narcissus stems when adding them to arrangements because the sap will start leaking all over again.

Of course, you can create an arrangement solely of narcissus, either just one variety or several, and the sap won’t be an issue.

Today I’m celebrating the much-anticipated release of Floret’s all-new fall-planted bulb collections with a little giveaway (more on that in a minute). Available for the very first time TODAY in the Floret Shop are some super special bulb collections I created. In these collections are some hard-to-find narcissus cultivars that I absolutely love and know you will too.

Here are a couple highlights of what you can find in the Floret Shop:

Narcissus Fancy Collection: This collection is a mix of five of our favorite mid-late season varieties. These highly fragrant, super ruffled spring beauties come in a lush range of colors that range from blush to peach to cream. They include:

‘Flower Drift’ – A highly fragrant double flower narcissus, this beauty has multiple layers of creamy white petals with sweet orange segmented centers.

‘Petit Four’ – Of all the daffodils we have seen and grown, none quite compare to the beauty and elegance of this ‘Petit Four’. Its ivory pointed outer petals perfectly frame the double crown, which is filled with an exquisite mix of apricot, pink, buttercream, and peach frilled petals. Blooms are sweetly scented. If we could grow only one daffodil, this surely would be it.

‘Pink Charm’ – This is a stunning variety has ivory petals and a delicate peachy-pink throat. The loveliest of the pink types we grow, these flowers look as if they were stolen from a sixteenth-century Dutch Painting. They are romantic, classic, unique, and beautiful.

‘Replete’ – The super ruffled flowers of this fragrant variety always remind me of fancy ladies in petticoats. A showy blend of cream, peachy pink, and soft orange. One of the best on the market and a must grow for flower arranging.

‘Sir Winston Churchill’ – This variety has thick stems topped with dense white, multi-headed blooms that have a strong fragrance.

But perhaps the Collection I’m most giddy about is our Deluxe Collection. Here is what you’ll find in it:

Deluxe Narcissus Collection. This Collection includes all the cultivars in our Fancy Collection (‘Flower Drift,’ ‘Petit Four,’ ‘Pink Charm’ ‘Replete,’ and ‘Sir Winston Churchill,’) PLUS the following six:

‘Fortissimo’ – One of the most cheerful spring bloomers you can grow, this giant flowered gem has glowing golden petals that surround a vivid tangerine throat.

‘Geranium’ – The sweetly scented blooms of this heirloom spring treasure make it a must grow for flower arrangers and gardeners alike. Each stem is loaded with clusters of creamy white blooms that are accented by a glowing orange throat.

‘Orangery’ – Always one of the most attention getting varieties, this split-corona bloomer has a warm tangerine center with creamy outer petals.

‘Tahiti’ – The bright, bold double blooms of this variety evoke a distinct tropical feel. As one of the bigger narcissus blooms, these multi-petaled flowers are a pretty golden yellow with spirals of deep orange in the center segments.

‘White Lion’ – The large fragrant blooms of this magnificent variety are made up of multiple layers of buttercream and ivory petals. Each ruffled bloom sits atop a tall, strong stem.

‘Yellow Cheerfulness’ – One of the latest varieties to flower, this cheery bloomer has multiple buttercream blossoms that sit atop tall stems. They are highly scented and combine well with anything.

Over the years we have trialed dozens of different narcissus looking for varieties that have exceptional qualities: good weather resistance, fragrance, unique coloring, long vase life, and beautiful flower form. This collection consists of all our very favorites from every category, so you will be rewarded with 6 solid weeks of blooms from early spring onward. Many are highly fragrant and all make excellent cuts. If you want to fill your house with fresh flowers during the earliest months of spring, this collection is just the ticket.

I’m so excited to finally offer these hard-to-find flowers in the Floret Shop. To celebrate their debut, I thought I’d also do a little giveaway here on the blog. Enter below for a chance to win a special Floret narcissus collection. Entries close on Sunday at 12 noon PST. Note: because of export restrictions, this giveaway is only open to U.S. residents. Good luck!
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Flower Farm Journal

2016-10-03T10:07:00.001-07:00

October 3rd. 2016

2017 Floret Workshop Scholarship Applications Now Open

Written by Floret

As I shared in my post over the weekend, Floret Workshops are really, really special events. During these classes we open the doors to our little farm and design studio to give attendees a personalized, behind-the-scenes tour of where we grow and create all of Floret’s flowery magic.

