Slow Flowers – Winter Dreams
February 5th, 2015
Today is a snow day for me. I often work in gardens in the winter with my helpers. Today it is too cold with a thin cover of snow. I have the gift of unscheduled time, a day to be slow, in the moment and dreaming about blooming gardens that I’m missing. I’m sharing photos and parts of an article I wrote for a gardening magazine about SLOW FLOWERS.
Mother & Daughter – Susan Studer King & Kay Studer
Buckeye Blooms in Elina, Ohio- Photo by Jason Bowers
Slow Flowers, along with Slow Food, is helping bring awareness that locally and sustainably grown food and flowers are fresher, healthier and more beautiful than fast food and fast flowers. The name Slow Flowers comes from the Slow Food movement started in Italy when an American fast food restaurant was opening in Rome. People protested against the fast food chain and started Slow Food. Now decades later, a worldwide movement is dedicated to helping bring local and sustainably grown food to people. Slower Flowers are grown locally, and most often organically, for weddings, events and home use.
Most flowers sold in the U.S. are grown in Central and South America under deplorable conditions for the workers and the land. Toxic chemicals banned in the U.S., including DDT, are used. These conditions negatively impact workers, waters and wild life. The flowers are cut, put in boxes without water and shipped by plane. Not good for people or the environment.
A love of flowers, knowledge that locally grown flowers offer more diversity and beauty, and a love of the land is what has inspires a new breed of farmers, Slow Flowers Farmers. Some of the Slow Flower Farmers have been doing this for decades, others for a few years.
Bouquet Love’N’Fresh flowers by Jennie Love in Philadelphia
They grow flowers that work well in their climate, and have shared their favorite flowers that home gardeners can grow. The flowers they grow are for home bouquets, weddings, special events and restaurants. They sell in different ways including farmers markets, directly to customers, flower CSAs, and through florists.
Ready for Farmer’s Market at farmers Vicki & Joe’s house –
Flower Hill Farm – St. Louis, Missouri
There are 144 Slow Flower Farmers throughout the U.S. listed on the SlowFlower.com website. There is a list and a map showing who and where they are.
Ready for Farmer’s Market – Flower Hill Farm
These farmers are to be commended for their hard work, flower offerings and helping to educate about sustainably grown beautiful flowers at their farms and in home gardens.
Here are the websites of Slow Flower Farmers shown here:
Flower Hill Farm – St. Louis, MO
Buckeye Blooms – Elina, OH
Love’N’Fresh – Philadelphia, PA
ENJOY THESE HOPES OF A SOON TO BLOOM SPRING.