Slow Flowers Podcast

https://youtu.be/v7pqI-dII0I?si=kZTRQdoz4Pz9SLW_

As we enter the 13th year of publishing our Slow Flowers Floral Insights and Industry Forecast, new impressions continue to infuse our mindsets and enthuse us. The Year 2026 presents a consequential time in our industry. We have been impacted by economic challenges that affect consumer confidence and spending choices; we’ve been clobbered by supply chain and tariff constraints; and we’ve continued to see consolidation and closures among large-scale players in the marketplace. As we look at “what’s next,” I believe we have even more reasons to feel confidence that Seasonal, local, and sustainably-grown flowers are more than relevant and essential for the present day. During the coming year, when little is certain and the terrain is uneven, consumers are drawn to what they can control. The notion of “Taking Control” is a remedy, an antidote, to the pressures and distractions that abound. As I share the 2026 forecast, you may recognize some of the themes as an affirmation of what’s taking place in your floral enterprise – I would love to hear how this inspires you for the coming year.

Debra Prinzing (c) Mary Grace Long photography

I recorded my introduction to this episode on Monday morning, February 2nd, just 36 hours after we wrapped up the second annual Slow Flowers WORLDWIDE Summit on January 30th and 31st. It was an unqualified success and the raves for our fabulous presenters and educational content are pouring in. We designed the Slow Flowers WORLDWIDE Summit to inspire and inform, include and instigate, and most of all to provide you with new Ideas for your floral enterprise! One hundred eighteen attendees joined us virtually – from 24 US states and the District of Columbia; from four Canadian provinces; and from Australia, the UK and Chile. What an enriching experience and an affirmation of the power of creativity and community.

In addition to 10 hours of floral education designed for growers, florists and farmer-florists, we presented five bonus sessions. Today’s episode is a replay of the session I shared to introduce the 2026 Slow Flowers Floral Insights & Industry Forecast. Working with my frequent collaborator Robin Avni, creative director of BLOOM Imprint, we identified three themes for 2026. We also reviewed this project’s 100 past insights and singled out one primary theme from each year -- 2015 to 2025. There isn’t an expiration date to these insights. They don’t go away; but rather, they evolve, moving from being an alternative or fringe idea towards one that simply reflects a cultural shift toward the mainstream.

Thanks so much for joining me today as we journeyed through 12 years and 103 insights to inspire you. As we move forward, new topics of interest in the Slow Flowers Movement will continue to be leading edge, ones that early-adopters embrace and ones on which you’ll put your own spin. They also will reflect an evolution that may be subtler and less over-the-top as more people in floristry and flower farming learn from one another, and adopt our values as their own.

Please let me know if any of this resonates with you and thanks for joining me in the conversation! A special thanks to Robin Avni for co-producing this year’s report. We’ll have the full report to share as a PDF with links in the coming days.

Slow Flowers Podcast LIVE at the NWFGF

Click here to RSVP and secure your seat in the LIVE audience!

After connecting with so many of you virtually, I’m excited to share that we have a great opportunity for you to connect with me and so many other Slow Flowers member at Slow Flowers Podcast LIVE at the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival, February 18-21, 2026. For the first time ever, you are invited to join the studio audience to watch and listen during a recording of the Slow Flowers Podcast with Debra Prinzing. The tapings take place once per day, during the Festival. Meet four Slow Flowers Members who will be in Seattle to lecture at the festival and promote her new garden or floral book coming out this spring.The guests include - Briana Bosch, Blossom & Branch Flower Farm (Colorado), with new book: The Regenerative Gardener's Handbook; Theresa Sabankaya, theresasabankaya.com (California), with new book: Modern Florigraphy; Janice Cox, Natural Beauty at Home (Oregon), with new book: Beautiful Roses; and Elizabeth Brown, Foxglove Farmhouse (Maine), with new book: The Beginner's Cut Flower Garden.SLOW FLOWERS PODCAST LIVE Entry is FREE to Slow Flowers Members (guests are welcome) BYOC: Bring your own hot beverage or cold drink.

Click here to RSVP and secure your seat in the LIVE audience!

Thank you to our Sponsors

This show is brought to you by slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 700 florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms. It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers.

