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28 Feature July | 2023 fl owers year-round from California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Florida, Virginia and elsewhere. My company, e Floral Source, based in Olney, Md., has off ers retail fl orists and event designers the option of sourcing fl owers from fl ower farms across the country 12 months a year. Each year, more designers are choosing this option, even though the products command higher prices than imported fl owers and foliages. Many of them have moved away from promising specifi c blooms to consumers and toward selling by color and seasonality, in order to be able to work with local and other American fl ower farmers. Dana McDowell, owner of Clementine in Cape Girardeau, Mo., says, "While I grow my own cut fl owers and purchase fl owers from other small farms nearby, sourcing American- grown product allows me to book larger events for clients who appreciate our seasonal approach to fl oral design." e best option for fl oral designers wanting to source more American-grown fl owers is to ask their wholesalers for more domestic options. e more that wholesalers hear there is a need, the more they are willing to source for their customer bases. Another way for designers to connect with local and American-grown fl ower farms is to fi rst fi nd out who the fl ower farmers are in their local communities and then sign up for those farmers' availability lists so that they can learn about regional seasonality. Designers should also ask to visit fl ower farms in their areas, to see fi rsthand what the farmers are growing and when. Many farmers are willing to open their doors to designers but often not during peak harvest times. Designers need to be respectful of those times and connect during the non-peak seasons. One spectacular opportunity for fl orists to connect with fl ower farmers is Certifi ed American Grown's "Field to Vase Dinner Tour." For the remainder of 2023, there are two more Field to Vase Dinners scheduled: July 23, at Scenic Place Peonies in Homer, Alaska, and Aug. 12, at Harmony Harvest Farm in Weyers Cave, Va. Visit americangrownfl owers.org/ fi eld-to-vase to get more information and register to attend. Many U.S. fl ower farms also host on-the-farm hands- on workshops throughout the year, which are great opportunities for fl orists to get out to the farms and work with the products grown there. Additionally, e Floral Source hosts multiple farm tours and retreats throughout each year (thefl oralsource.com/upcoming-events).

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