Over the course of the three-day workshops, I share my best growing tips and nature-inspired design techniques, plus business do’s and don’ts that I’ve honed over this decade-long adventure as a farmer-florist. My team and I answer any and all burning flower-related questions. Nothing is sacred or off limits during these three days. Attendees can ask anything, try anything, see anything.

On October 17th, we’ll be opening up registration for Floret’s 2017 workshops (preview all the 2017 dates here). As you’ll see, we scaled back the number of workshops we are offering next year. With my book coming out in February and all the associated events and appearances planned, maintaining such a rigorous teaching schedule, and having time with my family simply is not possible. So in an effort to bring in more kindness and balance, we are teaching only four on-farm workshops in 2017. Floret’s workshops sell-out extremely quickly and given some of the recent press we’ve received and the fewer number of classes offered, we anticipate continued high demand.

But before we officially open up registration, I wanted to share the details of a very special opportunity to receive a scholarship to attend a Floret workshop. It’s our way of paying it forward for the support I received early on in my journey from some very generous mentors.

Here’s a little background: I started Floret with a $1,000 loan from my mom, a used wheelbarrow, a shovel, a few dahlia tubers from a friend, and a head full of dreams. I spent the first few years learning how to be a flower farmer largely through trial and error. It was a frustrating and back-breaking way to learn. But I never felt like I was in a place that I could invest in my own education or myself.

My future changed the day I got an email from one of the most talented leaders in the floral design industry, offering me a slot at an upcoming workshop if I could just get myself there. I’ll never forget that day; I sat at my desk and wept. Up until that point it had been such a hard process to grow Floret, and honestly I was on the verge of quitting. I was fortunate to have someone take me under their wing and mentor me as I tried to follow my heart. Having that opportunity to spend a few days away from my busy life, with one of my floral heroes was a turning point and completely transformed what I thought was possible both in life and business. I came back to the farm refreshed, and with a renewed focus and plan to grow Floret based on my strengths and intuition. I also vowed that if I ever had anything of value to share with someone else who needed a leg up, I’d pay it forward. Always.

I’m thrilled to now have an opportunity to pass along something that will hopefully make a difference in another person’s life. This year, we’re giving away two scholarships to attend a Floret workshop of the winners’ choice.

I’ve invited last year’s scholarship winners to share a little bit about their experience applying, winning and attending in hopes of giving you the courage to apply yourself.

“I still remember the very morning I woke up, roughly a year ago, when I felt so inspired and compelled to finally sit down, tell my story, and apply to the Floret Flower Farming scholarship. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would be chosen, but I took the chance. I knew I needed to invest in myself and this tiny little flower farming business of mine if I truly wanted to take it to the next level. I recall seeing the email from Floret and assumed it was a generic, auto-reply message thanking me for my application. As I opened the email and began to read it, realizing that I had been invited to attend one of their esteemed workshops, I literally sobbed like a baby in utter joy and disbelief.

Attending the Floret workshop was an inspiring, informative, and very well-rounded experience. I left the farm with a newfound energy and direction. In fact, the workshop finally gave me the confidence I needed to do my very first wedding – my most profitable flower farming venture to date! I look back on the workshop with such fond memories for the people I met, the warmth and guidance of the Floret team, and, of course, the flowers! I strongly encourage those, both dreamers and realists, who wish to learn the ins and outs of a working flower farm to apply to the scholarship!”

-Antonio Valente, Antonio Valente Flowers, Thornhill, Ontario

“How can you ever say, “Thank You!!!” enough when your life has been changed for the better in such an incredible way?!

Receiving the 2016 Flower Farming Intensive Scholarship was a profound gift in my life story that continues to give! Seeing a personal message from Erin Benzakein, one of my major Heroes, sharing with me that I was chosen for the scholarship left me weeping with joy and shattered so many limitations that I had placed on myself and my life’s dreams. The process of applying for the scholarship was an invaluable experience as it required me to find time and put myself first, get quiet and become clear about why I wanted to pursue my dream of being a farmer-florist. I am a Mama of three children and finding time for myself can be tricky, but going through this process helped me to begin to break the habit of continually putting myself last and to work with my dreams/goals in a whole new way!