Thank you to our lead sponsor, Flowerbulb.eu and their U.S. lily bulb vendors. One of the most recognizable flowers in the world, the lily is a top-selling cut flower, offering long-lasting blooms, year-round availability, and a dazzling petal palette. Flowerbulb.eu has partnered with Slow Flowers to provide beautiful lily inspiration and farming resources to help growers and florists connect their customers with more lilies. Learn more at Flowerbulb.eu.

Thank you to the Seattle Growers Market, a farmer-owned cooperative committed to providing the very best the Pacific Northwest has to offer in cut flowers, foliage and plants. The Growers Market’s mission is to foster a vibrant marketplace that sustains local flower farms and provides top-quality products and service to the local floral industry. Visit them at seattlegrowersmarket.com.

And thank you to Longfield Gardens, which provides home gardeners with high quality flower bulbs and perennials. Their online store offers plants for every region and every season, from tulips and daffodils to dahlias, caladiums and amaryllis. Check out the full catalog at Longfield Gardens at longfield-gardens.com.

Thank you for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than 1.5 million times by listeners like you. Thank you for listening, commenting and sharing – it means so much. As our movement gains more supporters and more passionate participants who believe in the importance of our domestic cut flower industry, the momentum is contagious. I know you feel it, too. If you’re new to our weekly Show and our long-running Podcast, check out all of our resources at SlowFlowersSociety.com.

Thank you for listening! Sending love, from my cutting garden to you! (c) Missy Palacol Photography

I'm Debra Prinzing, host and producer of the Slow Flowers Show & Podcast. The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. The content and opinions expressed here are either mine alone or those of my guests alone, independent of any podcast sponsor or other person, company or organization. Next week, you're invited to join me in putting more Slow Flowers on the table, one stem, one vase at a time. Thanks so much for joining us today and I'll see you next week!

Music credits:

Drone Pine; Gaena; Rue Severineby Blue Dot Sessionshttp://www.sessions.blue

Lovelyby Tryad http://tryad.bandcamp.com/album/instrumentalshttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

In The Fieldaudionautix.com

https://youtu.be/aGuwB5HbiKs?si=-4q1L4xSFOv9DCys

There’s an Instagram trend going around as we flash back to 2016, sharing highlights from one decade ago. Today’s episode does just that, as I reunite with Hudson Valley farmer-florist Marybeth Wehrung of Stars of the Meadow Flower Farm. In 2016, I visited Marybeth, toured her farm, and interviewed her about the emerging local floral scene in her region. Today, many of those dreams of creating a hub for seasonal and sustainably-grown flowers have come to life. Learn how Marybeth has manifested a more sustainable future for her farm by finding new and larger land and negotiating a 10-year lease, which ensures stability and allows for growth into on-farm retail and higher-value crops. It’s a fun reunion and I’m so happy to share it with you today.

Marybeth Wehrung of Stars of the Meadow Flower Farm in Stone Ridge, New York

Based in Stone Ridge, New York, Stars of the Meadow Flower Farm offers locally and sustainably grown specialty cut flowers and foliage to market goers, florists, event designers, retailers and DIY Wedding couples in the mid-Hudson Valley. Inspired by permaculture, biodynamics, and regenerative agriculture, Marybeth Wehrung and her team grow over 60 seasonal varieties of lush, vibrant blooms, foliage, and herbs on just over one queer-femme-powered acre.  

The vibrant and prolific flower fields at Stars of the Meadow Flower Farm

Stars of the Meadow uses organic, no-till methods to grow flowers on a human scale, without machinery. Marybeth has made it her mission to grow high quality floral material to contribute towards a regional floral supply, and to provide an alternative to the chemically driven global floral trade.

Marybeth is a farmer-florist whose designs are seasonal and stunning!

A few weeks ago, Marybeth and I were able to reunite while in Albuquerque to attend the ASCFG conference. What a treat to see her again and to reminisce about the trajectory that has propelled Stars of the Meadow over the past decade. While Marybeth has farmed for about 15 years, she transitioned from growing veggies and medicinal herbs to cut flower farming about 12 years ago. Stars of the Meadow has come so far and I loved catching up with her story.

Find and follow Stars of the Meadow on Instagram and Facebook

Last Day to Grab Your Slow Flowers Summit Registration!!

