We love gardens and this week we decided we need to tell you about Floret Flowers, a local farm in Mount Vernon, WA, founded by Erin Benzakein - nothing has made us want to learn how to grow a lush landscape overflowing with blooms as much as her Instagram feed does (this post contains just a few of her photos, click through for original posts). Her passion as a farmer-florist, focused on family, sustainable practices and education comes through clearly in all aspects of her business and her dedication to cultivating and testing so many varieties of flowers (and tomatoes!) to offer the best for floral arrangements is inspiring. Her book is gorgeous and full of helpful information for anyone wanting to get the best flower production from their own garden. We also learned so much from the free summer mini course this year and are excited to find out they will be back with a fall one! They also offer an annual online 6 week workshop for those looking to grow their flower business, which will be open for registration soon.
Recently on the blog they had a series about seasonal floral design that included conversations with florists in different places about their unique approach to floral design and sourcing locally:
New Innovations in Seasonal Floral Design: A Conversation with Holly Chapple
Passionflower’s Wearable Florals: New Seasonal Designs from Susan McLeary
Turning Heads in New Zealand: Zoe Field’s Garden Fresh DIY Flower Crowns
Sourcing Local Flowers at Destination Events: A Conversation with Katie Davis of Ponderosa & Thyme
If you feel motivated to do some gardening, their seed shop opens at the end of September for fall bulbs and hardy annuals and in January the rest of their selection, including some exciting new varieties, will become available. After watching their Instagram stories we feel as though we've been a part of that little seed journey and can't wait to add some to our own small gardens! Be sure to sign up for their newsletter to get updates on all the courses and shop offerings.
Hopefully you feel inspired to up your garden game or discovered new ideas for your wedding!