After years of dreaming about attending a workshop, I found myself walking into the most beautifully restored barn bathed with natural light and sitting in a circle with Erin, the incredible Floret team and so many wonderful soon-to-be flower friends. We were all welcomed in such a thoughtful and loving way. Every aspect of the workshop exceeded my expectations and I learned so much on so many levels. All questions were welcomed and encouraged. The way that Erin and Team Floret work together and enjoy each others’ company is incredibly inspiring. I truly changed during the workshop for the better! Plus, I now have the most amazing mentors and dear friendships. Before, I had dreams of farming __flowers and creating with them but I didn’t know how to make the dream a reality. Now, I can see a clear path before me and I have the skills to cultivate being a farmer florist! I encourage you to follow your heart and dream big, take the time for yourself to fill out the scholarship application and cast your line out to catch your dreams!”

-Charlotte Chastain, Floralore Flowers, Sonoma County, CA

“I applied for the Floret scholarship thinking what do I have to lose? Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever be chosen, but I was! It was life changing! It had been a dream of mine to attend a Floret workshop for many years. The experience was unforgettable. I made incredible new flower friends, learned how to better my business and gained the confidence I needed to succeed. My best advice is to dream big and always follow your heart. Dreams can come true when you believe in yourself.”
Jamie Sammons, Jayflora, Fonda NY

The scholarship application process is quick and hopefully pretty easy. We’re accepting applications for one week only, so don’t delay if you plan to apply. We’ve kept the application process really simple. The application consists of a short essay question and a few multiple choice checkboxes. Yet, even though the application is brief, it’s your chance to tell your story, share your dreams and a bit of your heart.

I want this opportunity to be given to someone who is ready, willing, and able to jump-start their flower-focused business with a little help from Floret. I’d love to support someone who is ready to take their flower-filled dreams to the next level. If that someone is you, please consider applying.

ELIGIBILITY & OTHER IMPORTANT DETAILS:

*Applications are due no later than 12:00 noon PST on October 10, 2016. Due to the volume of applications and our limited staff, we cannot accept late entries.

*Applicants from anywhere in the world are welcome to apply.

*The scholarship is available to anyone who previously or currently owns, operates, interns or works in a flower-based business. We also welcome applications from “dreamers” – those who are dreaming or scheming of launching a flower farm and/or design studio in the future.

*Previous applicants who did not receive the scholarship in the past are strongly encouraged to apply again this year. Previous scholarship winners, however, are not eligible for additional awards.

* Make your essays compelling and succinct. Each essay is restricted to just 1,000 characters / approximately 250 words.

*Only complete applications will be considered for a scholarship. Please be sure to complete all the application fields and upload your photo as part of the application process. Your photo can be no larger than 1 MB. We will use your photo only for the purposes of announcing the scholarship if you are chosen as a winner.

*The scholarship does not include lodging or travel costs to Floret in Mount Vernon, Washington (one hour north of Seattle). Winners must be able to cover their own travel and lodging expenses.

*Winners will be notified by email and announced publicly here on the blog on October 14th.

*Upon submission of your application, you will see a screen that says “Thank you! Your submission has been received.” You will not receive a separate email notification confirming your submission.

*If you accidentally hit submit before your application is complete, simply submit a separate, fully completed application. There is no need to email us to let us know (we get it–it happens sometimes!) and we will disregard the incomplete form and review only your completed form.

I can’t wait to read your submission. Good luck!

CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION

Flower Farm Journal

2016-10-02T22:07:00.007-07:00

September 29th. 2016

Tips on taking better photos

Written by Floret

We recently wrapped up our last workshop of the season. While Floret workshops are focused primarily on growing and designing with seasonal flowers, each event includes a discussion about the importance of good photography and how great photos can help small businesses tell their story.