Slow Flowers WORLDWIDE Summit 2026 speaker lineup

Today, Wednesday, January 28th, is the final day that you can register for the Slow Flowers WORLDWIDE Summit. We are super excited to “go live” with the 10 hours of floral education starting this Friday, January 30th.

There is still time to get in on the action – if you grab your registration by midnight Pacific Time today – and join more than one hundred attendees at our two-day online conference. The program includes 13 amazing speakers who will share their flower growing, design, and business expertise.

If you’ve been sitting on the fence, here is just one more nudge to prompt you to register. Use LETSDOTHIS for a last-minute 10% discount on all ticket levels. Remember, Slow Flowers members already receive $50 off their registration and all registrants with US addresses will receive a spring-flowering tree from our lead sponsor, My Patio Tree – a $199 value, which means attending the Summit practically pays for itself! One more reminder. The sessions will be available for replay for three months, through the end of April, so you can watch at your leisure and rewatch to capture all the information our instructors will share.

Last Chance - Save 10% Off with LETSDOTHIS promo code for the Slow Flowers Summit

Thank you to our Sponsors!

This show is brought to you by slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 700 florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms. It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers.

Thank you to our lead sponsor, Flowerbulb.eu and their U.S. lily bulb vendors. One of the most recognizable flowers in the world, the lily is a top-selling cut flower, offering long-lasting blooms, year-round availability, and a dazzling petal palette. Flowerbulb.eu has partnered with Slow Flowers to provide beautiful lily inspiration and farming resources to help growers and florists connect their customers with more lilies. Learn more at Flowerbulb.eu.

A special thank you and welcome to our newest major sponsor, My Patio Tree. My Patio Tree provides Expertly Grown Plants, Perfectly Designed to Elevate Your Garden. This second-generation family tree farm has curated the best-performing, cutting-edge, multi-zone varieties to enhance your garden, patio or special event. Every tree purchased supports Plant With Purpose, a nonprofit organization that restores hope by reversing global poverty and environmental damage. Learn more at mypatiotree.com.

And thank you to the Association of Specialty Cut Flowers. The ASCFG is a gathering place for specialty cut flower growers of all levels of experience. It is a hub of knowledge, where seasoned experts and budding enthusiasts come together to learn, share, and support one another. The ASCFG is dedicated to empowering its members with the knowledge and resources needed to thrive in the world of cut flower farming. From educational workshops and conferences to online resources and publications, they provide a wealth of information and support for all things related to growing exceptional cut flowers. Learn more about the ASCFG and how to be a part of it at www.ascfg.org!

Thank you for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than 1.5 million times by listeners like you. Thank you for listening, commenting and sharing – it means so much. As our movement gains more supporters and more passionate participants who believe in the importance of our domestic cut flower industry, the momentum is contagious. I know you feel it, too. If you’re new to our weekly Show and our long-running Podcast, check out all of our resources at SlowFlowersSociety.com.

Thank you for listening! Sending love, from my cutting garden to you! (c) Missy Palacol Photography

I'm Debra Prinzing, host and producer of the Slow Flowers Show & Podcast. The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. The content and opinions expressed here are either mine alone or those of my guests alone, independent of any podcast sponsor or other person, company or organization. Next week, you're invited to join me in putting more Slow Flowers on the table, one stem, one vase at a time. Thanks so much for joining us today and I'll see you next week!

Music credits:

Drone Pine; Gaena; Vessel Oneby Blue Dot Sessionshttp://www.sessions.blue

Lovelyby Tryad http://tryad.bandcamp.com/album/instrumentalshttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

In The Fieldaudionautix.com

https://youtu.be/qge-cJ0Z_XU

On a sweet, 6-acre country parcel in Rochester, Minnesota, Deb Majerus and Joel MacDonald are creating a place of beauty and sanctuary, spreading joy to their community as an oasis just beyond busy roads, paving and residential developments all around. Minnesota natives who dated in high school and reunited years later, Deb and Joel grow spring perennials, peonies, and specialize in native plants for floral design and to create a more welcoming, regenerative habitat for their farm. I sat down with this engaging couple recently to hear more about their story and the path that led them to flower farming, inspired by their passion for the Slow Flowers Movement and their growing expertise in the benefits of native plants.

