Who is Debra Prinzing?

Who is Debra Prinzing?

#americangrown #CaFlowers Debra Prinzing Hydrangea Slow Flowers Sun Valley Floral Farm The 50 Mile Bouquet

"...sweet flowers are slow..."  ~William Shakespeare

"The day's prettiest blooms and just-unfurled leaves - gathered simply into a bunch and displayed in a jar of water - provide everything I need to start the day."  

                         ~Debra Prinzing, from Slow Flowers.

Have you been hearing the name “Debra Prinzing” a lot lately?  It seems whether online, at industry events or even reading the Costco Connection magazine, Debra’s name and her efforts to promote the Slow Flowers Movement keep popping up. 

I decided to track her down and learn a little bit more about this best-selling author and columnist. We have met before at industry events, and Sun Valley even hosted her at our booth at the International Floriculture Exposition this year, but I wanted to learn more.  

We spoke last week and I have distilled this article from our conversation.  When you ask Debra a question, don’t expect a one word…or one paragraph answer, it is clear that she sees the deep connections that run back and forth between the natural and man-made worlds. In talking with Debra, you find yourself joining in a discovery process, exploring where connections happen.  It brought to mind one of my favorite (and often misquoted) John Muir quotes:

“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.”

Debra Prinzing is an author and outdoor living expert based between Seattle and Los Angeles.  She has written seven books to date, and serves as a contributing editor to Better Homes and Garden magazine and her work appears regularly in the Home section of the LA Times.

Her newest book is called Slow Flowers, and this book is sort of the guide to the Slow Flowers Movement.  What’s Slow Flowers? Debra explained that she took a page from the Slow Foods culinary movement, and that Slow Flowers is short hand for “acting with intention, being responsive to the seasons and being conscious of your consumer decisions.”  She asks the question of herself, “What is in my garden, that I can put in a vase and reflect the season?”

Trying my own hand at the "Slow Flowers"aesthetic, #1 Sun Valley Tulips with ferns from my backyard.

This project was an off shoot of her book, The 50 Mile Bouquet, which focused on small regional farms, producing sustainably grow flowers. For Slow Flowers, she took on the rather ambitious goal of doing a bouquet every week for a year, using only locally sourced flowers.  She started November first in 2011 at her home in Seattle, and quickly realized that she was going to have to learn to design with evergreen branches, berries and other botanicals that had survived the first frost. 

She recognized that even though most of the items in her garden were past their prime, there were still local growers, and regional growers producing flowers in greenhouses year round.  So off she went, engaging the flower growing community in her area and this is where the Slow Flowers idea really solidified.  She saw that consumers don’t know where their flowers come from, and aren’t making a conscious decision to buy flowers grown in their town, their state or even their country.  She wasn’t comfortable buying roses shipped in from South America, when she could buy roses grown year round in Oregon at Peterkort Roses or buying tulips shipped in from Holland when she could buy tulips grown year round a few hours south at Sun Valley in Humboldt County, CA.  This was a revelation, that in every community in the United States there are growers, big and small, creating high quality flowers and unfortunately, only a few consumers know this.

#2 My backyard Montbretia, with Sun Valley Tulips.

Debra’s primary audience has been gardening enthusiasts, and as she spread the Slow Flowers message to people interested primarily in horticulture, she found a very responsive audience.  People interested in gardening, naturally had an affinity towards understanding the origin of the plants in their yard, as well as the flowers in their vase. Debra’s message has snowballed from there. If you haven’t checked out the book, you should, and if you keep reading you may get a shot at winning one right here at Flower Talk.

Debra puts on a very engaging presentation, make sure to see her in action if you get the chance.  Here she is making a beautiful monochromatic arrangement with Sun Valley tulips, Dusty Miller, and she was about to add our Ornithagalum.

As Debra has traveled the country promoting the book, the biggest problem she found was that the floral professionals she spoke with didn’t have a resource to help them find local, regional or U.S. grown flowers.  And Debra, being in her own words “The Queen of Multitasking,” set out to correct this problem and www.slowflowers.com was born; this website (still under development) will serve as a data base that will help connect consumers and floral professionals to U.S. grown flowers. 

 

The first thing you notice about her book is the beautiful photography, as a bit of a photographer, I was impressed to find out she did all her own photography, with just natural light.  I asked Debra my favorite question for anyone, no matter who they are, 

“What’s your favorite flower?”

True to form, Debra answered with the lovely story of how the gardenia is her favorite flower, since they were in her wedding bouquet, and how they were likely grown in a greenhouse near Portland where she tied the knot. 

Week 5 from Slow Flowers.  Sun Valley has a stunning crop of hydrangea harvesting right now.