For years, we fumbled with our camera and struggled to take pictures that brought out the best in our flowers. It wasn’t until Chris and I took the Eyes Open Creative Photography E-Course that we finally understood how our digital camera actually worked, how we could find the best light, and how to tell our story visually. Good photography has been one of the biggest keys to the success of our business.

Erin Little is the talented photographer who created the e-course and whose photographs are featured throughout this post. She has a great eye for capturing everyday life in creative and compelling ways. The approachable style and flexible format of Erin’s e-course made it possible for me to finally understand all of the photography terms that I previously found so intimidating and confusing. I recommend her course to everyone who attends a Floret on-farm workshop and anyone who is looking to up their game when it comes to taking great photos. No matter what the subject (flowers, family, nature, food), knowing how to get great images is so empowering.

I asked Erin to share a few quick photography tips with us, along with additional details about her upcoming course.

Erin Little: Thanks Erin!

When you first hold a DSLR camera in your hands, most people are overwhelmed with the amount of switches, buttons, and information they are facing. The fundamental pyramid of photography (what makes up every perfect photograph) is just three things: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Once you reduce the amount of information down to the essentials, it is easier to dig in deep and master these basic concepts. The course teaches you what these are, what they do and mean, and how you can work with them to get that perfect shot.

Much of photography ends up being intuitive, but a strong grasp of the basic technical components is essential to the ease in which you can let your artistic intuition eventually take over. And how does that happen? Practice. A lot of practice! During this 6-week course, photo challenges accompany each lesson to help you work towards mastering these fundamentals.

I designed this course for people like myself, who learn best by seeing, then doing. An overload of information is not helpful, and stripping it all down to what you really need to know in a simplistic way allows for easy learning.

And my final tip: your camera body is not the most important aspect of your gear. A good entry-level camera body will do for most amateurs, but its the lens that matters. Investing in the best starter lens (a 50mm 1.8f to fit your choice of camera) is a great way to really master all that we go into during these 6-weeks, and is very versatile for many types of photography.

The new Eyes Open e-course starts October 3rd, but registrations will be accepted until October 10th. Registration is just $150 for the 6 week course and includes a 132 page downloadable book. Floret readers can take advantage of a $25 discount. Simply enter “eyesopenfall16” when you register.

Erin has graciously offered a free spot in her upcoming class to four lucky readers! To enter to win a free registration in the e-course, simply leave a comment below and let us know what your favorite subject is to photograph.

Deadline for entering is Sunday at 10 a.m. PST. I’ll pick the four winners and announce them in this space Sunday afternoon. Good luck!

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Flower Farm Journal

2016-10-02T22:07:00.005-07:00

August 16th. 2016

Farmer and the Florist Interview: Flora Forager

Written by Floret

I’m so delighted to introduce you to Bridget Beth Collins, the insanely talented botanical artist, painter, writer and creative force behind Flora Forager. If you don’t already follow her on Instagram, @flora.forager, you must check her out. Her artwork–created entirely with flower petals, leaves, and other foraged botanical materials from her garden and neighborhood–is absolutely breathtaking and has become one of my favorite feeds to follow.

It was somewhat serendipitous that I had the chance to meet Bridget in person earlier this spring when she visited the farm with a small group of journalists. We hit it off immediately and at the end of her visit, I sent her home with armloads of blooms to create her works of art. Seeing what she created with the flowers I gave her was such a treat!

Flora Forager, A Seasonal Journal Collected from Nature is a super sweet little book featuring Bridget’s artwork that just came out last week (keep reading to learn how you can win a free copy). I asked Bridget to share more about her artwork, book and creative process as part of my Farmer & the Florist interview series.

Erin: I’d love to know more about the process of creating your floral art. Do you go out looking for particular __flowers and foliage to fit a particular piece of art…or do you let your materials dictate what you create?

Bridget: Both! When I go for a walk I can’t help but see the waves of the sea in blue hydrangeas or the tail of a mouse in a fuzzy seed sprig of grass. Spontaneous creativity is probably my favorite mode of art, and it certainly created Flora Forager in the beginning. But now that I have commissions and books I’m working on I definitely find materials for pieces I need to create. It becomes a treasure hunt of sorts whenever I go to the nursery. One time I went into Ravenna Gardens and asked if they had anything that looked like woodpecker wings, and the sales assistant brought me all of their black and white plants! The next week I came in to show her what I had created. That was really fun.