Meet Helen, Joel’s van from high school given to him by his grandparents, named for Grandma Helen. Deb & Joel went on some dates in this van in H.S.

At Iron Butterfly Flower Farm, native flowers and sustainable regenerative practices are at the heart of everything Deb Majerus and Joel MacDonald are doing. Their passion for the native flora and fauna of Minnesota, has prompted them to grow native flowers, grasses, trees, and shrubs to support beneficial insects with pollen and nectar, and to provide habitat and food for songbirds and pollinators.  Iron Butterly Flower Farm grows a variety of native species from early spring ephemerals to showy mid-summer blooms to late autumn sources of nectar for pollinators.

Deb Majerus

Joel MacDonald

They offer spring bouquet subscriptions, DIY wedding and event flowers, farm tours and workshops, and sell seasonally at the Rochester Farmers’ Market.

We originally met in person when Deb and Joel attended the Slow Flowers Summit in 2024, held in Banff, Alberta, Canada, and we published Deb's article, "Growing Native Plants to Combat Climate Change," in the 2024 Slow Flowers Journal – see "Native Flora" below. Read the full issue here

The three of us reunited last week in Albuquerque, where we attended the ASCFG conference. I set up a little recording studio in my hotel room and they joined me to share their story.

Joel MacDonald and Deb Majerus of Iron Butterfly Flower Farm

Find and follow Iron Butterfly Flower Farm on Instagram and Pinterest

Also, if you’re looking for ideas that might inspire you to add more workshops, check out “The Art of Seasonal Flowers,” a 10-workshop series that Iron Butterfly Flower Farm has just announced, offering many ways for their community to learn about and engage with local flowers. From sun-printed botanicals to a culinary session focused on edible flowers to hand-carved block printing inspired by the farm – these are really creative ideas packaged in a beautiful way. Plus, the series generates revenue, brings people to the farm, and deepens relationships with return customers. Check it out.

Slow Flowers WORLDWIDE Summit

Slow Flowers WORLDWIDE Summit 2026 speaker lineup

If you’re listening to this podcast on its release day – January 21st, we’re just 9 days from the Slow Flowers WORLDWIDE Summit. We are super excited to “go live” with the 10 hours of floral education starting next Friday, January 30th. We are back for Year Two and coming to you virtually to deliver inspiration and education during the two-day online conference. The program 13 speakers near and far – at an incredible rate for $289 general registration. Remember, Slow Flowers members receive $50 off their registration at $239.

All registrants with US addresses will receive a spring-flowering tree from our lead sponsor, My Patio Tree – a $199 value, which means attending the Summit practically pays for itself! One more reminder. The sessions will be available for replay for three months, through the end of April, so you can watch at your leisure and rewatch to capture all the information our instructors will share. Find all the details in our show notes or visit slowflowerssummit.com.

Click to Register and Join the Summit on Jan. 30-31

Thank you to our Sponsors

This show is brought to you by slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 700 florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms. It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers.

Thank you to our lead sponsor, Flowerbulb.eu and their U.S. lily bulb vendors. One of the most recognizable flowers in the world, the lily is a top-selling cut flower, offering long-lasting blooms, year-round availability, and a dazzling petal palette. Flowerbulb.eu has partnered with Slow Flowers to provide beautiful lily inspiration and farming resources to help growers and florists connect their customers with more lilies. Learn more at Flowerbulb.eu.

Thank you to Johnny's Selected Seeds, an employee-owned company that provides our industry the best flower, herb and vegetable seeds -- supplied to farms large and small and even backyard cutting gardens like mine. Find the full catalog of flower seeds and bulbs at johnnyseeds.com.

Thank you to A-ROO Company, your one-stop shop for in-stock floral packaging. From sleeves and wraps to labels and tags, visit www.a-roo.com for their full selection of eco-friendly items or to start the process of developing a look that is uniquely yours.

Thank you for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than 1.5 million times by listeners like you. Thank you for listening, commenting and sharing – it means so much. As our movement gains more supporters and more passionate participants who believe in the importance of our domestic cut flower industry, the momentum is contagious. I know you feel it, too. If you’re new to our weekly Show and our long-running Podcast, check out all of our resources at SlowFlowersSociety.com.

