Our Speakers elevate local flowers with their beautiful aesthetic
The 2021 Slow Flowers Summit brought local flowers, sustainable design, a seasonal aesthetic and amazing creatives who inspired our audience with their sensitivity to place and time. Here are their designs – from the Slow Flowers Summit stage at Filoli Historic House & Garden.
Max Gill, Max Gill Design (Berkeley, California)
![](https://slowflowersjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/MaxGill1.jpg)
All of the botanicals featured in Max Gill’s demonstration originated from the gardens at at our host venue, Filoli Historic House & Garden. Max was drawn to the vegetable displays for cardoon, artichoke and herbal elements. He contributed clematis vines from his own garden in Berkeley. (c) Missy Palacol Photograph
![Max Gill designing](https://slowflowersjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/MaxGill3_JD.jpg)
Max selected a large etched metal urn for his display. Mechanics include a vintage pin frog and chicken wire (c) Jenny M. Diaz Photograph
![max gill designs detail shot](https://slowflowersjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/MaxGill2_JD.jpg)
Max calls himself a “Monochromatist,” which is reflected in his serene botanical palette (c) Jenny M. Diaz Photography
Susan McLeary, Ann Arbor, Michigan
![Susan McLeary Installation](https://slowflowersjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Susan-M3.jpg)
Susan McLeary’s vibrant hanging installation set the stage and created a beautiful backdrop at the Slow Flowers Summit (c) Missy Palacol Photography
![Susan McLeary](https://slowflowersjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/susan-2-up-2-1024x764.png)
Marigolds, yarrow and citrus (left); Susan McLeary teaching sustainable techniques (right) (c) Missy Palacol Photography
![Susan McLeary](https://slowflowersjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/susan-2-up-1024x763.png)
Details of Susan’s suspended three-dimensional floral sculptures (c) Missy Palacol Photography
![Susan McLeary](https://slowflowersjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Susan-M2.jpg)
Sue taught us her “green” mechanics, including this sustainable “burrito” with foliages wrapped with chickenwire (c) Missy Palacol Photography
![Susan McLeary Day Two](https://slowflowersjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Susan-M-7.jpg)
Susan McLeary presented her keynote: “The Creative Journey: Finding Your Artistic Voice, Truth and Expression” — demonstrating one of her favorite design “hacks” to stimulate creativity (c) Missy Palacol Photography
![Susan McLeary design Day 2](https://slowflowersjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Susan-final-tuesday-design.jpg)
Inspired palette and shape, by Susan McLeary (c) Missy Palacol Photography
Teresa Sabankaya, Bonny Doon Garden Co., Santa Cruz, California
![](https://slowflowersjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Teresa-Sabankaya_JDiaz.jpg)
Our local host, Teresa Sabankaya, of Bonny Doon Garden Co., demonstrated her popular “message” posies and invited guests to make their own posies (c) Jenny M. Diaz Photography
![posy by teresa](https://slowflowersjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Teresa-DesignSFSUMMIT_2021-1-76.jpg)
Teresa’s posy incorporates flowers with meaning, as featured in The Posy Book (2019), which she signed for Slow Flowers Summit guests after her presentation (c) Jenny M. Diaz Photography
Sustainable Farming x Floral Design, with Kellee Matsushita-Tseng of UC Santa Cruz and Second Generation Seeds; Emily Saeger (Filoli Horticulture alumnae) and Molly Culver of Molly Oliver Flowers
![](https://slowflowersjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/trio.jpg)
Our fabulous panel, from left: Emily Saeger, Molly Culver and moderator Kellee Matsushita-Tseng (c) Missy Palacol Photography
![Kellee Matsushita-Tseng design](https://slowflowersjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Kellee-1.jpg)
Kellee discusses her botanical selections while designing (and moderating the panel!) (c) Missy Palacol Photography
![Kellee Matsushita-Tseng](https://slowflowersjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Kellee-arrangement-4.jpg)
Kellee Matsushita-Tseng’s floral arrangement incorporating all local and California-grown botanicals, mostly harvested from the flower beds at Filoli Historic House & Garden (c) Missy Palacol Photography
![Emily Saeger](https://slowflowersjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Emily-1.jpg)
Emily Saeger, Filoli alumna and Masters in Landscape Architecture candidate at University of Washington (c) Missy Palacol Photography
![](https://slowflowersjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Emily-arrangement2.jpg)
Emily’s floral arrangement features a California native, wild and dried botanical palette (c) Missy Palacol Photography
![](https://slowflowersjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Molly-speaking.jpg)
Molly Culver of Brooklyn-based Molly Oliver Culver (c) Missy Palacol Photography
![Molly Culver design](https://slowflowersjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Molly-arrangement.jpg)
Molly Culver’s seasonal arrangement in a vintage container selected from a Filoli vase collection (c) Missy Palacol Photography
Pilar Zuniga, Gorgeous and Green (Oakland, California)
![Pilar on stage](https://slowflowersjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Pilar-designing_MPP_SFS2021_Day2-3438.jpg)
Pilar Zuniga spoke on the topic of “Branding the Sustainable Floral Business,” followed by one of her signature designs (c) Missy Palacol Photography
![](https://slowflowersjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Pilar-Design_MPP_SFS2021_Day2-3487.jpg)
Pilar’s lush, local and seasonal arrangement (c) Missy Palacol Photography