Erin: How long do you typically dedicate to creating each piece? I would imagine you must start and finish your piece in short order because, unlike using pastels or oil paints, for instance, you can’t exactly take a break and come back to it hours, much less days later, am I right? Are there special precautions you take to preserve your art?

Bridget: That’s very true. The more detailed pieces I create can take a few hours. The smaller ones are less than an hour, maybe 30 minutes. The time and effort is really in the imaginative thinking before I get started. Once I have an idea, and the right flowers, it doesn’t take me long to put it together. I generally keep __flowers that may wilt in water as I’m working. Sometimes I have to replace flowers with fresher ones as I create. But working with flowers is much quicker than working with paints because you don’t have to mix colors or wait for layers to dry, and you can move the petals around easily if something doesn’t look right. And a lot of the detail in my pieces is simply part of the flowers themselves. My animals, for instance are so incredibly simple, but the flowers themselves have the details on them. For example, many petals are ombre (ie: fade from one color to another) so when I scallop them over each other they look like scales or feathers with very little actual work on my part.

Erin: I am totally fascinated and in awe with your series of recreations of masterpieces utilizing flowers. Instagram just doesn’t do it justice. You really must see the side-by-side photos of the originals paired with your floral interpretations to appreciate the effort and creativity you put into each piece. You wrote on your blog that you are ready to “usher in a new age of art”—tell me more about this series and what you hope to create in the future.

Bridget: Did I say “usher in a new age of art?” That sounds so pompous! Ha! But I do think a lot about how all the great masters have gone before us, and there have been all these incredible ages of art that were new, and exciting, and different than the centuries before. I mean, when you think of what oils must have looked like to a cave painter, or what impressionism must have looked like to realists, or even collage work in childrens books after years of watercolor…For the last several years I’ve had this sadness over how there hasn’t been anything new to grasp. No new ground to break. When I started essentially “painting with flowers” I felt this magical idea come over me that this is an odd, quirky, new medium that couldn’t have happened certainly before photography, and as far as I know wasn’t ever seen by someone like Van Gogh or Michelangelo. I would love to go back in time and see the look on Monet’s face, scrolling through some of the floral art of our time. I’ve done Klimt, Hokusai, Boticelli, Michelangelo, and a waterlily piece sort of inspired by Monet so far. What I’d really love to do is recreate artwork that’s very recognizable. Flower artwork at first looks a little like a mess of petals on a page, but then as you look closer you realize it’s an image of something, so to have really recognizable artworks helps the brain to switch over to that realization. And Master copies are just really fun for me to look at. I love seeing other artists’ renditions of masters’ works. It’s also a way to teach yourself how to paint or how to create, and it’s definitely done that for me with flowers.

Erin: What are the floral ingredients that make you the happiest? Are there any botanical ingredients you are currently on the hunt for? Anything I should keep an eye out for? (As an aside: I read that you wished there were aqua-colored flowers. Have you seen the ‘blue drift’ sweet peas I’m growing? They age into a weird turquoise color… perhaps worth trying?)

Bridget: (Turquoise sweet peas! Eeee! I wonder if you gave me some of those seeds when I visited. I’m planning on planting next spring and I hope they’re in there! I know I got “Our Harry” which I especially wanted because I have a Harry!) About what makes me the happiest…so much! I really love all sorts of flowers… the underappreciated and taken-for-granted ones give me a challenge to try to showcase them in new light (rhodies, fuchsias, babies breath, carnations etc.) The odd, rare, new, and quirky flowers I’ve never seen before or that have an interesting history really fascinate me. (I saw some black smoke bush leaves that had hot pink sort of swirly edges that I can’t get out of my mind. I think they would make a cool snake…but it was in a private garden!) But the flowers that really make my heart swoon are wild flowers and English garden flowers…David Austen roses, peonies, poppies, delphinium etc…big luscious and fluffy flowers really never seem to get boring for me.