Thank you for listening! Sending love, from my cutting garden to you! (c) Missy Palacol Photography

I'm Debra Prinzing, host and producer of the Slow Flowers Show & Podcast. The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. The content and opinions expressed here are either mine alone or those of my guests alone, independent of any podcast sponsor or other person, company or organization. Next week, you're invited to join me in putting more Slow Flowers on the table, one stem, one vase at a time. Thanks so much for joining us today and I'll see you next week!

Music credits:

Drone Pine; Gaena; Wingspanby Blue Dot Sessionshttp://www.sessions.blue

Lovelyby Tryad http://tryad.bandcamp.com/album/instrumentalshttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

In The Fieldaudionautix.com

https://youtu.be/WO7OgXBJtks?si=hA2AbAvNFiOTBN1q

According to Brooke Palmer, the ranunculus is THE iconic bloom of early springtime. A seasoned grower and owner of Jenny Creek Flowers, based outside of Ithaca, in New York’s Finger Lakes Region, Brooke grows a wide array of specialty cut flowers that she sells through her flower CSA and a seasonal U-Pick program. Students take her workshops in person, including a successful dahlia-growing course, and she sells bulbs, tubers and plants to avid gardeners. After trialing the best ways to grow ranunculus, Brooke has landed on a successful approach that tailors her methods to the grower, depending on issues like zone and geography. Last week, Brooke revealed her ranunculus-growing secrets with the Slow Flowers community during our monthly meet-up session. Today, you’re in luck, because we’re sharing the replay recording from that session. Learn Brooke’s tips and techniques for success with growing ranunculus, the gorgeous, spring-blooming flower.

Brooke Palmer of Jenny Creek Flowers

In 2024, Brooke Palmer of Jenny Creek Flowers shared her approach to growing winter tulips. We hosted her on a podcast episode after she contributed a wonderful article to the Slow Flowers Journal. This high school English teacher-turned-flower farmer is a researcher at heart. So it was no surprise when Brooke told me that she recently packaged her ranunculus-growing lessons into a new online course.

Ranunculus from Jenny Creek Flowers

Brooke narrates the romance of ranunculus this way:

You step into your garden on a cool spring morning, coffee in hand — and there they are. Ranunculus you grew yourself. Layered, ruffled, so beautiful they almost don’t seem real. You pause; everything else slipping away as you think: “I did this.” For anyone who has dreamed of growing beautiful ranunculus, Brooke wants to show you how -- with a simple, clear path.

As a ranunculus super-fan, Brooke brings more than 20 years as an educator and teacher to her work. She likes to break things down into simple, doable steps — the same way she taught students and supported teachers for two decades.

Since moving from longtime gardener to full-time flower farmer, Brooke says she learned to grow ranunculus the hard way — years of trial and error and more lost corms than she cares to admit. When things finally clicked for her, Brooke turned her insights about what worked into a clear, step-by-step path so others don’t have to figure it out alone.

Join me today and gain inspiration and confidence to plant your own beautiful ranunculus. You’ll also find a link to a free ranunculus quiz: Should you Fall-Plant Ranunculus or Wait Until Spring? We're excited to see more ranunculus arrangements out in the world and I’m just going to reiterate the wish I spoke out loud during last week’s Meet-Up session. I would LOVE to see a botanical couture look created with fresh ranunculus blooms as part of our 2026 American Flowers week floral fashion collection. Just putting it out there. If this idea appeals to you, please reach out! Can’t you just see how dreamy that would look?!

Follow Jenny Creek Flowers on Instagram and Facebook

Slow Flowers WORLDWIDE Summit is coming!

The countdown continues because our Slow Flowers WORLDWIDE Summit is coming up in less than three weeks! We are back for Year Two and coming to you virtually to deliver inspiration and education during the two-day online conference.

The program includes 10 hours of education from 13 speakers near and far – an incredible rate for $289 general registration. Remember, Slow Flowers members receive $50 off their registration at $239. All registrants with US addresses will receive a spring-flowering tree from our lead sponsor, My Patio Tree – a $199 value, which means attending the Summit practically pays for itself! Find all the details in our show notes or visit slowflowerssummit.com.

Join us at the Slow Flowers Summit

Thank you to our SPONSORS

This show is brought to you by slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 700 florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms. It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers.

