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Extra Features and Video Online FloristsReview.com R E A D O N L I N E 41 41 41 Extra Features and Video Online FloristsReview.com R E A D O N L I N E 41 hat role do local farms play in your business? Increasingly consumers are driving demand for locally grown flowers. From ready-made bouquets to event work, customers are knocking on florists' doors seeking niche seasonal supply requests. Fueled by the artful appeal of personalities like Christin Geall, renowned floral designer, gardener, educator and author of Cultivated: e Elements of Floral Style, and Erin Benzakein, founder of Floret Farms; author of three books; star of Growing Floret, a documentary TV series on the Magnolia Network; and the reigning queen of farm-floristry. ese dominant design trends have led customers to crave something special, beyond what's sourced from overseas mass- market growers. It is no longer uncommon for wish lists to include the type of fresh flower supplies previously reserved only for grandma's garden such as bearded Iris, delicate fruit blossoms and forget-me-nots. Gazing at the Pinterest boards of wedding clients, these oddball varieties can be spotted enhancing the beauty of more traditional botanicals like garden roses. However, unlike garden roses, which thrive in exotic locations and ship like a dream, many of the trendiest seasonal flowers and fillers are affected by higher spoilage rate—a factor that makes them less than profitable for large-scale growers. To understand why these old-timey flowers are suddenly coming into fashion now, one must first look at the cyclical nature of trends within the framework of supply and demand. According to Certified American Grown Flowers, "Over the years, [cut] flowers and foliage have slowly shifted from being locally grown to being primarily imported from foreign countries. In fact, only about 22 percent of the flowers and foliage sold in the United States are grown here." As our floral supply chain shifted from domestically grown to sourced overseas, certain sacrifices had to be made to ensure the flowers being grown would survive arduous journeys without significant bruising, molding and other problems. is means that, for many years, while flower consumers would be eager to list flowers like lilacs among their favorites, they simply lost the expectation of being able to have ultra-seasonal blooms available for their vases. rough the lack of available supply created by moving our flower growers offshore, a whole generation of consumers came of age with near amnesia to the existence of entire families of flowers having a life beyond the garden gate. Luckily for us, these blooms stayed a flickering light within the hearts of skilled designers who were simply waiting for an opportunity to bring the garden back indoors through floral design. Enter the farm-florist influencer. When Instagram was launched in October 2010, it ignited a movement of homespun florists who were unbound by the constraints of the mass-market supply chain. ese creatives finally had the platform needed to inspire others with their love of local flowers, resulting in a mainstream awakening to the existence of heirloom varieties completely unseen to millennial consumers entering the peak of their flower-buying years. When seeking local blooms, there are several methods you can employ depending on your exact needs. You may find that one of them works best for you and your business, based on the situation. Enter the farm-florist influencer. When Instagram was launched in October 2010, it ignited a movement of homespun florists who were unbound by the constraints of the mass-market supply chain. ese creatives finally had the platform needed to inspire others with their love of local flowers, resulting in a mainstream awakening to the existence of heirloom varieties completely unseen to millennial consumers entering the peak of their flower-buying years. When seeking local blooms, there are several methods you can employ depending on your exact needs. You may find that one of them works best for you and your business, based on the situation. W

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