I think you have an incredible selection and eye for design, and I wouldn’t want to give you any suggestions! But I will say that I wish every bouquet I bought had yellow dill flowers in it. The kind that grow off the plant you eat. They look like magic! Big firework splashes with little yellow sparks spraying from the stalk. If I could go back in time I’d have them in my wedding bouquet or maybe a flower crown made of them. I only ever see the white variety or queen anne’s lace available. I’ve always found the yellow in friends’ gardens or in a grocery section and it makes me really happy!

Erin: Your artwork seems to have exploded in the mainstream press of late. I saw your work recently was featured in Country Living, House Beautiful, Flower Magazine, among others. Plus your new lovely little Flora Forager journal just came out–tell me more about it.

Bridget: I have been so lucky with the press…I’m so thankful for any placement of my work because I’m generally pretty shy about reaching out to people! My editor at Sasquatch, Hannah Elnan, is one of those who sought me out and I’m so grateful! We went out to coffee and the idea for the journal came to life. Flora Forager, A Seasonal Journal Collected from Nature is so beautiful…I’m so proud of how it turned out! It’s a blank journal for writing separated into the four seasons. There are 12 full page scenes, and about 35 little animals and designs for the corners. Hannah did a great job of encouraging me to create and choose pieces that encompass all of my floral art, and give a sweet, gardeny, pacific northwest vibe for each season. Most of the book is all new artwork so can’t wait for it to come out August 9th so I can share it all!

Erin: Thanks Bridget for sharing more about your work. I’d love to have you out again to gather ingredients for my garden—or go foraging with you! I hope our flower paths cross again soon.

Bridget: I would die and go to heaven to be able to come again! Thank you so much for this little interview and all the gorgeous work you create and post online…I’m in awe of you!

Connect with Flora Forager:

Flora Forager website
Instagram
Bridget’s blog

Erin: Sasquatch Books, the publisher of the Flora Forager journal has graciously provided us with two copies to give away to Floret blog readers. For a chance to win, simply enter below. In your comments, please share a topic you journal about OR share an idea for a floral art piece you’d love to see. Entries close on Sunday and I’ll announce the two winners here on Monday, August 22nd.

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Flower Farm Journal

2016-10-02T22:07:00.003-07:00

September 22nd. 2016

Welcoming Autumn

Written by Floret

It’s hard to believe the first day of autumn is officially here. I’ve been noticing signs of the shifting seasons for weeks now around the garden, but have been half pretending that summer is going to continue on forever.

While autumn signals a time of slowing down and regrouping, which is always a welcome relief, the shorter days and grey skies that come with it are a hard adjustment for me.

This summer, like all the others before it, has been filled to the brim. Workshops, trials, visitors and enough writing and photo taking to feel like I was making another book (Which I’m not.). Somehow I thought this summer would be less busy and less frantic than the others, because we have such an amazing team here on the farm. But by now I should know better that.

I guess I forgot that what looks totally doable in the winter, always ends up being so much more once we are actually living it. Like how a 175 variety dahlia trial is so much more work than a few beds scribbled down on a piece of graph paper.

It wasn’t a bad summer; not at all, it was actually quite wonderful. But it was really, really full.

Some of the things I had on my wish list, never ended up seeing the light of day. Sharing the beauty that was spilling out of our fields here on the blog was really high on that list.

We took the photos, every week, thousands of them. But after spending so much time behind the screen, writing seed packets, bulbs descriptions, how-to’s, new resources, a 30-page e-book on post-harvest handling, a garden planner, text for our new website, book promotional material…. I just couldn’t find any more words to share.

The last of our big writing projects have finally gone out the door and I’m finding that the words are slowly returning. I have so much I want to share with you. And will in time. But today I have to remind myself that just showing up here, and saying something is enough.

Wishing you a wonderful first day of autumn and the start of slower days ahead.

I’ll see you back here soon. I promise.

Flower Farm Journal

2016-10-02T22:07:00.001-07:00

September 30th. 2016

Get the scoop about Detroit Flower Week (and scoop up some free tickets)

Written by Floret

Have you heard about the big flower events happening in Michigan this fall? In November, hundreds of flower farmers will flock to Grand Rapids for the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers National Conference (read more in my “Lets meet in Michigan” post). But before that, another big floral design event will be taking place in the mitten state. Starting on October 11th, floral designers from across the country will descend into motor city for lectures, workshops and other activities as part of the new Detroit Flower Week.