Thank you to our lead sponsor, Flowerbulb.eu and their U.S. lily bulb vendors. One of the most recognizable flowers in the world, the lily is a top-selling cut flower, offering long-lasting blooms, year-round availability, and a dazzling petal palette. Flowerbulb.eu has partnered with Slow Flowers to provide beautiful lily inspiration and farming resources to help growers and florists connect their customers with more lilies. Learn more at Flowerbulb.eu.

Thank you to Longfield Gardens, which provides home gardeners with high quality flower bulbs and perennials. Their online store offers plants for every region and every season, from tulips and daffodils to dahlias, caladiums and amaryllis. Check out the full catalog at Longfield Gardens at longfield-gardens.com.

Thank you to Rooted Farmers. Rooted Farmers works exclusively with local growers to put the highest-quality specialty cut flowers in floral customers' hands. When you partner with Rooted Farmers, you are investing in your community, and you can expect a commitment to excellence in return. Learn more at RootedFarmers.com.

Thank you for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than 1.5 million times by listeners like you. Thank you for listening, commenting and sharing – it means so much. As our movement gains more supporters and more passionate participants who believe in the importance of our domestic cut flower industry, the momentum is contagious. I know you feel it, too. If you’re new to our weekly Show and our long-running Podcast, check out all of our resources at SlowFlowersSociety.com.

Thank you for listening! Sending love, from my cutting garden to you! (c) Missy Palacol Photography

I'm Debra Prinzing, host and producer of the Slow Flowers Show & Podcast. The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. The content and opinions expressed here are either mine alone or those of my guests alone, independent of any podcast sponsor or other person, company or organization. Next week, you're invited to join me in putting more Slow Flowers on the table, one stem, one vase at a time. Thanks so much for joining us today and I'll see you next week!

Music credits:

Drone Pine; Gaena; A Pleasant Strikeby Blue Dot Sessionshttp://www.sessions.blue

Lovelyby Tryad http://tryad.bandcamp.com/album/instrumentalshttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

In The Fieldaudionautix.com

https://youtu.be/0HFUC-qb-3Q?si=ftg-AyUSDwYRpKoV

Luxury floral designer Susan Chambers, owner of San Francisco-based bloominCouture. She’s a longtime Slow Flowers member whose high-end residential and corporate clients support her sustainable values, which do not compromise her design aesthetic or her approach to seasonal sourcing. Many of you first met Susan when she and her shop appeared in our 2021 book, Where We Bloom. Since opening doors of her postage-stamp-sized storefront in San Francisco’s Russian Hill neighborhood in early 2020, Susan has provided bespoke florals with an emphasis on locally-grown, foam-free designs. Later, she expanded bloominCouture to include a production and workshop space, just one door down, where a team of designers works daily to fulfill standing orders from a number of luxury retailer brands and residential clients. You’ll be inspired listening to Susan and watching her process ~ I know I was!

Susan Chambers featured in Where We Bloom

I have been saving today’s podcast to share with you since I filmed it in early October, and it feels like the first week of 2026 is an ideal time to share this beautiful dose of New Year’s design inspiration with our community.

bloominCouture's floral arrangement featuring seasonal California-grown botanicals

My guest, Susan Chambers, owns San Francisco-based bloominCouture, a jewel box of a flower and gift shop. That’s where she hosted a book-signing event for “The Flower Farmers” in early October. A highlight of this episode includes Susan’s design demonstration of a low, lush centerpiece and a conversation about her maximal approach of layering color upon color; texture upon texture. You’ll want to both listen and watch this episode – and enjoy every moment.

Local roses for Susan Chambers' design demonstration

Susan is a California native and former global fashionista who moved from couture to flowers by studying with the top master florists both in the U.S. and in London. Susan brings her vision, honed by her McQueens Flower School of London training, experiences living overseas, years working in high fashion and her passion for finding beauty in all organic materials to creating truly bespoke arrangements.

Susan is a proud member of the Slow Flowers community and committed to sustainability. The focus of bloominCouture is to combine the beauty and aesthetics of a proper European luxury florist with the relaxed elegance of California living, in the heart of San Francisco.

