Presenting

38 Feature April | 2023 and speak with a unified voice in support of the flower and foliage industry as a whole. It means that by celebrating the unique and diverse varieties grown by our members and by raising consumer awareness of "locally" grown flowers, we ensure a thriving and balanced floral industry and support farmers, their families and their communities. FR: What flowers do you grow? AG: We grow more than 125 types of flowers and foliage crops, with more than 75 varieties of Dahlia alone. We start the season with Anemone and Ranunculus in our high tunnels [seasonal, semi- permanent "greenhouses," a.k.a. hoop houses], with flowering branches and hellebores in the field. ese are followed by peonies and June's "wildflowers," including larkspurs, bachelor's-buttons, forget-me-nots and Queen Anne's lace. Summer brings all the heat-lovers, including Lisianthus, Zinnia, cockscomb and early Dahlia. e fall is peak Dahlia season here, finishing our season with specialty and heirloom cut mums and holiday berries. We love texture and are always adding and trialing new foliages. FR: Where do you sell your flowers? AG: We retail our flowers at the Palisades Farmers Market in D.C. every Sunday, April through mid- December, and we accept orders for pick up at the farmers market via our online "Farm-to-Porch Shop." We also make weekly home deliveries of our "Grower's Choice" bouquets to our Farm-to-Porch customers in Northwest D.C. and select areas of Maryland and Virginia, and we design flowers for special events and weddings, as well. We sell wholesale, too, to professional floral designers throughout the season via our private online wholesale shop. FR: What do you love most about being a farmer-florist? AG: We love the freedom we have to grow, forage and experiment with unusual flowers and foliages for our design work. Over the past two years, we've expanded into trial growing for an international seed company. We hope that being able to share technical feedback as growers, combined with our insight as designers, will lead to new breeding breakthroughs that will benefit the flower industry as a whole. FR: What things in our industry excite and inspire you most? AG: I'm inspired by all the new growers taking the leap into flower farming. I love that there is no one specific formula for success because every farm is different and unique at every level. I love sharing what we do with new and aspiring farmers and mentoring them on their journeys. I'm inspired by the immediate feedback of selling flowers at market, the intense personal connection exploring a bride's vision for her special day and the quiet fulfillment of standing in a field of flowers. I'm inspired and amazed by my enthusiastic team that keeps showing up every year and makes me laugh every day! FR: What current floral trends excite you? AG: I am particularly excited by the "foam free" trend in floral design, not only for environmental reasons but also because it pushes us as growers. Once flower foam was invented in 1954, much of commercial flower production shifted toward flowers that worked particularly well in foam, leaving many of the more delicate flower types by the wayside. Exploring and discovering new foliages and flowers or even new ways to grow and/or manipulate "older" types and varieties keeps us motivated and excited every year. FR: What accomplishments in your flower career are you most proud of ? AG: Seeing our flowers featured in the November 2017 issue of National Geographic and Lou's sandcastles in the August 2021 issue. I was thrilled to volunteer as lead designer for the first "First Lady's Luncheon" design effort in 2016, which featured exclusively American Grown Flowers product. Working in collaboration with David Beahm Experiences NYC production team, we created stunning arrangements to highlight and promote American Grown Flowers to more than 1,500 attendees and First Lady Michelle Obama. FR: What do you hope to do next? AG: I'd love to write a book.

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