The driving force behind Detroit Flower Week is Lisa Waud who also created Flower House, a project that brought together floral designers who worked in teams to transform an abandoned house into a temporary floral art installation–all with seasonal, U.S.-grown flowers. I interviewed Lisa about Flower House last year, and decided to ask her back so she could share more about her latest big project.

Photo by Heather Saunders

Erin: It’s great to chat with you again, Lisa. I’d love to learn more about the origins of Detroit Flower Week. Is it a direct outgrowth of the Flower House project ? How exactly did it all come about?

Lisa: Detroit Flower Week IS a project inspired by Flower House. There was such an immense force of collaboration and creativity during the installation and exhibition–and I have longed to revisit that feeling. My initial idea was to throw a one year anniversary party to bring everyone back and give us more time to get to know one another when we weren’t working under a deadline to fill a house with flowers. I originally was shying away from any structured conference, inspired by #39 on Bruce Mau’s An Incomplete Manifesto of Growth (that I think many of your readers will enjoy!) but, since it seems that I don’t do anything small, the idea of having a flower house anniversary party grew into an entire week of lectures, workshops, conversations, and meals.

The incredible reception of the Flower House project worldwide (that’s still surreal to say!) had given me the confidence to reach out to designers and artists I’ve been enamoured with for years, and to hear them say they’ll join us for DFW in October. It is just too exciting!

Photo by Heather Saunders

Erin: It sounds great, Lisa. Ok, give me a quick snapshot of what’s on the schedule and what participants can expect.

Lisa: Detroit Flower Week kicks off Tuesday, October 11th and we will have the wildly talented and creative Maurice Harris of Bloom and Plume in L.A. sharing his story with us, followed by Flower House photographer Heather Saunders’ book launch party. We’ll celebrate her achievement and dance to motown together.

Wednesday through Friday, we’ll enjoy four presentations daily in the main space of the gorgeous, historic jam handy building in detroit’s new center neighborhood. Purchasing a day pass will get your readers into all of those, the botanical marketplace (a curated store featuring local and handmade items), the pop-up red hook coffee shop, and food truck court. There are also up to four workshops to choose from each day–Joseph Massie’s large-scale installation workshop, design workshops with Francoise Weeks, Lewis Miller, Susan Mcleary, Jill Rizzo of Studio Choo, Emily Katz’ macrame, and our local friends alchemy slow living’s “to smell a rose” and Louise “Ouizi” Chen’s floral painting. Makes me want to clone myself a hundred times to be everywhere at once! The workshops are ticketed and priced seperately, and require a day pass for entry.

Saturday, we move to the midtown neighborhood into the Detroit Public Library, who has opened their doors to us wholeheartedly. We’ll have three lectures that day, including mine on the Flower House Project, which I have not given in Detroit! I am sure it will be an emotional and beautiful recounting.

Then, that evening, we are hosting an unprecedented dinner. 250 guests will dine in the breathtakingly beautiful Adam Strohm Hall under a canopy of florals of Joseph Massie’s design while enjoying a five course meal from hot local chefs. More information on all of these events is available on the Detroit Flower Week website.

Erin: Thanks for sharing more about this exciting event, Lisa. And thanks also for offering Floret readers with a special discount code of 15% off any day pass or a week pass to attend Detroit Flower Week.

To take advantage of this offer, enter FLORETFRIEND at checkout and you’ll receive the special Detroit Flower Week day pass discount.

Lisa is also generously providing TWO (2) full WEEK PASSES for one lucky Floret blog reader and a friend to attend Detroit Flower Week. Enter no later than Monday October 3 at 10 a.m. PST for your chance to win. I’ll pick a winner and post it here later that afternoon. Good luck!
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Vogue on Vivienne Westwood

2016-10-02T21:58:00.013-07:00

7th May 2014 - Posted by: Verity Porter - Categories: News

More photos to follow later this week x

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Vogue on Vivienne Westwood

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