Find and follow Susan Chambers at bloominCouture on Instagram and Facebook

LISTEN to my past interview with Susan Chambers: March 1, 2023Episode 599: Sustainable Luxury Floral Design with Susan Chambers of San Francisco’s bloominCouture

Join Us on January 9th: Learn about RANUNCULUS!

Learn successful ranunculus-growing techniques from Brooke Palmer (Jenny Creek Flowers)

Coming up this Friday, January 9th, we’re returning to our ongoing Slow Flowers Member Meet-Ups! The timely topic of our January Meet-Up will help jump-start your early-spring floral enterprise. Brooke Palmer of Jenny Creek Flowers will present 'LET'S GROW RANUNCULUS." Brooke will share her practical tips and expert advice to help you grow beautiful ranunculus. Bring your questions!P.S., we'll have a drawing for one free spot in Brooke's upcoming course: Grow Ranunculus This Spring: A Step-by-Step Course for Stunning Blooms. Join us this Friday, January 9th (9:00 a.m. PT/Noon ET). We hope to see you there!

Click to Pre-register and Join us on January 9th (9 am PT/Noon ET)

Lowest Slow Flowers Summit Pricing Expires on January 11th

Slow Flowers WORLDWIDE Summit 2026 speaker lineup

And there are just a few more days to take advantage of our New Year-New You gift -- a special $50 Off savings when you register for the Slow Flowers WORLDWIDE Summit.

We are back for Year Two and coming to you virtually to bring you inspiration and education during the two-day online conference. The program includes 10 hours of education from 13 speakers near and far – an incredible rate for $289 general admission and $239 for Slow Flowers members. You can register for an additional $50 off – now through January 11th with the Promo Code: $50OFFWORLDWIDE

Learn from some amazing creative professionals, thought leaders, and voices of sustainability as part of the progressive Slow Flowers Community. Learn more in our show notes or visit slowflowerssummit.com.

Register NOW and save $50 for Best Ticket Pricing

Thank you to our Sponsors

This show is brought to you by slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 700 florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms. It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers.

Thank you to our lead sponsor, Flowerbulb.eu and their U.S. lily bulb vendors. One of the most recognizable flowers in the world, the lily is a top-selling cut flower, offering long-lasting blooms, year-round availability, and a dazzling petal palette. Flowerbulb.eu has partnered with Slow Flowers to provide beautiful lily inspiration and farming resources to help growers and florists connect their customers with more lilies. Learn more at Flowerbulb.eu.

Thank you to the Association of Specialty Cut Flowers. The ASCFG is a gathering place for specialty cut flower growers of all levels of experience. It is a hub of knowledge, where seasoned experts and budding enthusiasts come together to learn, share, and support one another. The ASCFG is dedicated to empowering its members with the knowledge and resources needed to thrive in the world of cut flower farming. From educational workshops and conferences to online resources and publications, they provide a wealth of information and support for all things related to growing exceptional cut flowers. Learn more about the ASCFG and how to be a part of it at www.ascfg.org!

Thank you to the Seattle Growers Market, a farmer-owned cooperative committed to providing the very best the Pacific Northwest has to offer in cut flowers, foliage and plants. The Growers Market’s mission is to foster a vibrant marketplace that sustains local flower farms and provides top-quality products and service to the local floral industry. Visit them at seattlegrowersmarket.com.

Thank you for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than 1.5 million times by listeners like you. Thank you for listening, commenting and sharing – it means so much. As our movement gains more supporters and more passionate participants who believe in the importance of our domestic cut flower industry, the momentum is contagious. I know you feel it, too. If you’re new to our weekly Show and our long-running Podcast, check out all of our resources at SlowFlowersSociety.com.

Thank you for listening! Sending love, from my cutting garden to you! (c) Missy Palacol Photography

I'm Debra Prinzing, host and producer of the Slow Flowers Show & Podcast. The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. The content and opinions expressed here are either mine alone or those of my guests alone, independent of any podcast sponsor or other person, company or organization. Next week, you're invited to join me in putting more Slow Flowers on the table, one stem, one vase at a time. Thanks so much for joining us today and I'll see you next week!

Music credits:

Drone Pine; Gaena; Cast in Wickerby Blue Dot Sessionshttp://www.sessions.blue

Lovelyby Tryad http://tryad.bandcamp.com/album/instrumentalshttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

In The Fieldaudionautix.com