Team Flower

Located in the North Carolina mountains, Lee has been a been a horticulturist for 23 years and has worn many hats throughout that time. She grows and selects dahlias based on color, form, and vase life specifically for floral design and then sells the tubers. She supplies local florists with dahlias and native species that she has also tested. Lee also designs, installs, and maintains several large, naturalistic gardens with a focus on native plants, including a vertical wall garden loaded with species that grow from the rocks in North Carolina. Excitingly, Lee has been working on a book about native plants of the Southeastern U.S. (even though the rules may apply anywhere) that are ideal for floral design! Follow her on Instagram @goldenrodgardens or visit her website: goldenrodgardens.net.

You’re in for a treat with our special guest on this episode of the Team Flower Podcast. It’s Josh from Birch Event Design! Here are a few things he and Kelly are discussing: Helpful tips for planning events 6–12 months in advance The design process from consultation to implementation and Josh’s “color by number” technique Tips for managing a team during the craziness of event day Standards for hiring staff Josh’s favorite design tunes

Kate Stoner is the owner of Cold Water Flowers in Greencastle, Pennsylvania. Cold Water Flowers is a micro flower farm intensively managed on a 1/4 acre with a focus on dahlias for tuber production, fresh eucalyptus, and dried flowers. Kate sells cut flowers to local designers, and it just so happens that 2020 is her third year in production. New to this year, she opened up an honor flower cart selling fresh bouquets! Kate is an expert dahlia-grower, so hearing her share her go-to dahlias is a treat! You’ll hear about her choosing process as well as a few tips on how to make choices (whether that be about which flowers to grow or which projects to take on). She’s also chatting about a few tips for small businesses. And as a fun add, you’ll hear about “the bug eater!” Follow Kate on Instagram @coldwaterflowers or visit her website at www.coldwaterflowers.net.

You’ll hear about the following on this episode: Navigating Covid-19 and becoming a full-time event florist Playing a special role in the life of clients Black Lives Matter movement and the effects in the floral industry Vision for the future of the industry

On this episode of the Team Flower Podcast, Kelly is joined by Andrew Miller and Angela Speer. Andrew and Angela are two of the five owners of Tulip Town. They were all high school friends who recently returned to their hometown of Skagit Valley to purchase the iconic Tulip Town farm from its founder Anthony (Tom) DeGoede. Their mission is to carry its rich tradition into the future for many more generations to enjoy.  You’ll hear from the pair on how they’ve navigated the COVID-19 pandemic as a farm. It’s important as a business owner to know how to problem-solve in a crisis, and Andrew is walking through the steps you can take and the questions you should be asking. We’re ending the interview talking about mind-mapping—what it is and how it works.

Paula is a world-renowned florist who has been based in London for over thirty years. In 1988, Paula had a dream of opening a little flower shop in Islington. From these humble beginnings she changed the face of British floristry and has become one of London's top florists.

Since Lynne grew up in the family business, she started by age 4 “helping out” with flowers, but began working full-time in 1973 after getting some “real-world” job experience at another company. In 1986, her dad Rod Johnson, who had started the business in 1936 with her grandmother, Dorothy Biddle, retired. Dorothy Biddle Service sold to garden centers, gift shops, and florists all over the US and Canada.  Lynne retired in 2017 with Dorothy Biddle Service merging into the Kinsman Company of Pipersville, PA. 

In this episode of the Team Flower Podcast, we are chatting with Niki Irving of Flourish Flower Farm. You’ll hear about Niki’s transition to flower farming, and about how she and her husband found their farmland. We are chatting about the process of starting a small business, and some tips and tools to go about doing so. Niki is sharing about how they have adapted a cattle farm to fit their needs for a flower farm, and is giving us a sneak peek into some of the hardships that come with being a grower. Whether you’re a dreaming flower farmer trying to get started, or a seasoned farmer with questions about soil amending and expanding, we’ve got great nuggets for you right here on the the Team Flower Podcast.

Bill is sharing how to direct a team amongst the craze of a large event. Bill is also sharing his heart regarding the floral industry and what he believes is the key for the industry to continue to progress.

In part one of this interview with Bill Schaffer of Schaffer Designs, he and Kelly are covering quite a bit of ground! You’ll hear all about the Philadelphia Flower Show—of which Bill and his wife are a legend. They’re chatting about the Schaffer’s book, Taking the Flower Show Home, and how it speaks to the floral aspect of mega events. Bill is sharing his perspective of wellness in the floral industry as well as what trends he sees lasting through the years. For continue being a part of this conversation, be sure to check out Part Two of this interview next week! Bill Schaffer and Kristine Kratt of Schaffer Designs are diverse floral industry contributors extending into floral installations, destination events, global educational programs, showroom design, and product development. They are contributors to national and international floral design publications (such as Florists’ Review!) and are the authors of Taking the Flower Show Home. They’ve won countless awards, including Gold/Best in Show for the 2020 Philadelphia Flower Show! You can find their incredible work on Instagram at @schafferdesigns and on their website at www.schafferdesigns.com.

Danielle Hahn of Rose Story Farm (@rosestoryfarm) is joining us on this episode of the Team Flower Podcast! Rose Story Farm is located in a small rural farming community on California’s Central Coast. After starting in 1998 with 1000 rose bushes, the 15-acre farm has grown to be home to 30,000 bushes of over 300 varieties! Currently, the premiere boutique garden rose grower Rose Story Farm supplies floral designers nationwide with thousands of stems a week of consciously produced domestic garden roses that value scent, beauty, and the land and people that produce them.

Have you ever heard of “asking for the sale”? What does that mean, and how do you do it? Alison and Kelly are digging in and sharing tips on how to close a sale and snag clients. Tune in to hear why Alison’s pet peeves are accusing clients of “ghosting” and calling them “uneducated” when it comes to pricing, and how you can avoid both!

Debra Prinzing is a Seattle-based writer, speaker, and leading advocate for American-grown flowers. Through her many Slow Flowers-branded projects, she has convened a national conversation that encourages consumers and professionals alike to make conscious choices about their floral purchases. Debra is the producer of SlowFlowers.com, the weekly "Slow Flowers Podcast," and the American Flowers Week (June 28 through July 4) campaign. Debra is a Florists' Review contributing editor for which she produces the "Slow Flowers Journal" section. She is author of 10 books, including Slow Flowers and The 50 Mile Bouquet. Follow Debra on Instagram at @myslowflowers and @dkprinzing.

They’re discussing everything from solar energy to being aware of your realm of influence (both in the industry and in your community). The couple is also speaking to their motto, “principles before profit,” and how that sentiment has driven every decision they’ve made. Finally, farmer’s markets! Is it more important to have an abundance of flowers or a variety? The O’Sheas are here to tell you!

Floralista is a brand that is born out of Alice’s lifetime love of botanicals. Alice had tactile, firsthand experience with verdure through her family, who were professional horticulturalists, while walking through her parents’ greenhouses as a toddler. Alice has a keen eye for design, demonstrated by her strong personal aesthetic. Therefore, it was only natural for Alice to live out her passions through the art of curating and arranging flowers. Alice employs design principles such as colour, texture, and composition to reflect her environment and individual style. She has matured into a strong business woman, an artist, and a compassionate caretaker of plants. Follow her incredible work on Instagram at @floralista.