Artisan and Seasonal

Week 39, as we revisit the 10-year anniversary of the book Slow Flowers

Portrait of Slow Flowers floral arrangement for Week 39
Portrait of Slow Flowers floral arrangement for Week 39 (2023)
Week 2 of Autumn 2013 from Slow Flowers Book
Week 2 of Autumn 2013 from Slow Flowers Book

There is a common language between my 2023 floral arrangement and the original 2013 design in a chapter called “Rhythm in Glass,” including:

Stock details

(Then) pale apricot snapdragons, grown by Everyday Flowers and (Now) peach stock, California

Chocolate cosmos detail
Chocolate cosmos detail
Chocolate cosmos detail on the stem
Chocolate cosmos detail on the stem

(Then) dark maroon chocolate cosmos, grown by Marigold & Mint and (now) dark maroon chocolate cosmos, grown by Sonshine Farm and chocolate dahlias from the Slow Flowers Cutting Garden

Celosia detail
Celosia detail

(Then) pink-plumed celosia, grown by Charles Little & Co. and (Now) apricot celosia, grown by Free Range Flowers

Amaranth and Geranium details
Amaranth and Geranium details

(Then) finely-textured geranium foliage, grown by Charles Little & Co. and (Now) large-leaf scented geranium foliage, grown by Field to Heart, and finely-scented geranium foliage from the Slow Flowers Cutting Garden.

Limelight hydrangea detail
Limelight hydrangea detail

(Now) Additions:
Limelight Hydrangea, grown by Jello Mold Farm and Sonshine Farm
Trailing Amaranth (coral), grown by Free Range Flowers

Yarrow detail
Yarrow detail

Yarrow (peach), grown by Diamond Day Bouquet

Chocolate Dahlia
Chocolate Dahlia
Orange dahlia detail
Orange dahlia detail

Dahlias (orange), grown by Salty Acres Farm and Slow Flowers Cutting Garden

VASE Details:

2013 arrangement for Week 2 Autumn in Slow Flowers Journal Book
Details from 2013: (left) Licorice Stick custom glass vase by Tracy Glover; (right) Chocolate cosmos detail

In 2012, I knew the publicist for New York glass artist Tracy Glover. When she asked if I wanted to create a bouquet to pair with one of her vessels, I selected her “Licorice Stick” design with ribbon-like bands of glass. The upright arrangement featured botanical ingredients that complemented the 8-inch tall x 4-inch diamter hand-blown glassware (sadly, I had to ship the vase back to the studio when I finished).

This time around, I was inspired by the work of another special artisan: Karra Wise. Seattle-based, Karra is the potter who we commissioned to create 32 one-of-a-kind vessels for students of this past weekend’s floral design intensive with British floral artist Shane Connolly. Karra attended the workshop as my guest and she shared with the students how she created each of the approximately 6-inch tall x 4-inch diameter hand-built vases using the coil method. Karra’s glazes are reclaimed from earlier projects’ leftover glazes, so each of the naturally-glazed vessels had a surprising interior color: teal, sage, and other earthy hues.

2023 Vase detail by Karra Wise
2023 custom hand-built stoneware vase by Seattle artist Karra Wise

It was a delight to design in Karra’s vase, using Shane Connolly’s natural, botanically-inspired approach to floral design. With all locally-grown and foraged ingredients, it was an amazing workshop and unparalleled immersion in seasonal design and art.

Side Two of 2023 arrangement
Side Two of 2023 arrangement

Debra Prinzing

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-July 4) campaign. Debra is author of 11 books, including Slow Flowers (2013), The 50 Mile Bouquet (2012) and Slow Flowers Journal (2020). She is the co-founder of BLOOM Imprint, the boutique publishing arm of Slow Flowers.

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Slow Flowers Journal is brought to you by SlowFlowers.com. Slow Flowers is an award-winning online directory created to help consumers find florists, studio designers, wedding and event planners, supermarket flower departments and flower farmers that supply American grown flowers. Founded in 2014, the site has grown to 850 members across the U.S.

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For more information, please contact Debra Prinzing
at 206-769-8211 or 844-SLOWFLO (844-756-9356); debra(at)slowflowers.com.