I asked Debra to elaborate on her personal floral design style, what kind of design work does she do for her own kitchen table? She went back to her gardening roots, talking about the “abundant garden” and that in her circles, if you can see the dirt in a garden, you don’t have enough plants.  She described her arranging style as “controlled chaos,” with a reliance on voluptuous heirloom flower varieties and a strong nostalgic appeal.

So what’s next for Ms. Prinzing?  She will be devoting a lot of time into the Slow Flowers website, seeing that there is such a pressing need to support the buy U.S. Grown flower movement.  Creating this resource will be not only be a personal accomplishment, but it will be a tool to promote quality fresh cut flowers grown on U.S. soil by U.S. farmers.

 

CA Grown flowers are near and dear to Debra's heart!

  …and getting back to “The  Queen of Multitasking,” she will also be launching a podcast featuring interviews with thought leaders and opinion makers centered around the Slow Flower Movement.

On my desk, I have three copies of “Slow Flowers.”  Please comment on this post, and I will pick three random winners, cheers and good luck!

Learn About Lovely Lisianthus

Learn About Lovely Lisianthus

#americangrown #CaFlowers Grandiflorum Lisianthus salal Sun Valley Floral Farm

Always outgoing

Lisianthus stood for that
Among hidden flowers
Lisianthus stood out
In hidden bushes
Lisianthus was distinguished
If all could be that
Lisianthus was never shy
It would be a beautiful world
With all like Lisianthus.
                   -Grace Amorue

Lovely Lisianthus

It’s prime Lisianthus time on our Oxnard farm.  This beautiful flower is not one of the traditional standards of the floral industry, such as lilies and tulips.  Interestingly “Lizzy”, as our sales reps call it, is relatively new to the flower buying consciousness.  In the last decade it has been gaining popularity at an amazing rate.  We have been growing this crop for about seven years, and the demand just keeps rising.

Lisianthus roots lay in the Americas with several variations of the plant growing wild.  Most notably a variety with the common name Texas Bluebell found growing naturally in the vast prairies of Texas.  The species we grow is named Grandiflorum and it has been bred as a stand out cut flower.  The name comes from Latin, Lysis meaning “dissolution” and Anthos meaning “flower.”  Some citing its history as a prairie flower see it as a token of old-fashioned values and sensibility.  Others looking at its Greek name suggest that lisianthus symbolizes an outgoing and divisive nature.

Sun Valley Lisianthus varieties.

 Lizzy is winning the hearts and minds of designers and consumers alike because it is extremely versatile.  It’s origins as a prairie flower make lisianthus ideal for “country style” arrangements, with a strong American grown feel.  The many blooms can lend an unmanicured feel to any bouquet that naturally twangs. 

 

With a little more direction these same blooms can be formed into dramatic patterns in a contemporary bouquet.  The average length for this crop is 24 inches, so lizzy can give big height and visual power to a modern arrangement. 

Sun Valley Lisianthus with our Salal

Personally, I feel the best use lizzy is in the romantic style.  The charming personality of the blooms as they unfurl is just gorgeous and harkens back to another age.  Lisianthus have a very feminine feel.  With the buds tucked into a bouquet, letting a few escape, it is reminiscent of a women’s hair put up for a formal affair, allowing a few strands to bend down and frame her face.

Recently, I was lucky enough to talk with our head grower, Gerrit Vanderkooy in Oxnard, and ask him some questions about growing lisianthus. 

 

Lily: When do you plant lisianthus?

Gerrit: We bring the lizzy in as a plug, and plant it around the end of September. It grows very slowly, and we hopefully will harvest our first “cut” around Mother’s Day.  With this first cut we leave a little stem in the ground, and because the temperature is much warmer in summer we can harvest a second stem from the same plant, about two months later.

Lily: That’s amazing it takes about eight months to grow the first stem, then only two months for the second?

Gerrit: Yes, it is really a desert plant; its ideal conditions are very hot days and cool nights, which is generally what we get in Oxnard during summer.

Lily: What are the challenges of growing Lisianthus?

Gerrit: Weather-wise, we really need the hot temperature for lizzy to bloom; I don’t like cold snaps in the summer! This crop also likes very dry soil, so our team is very conscientious of the moisture in the soil.  The nature of the plant is to have very deep roots. This opens it up to being more susceptible to soil borne diseases, so we have to be extra vigilant in our hoop houses.  Lastly, perhaps the greatest challenge of growing lisanthus is that it can only be planted on soil which has never grown lisianthus before, what we call “virgin soil”.  Luckily, we have plenty of room!

Lisianthus growing in Oxnard,CA

 Lily: What’s the most popular color?

Gerrit: Far and away the most popular color is the purple, it is a really rich purple that is very saturated.  We grow double blooms, as opposed to the Europeans who still grow the single blooms.  The double blooms have much more color, texture and girth than the single.  Behind the purple, is the white, then followed by pink, rose and some of the bi-colors, as well as green, cream and champagne. 

 

Lily: Are you seeing any trends with Lisianthus?

Gerrit:  Right now this is a really a big wedding flower, especially the pastel colors and the white. The natural look is “in” and lizzy is ideal for this theme.

White Lisianthus

 Lily: Thanks Gerrit!

Pastel varieties of lisianthus, with salal.

As you can see lisianthus is bit of a labor of love, but it is a lovely flower with an amazing personality. We will have a steady supply through September, so now is a great time to get familiar with lizzy.

Prom Time in Tahoe

Prom Time in Tahoe

#americangrown #CAGrown #LetsTalkFlowers Anemone boutonniere corsage Jarvis Photography Lake Tahoe Prom 2013 Sun Valley Floral Farm

Did you go to your prom? Was it the highlight of your high school senior year or was it a teenage nightmare?  I remember my prom as a pretty fun night, with only minor drama as my date’s twin sister got drunk, and subsequently tossed out of the prom before she even got there.  Luckily, my date could hold her liquor better than her sister and we partied away the night. I forget how we scored the booze as 18 year olds, although I am sure it took some act of daring and courage, and likely stupidity.

On the dance floor at a Tahoe prom.

Prom is the first contact a lot of kids ever have with a florist.  They learn what a corsage and a boutonniere are, and hopefully the girls don’t prick their date while pinning it on.  Prom, which is short for “promenade” is an enduring tradition in American society and actually is a nice post-Mother’s Day event for the floral industry.  According to a survey conducted by Visa in 2012, the average family spent $1,078 on prom, which was up 33.6% from $807 in 2011. 

 

Experts attribute this increase in spending to a few factors, including the decline of debutante and other coming out balls, teen’s obsession with celebrity and “red carpet worship” as well as, perhaps the most interesting factor, this being that teenagers don’t have much incentive to economize, since parents at last count were paying 61% of the bill.

Julie Reed designed this creative peacock feather boutonniere.

I remember the corsage I gave my date.  It came in a clear plastic box, and featured red roses and dark greens.  At the time it was beautiful, however it wasn’t very creative.  Creating a creative corsage or boutonniere is a challenge, since the canvas is so small.  Creating a lot of “Wow” with just a few stems is why you need a pro. Today, much more attention is given to flowers at prom, and this trend is great for the floral industry.  What better way to show coming of age adults the majesty of flowers and the amazing affect they have on the receiver?  Even though my date knew I would be arriving at her house with flowers, there is still a great amount of power in the ritual of the corsage, and the boutonniere.

I checked in with the premier photographers in the Lake Tahoe region, Eric and Beata Jarvis of Jarvis Photography, to ask them about what trends they saw at prom this year.  As well as weddings, they do a great business with upscale senior portraits, and this logically leads them to capturing the decadent prom activities for Tahoe. 

An elaborate corsage for prom

Beata reports that this year she saw a lot of non-traditional corsages. It was obvious that these were not just bought as an afterthought; they were beautifully designed and integrated into the color scheme of each couple. Rich, red, merlot tones were very popular.

Anemones make the scene!

The other trend which Beata says is getting pretty wild; is that all the parents are starting to get involved in the pageantry of the event.  The parents are showing up to watch their kids walk the red carpet, and they are coming dressed in formal attire with flowers! In one scenario, a group of kids got out of the limo, and a group of parents hopped in, to go grab dinner and watch the sunset as the kids had their party. It seems much like at a wedding, where a couple will remember their own wedding day as the bride and groom exchange vows. Now as high school seniors head to prom, the parents are taking the opportunity to remember their younger days and celebrate the accomplishment of their kids graduating high school. 

   

Dressed to the nines for 2013 prom

Another side of Jarvis Photography which is really interesting is their real estate photography.  This isn’t just the standard shots of houses for the MLS. The homes on the market around Lake Tahoe sell for millions, and the photography needed to convey the ornate residences has to be as impressive as the homes themselves. 

 

Eric Jarvis is the “go to” photographer, when a 2, 10, or 50 million dollar dwelling comes on the market.  Take a moment and have a look at some of these “cottages” on the Lake. Eric recently photographed Oracle founder Larry Ellison’s home, which just hit the market at $28.5 million, and a few years ago he did the Tommy Hilfiger mansion, which was great value at $100 million. 

 

The lifestyle and culture of Lake Tahoe's wealthy, international residents makes this area a style capital of the west. Tahoe seems to have the fashions and trends direct from Paris, sometimes faster than New York. We will check in with Beata and Eric again to see what happening on the Lake.