StemCounter Newsletter

Hey Christina, Check out these two fantastic articles! How to get a Florist Review: I thought that testimonials would magically appear the next day after the wedding or immediately after sending a request. Wrong... So I sat down and developed a 5 step system that educates my couples from the get-go to not only understand the value of a testimonial, but to also make it a priority and privilege for them to provide me with one. Florist Branding and Social Media: In our last blog post, we talked about how to choose your floral focus and "startegy" and discussed the how your floral focus should be determined by the opportunities available, your passion, and willingness to overcome any challenges you may face within that floral focus. This post discusses the keys to florist branding and how to begin creating a start-to-end experience that will leave customers raving about how great you are. Hope these articles help your business blossom! Ryan O'Neil PS What other types of articles would be most helpful to you?

Wondering what should be on your wedding florist contract? We have a free template for you to use!

Christina Burton-Fox AIFD floral artist & instructor

Pantone Color Mix

Harvesting Waste –
A Contrasting Color Mix of Brights and Softer Hues Celebrates a New Design Aesthetic

LAURIE PRESSMAN

Pantone Color Institute
June 20, 2017

 
 
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Appreciating the finite nature of our global resources, consumers and designers alike are growing increasingly aware of our personal impact and demonstrating new values around consumption. Acknowledging that mass production leads to mass waste, we are rethinking our relationship with the natural world. In a backlash against excessive consumerism and throw away culture, innovative designers and producers are reassessing today’s redundant products as tomorrow’s raw materials for a new design aesthetic. 

VIEWPOINT COLOUR - Issue 01 – Harvesting Waste, pages 54 -55.

Shifting the focus from polished, elitist design to more ad hoc crafts this new design approach celebrates repair, reappropriation and reclamation. Newly created post production and post-life waste streams are springing to life. With a backbone of sustainability and conscience, individual consumers, local communities, independent designers and global brands are all working to adopt more circular consumption models and second life, third-life and even fourth-life products are being embraced.

Color Palette, VIEWPOINT COLOUR - Issue 01 – Harvesting Waste.

Creativity is buzzing as new life is given to discarded products, and parts and materials diverted from landfills are being used to create affordable and desirable alternatives to buying new. Value is added to waste by hacking, fixing and creating hybrid, ad hoc assemblages that bear the traces of materials’ past lives. Artificial, bright shades including Spectra Yellow and Brilliant Blue contrasting against the quieter Cradle Pink and Heirloom Lilac celebrate the potential of this new design aesthetic and color story.

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Excerpted with permission from VIEWPOINT COLOUR - Issue 01 – Harvesting Waste
To find out more or purchase your copy, please visit: www.pantone.com/viewpoint-colour-magazine-issue-01

Laurie Pressman is the Vice-President of the Pantone Color Institute and has 20 years experience in the world of color and trend. She loves traveling the world looking for what is new and next and sees color as the story of life.

Origin Matters ~ California Grown Flowers

Will the Tour Stop At Your Farm? We're Seeking Applications for the 2018 American Grown Field to Vase Dinner Tour Over the past three years, the Certified American Grown campaign has been hosting sold-out dinner events on some of America's most beautiful flower farms. Let's put your farm on the map! Halfway through the third season, we're beginning to look at the opportunities for next year's tour. A number of farms have contacted us to see what it takes to be on the tour (Read more here.) Sharing the 'Origin Matters' Message With the First Lady By Diana Roy, CCFC Chair Just before the Congressional Club's First Lady's Luncheon in Washington, D.C., on May 4, I had the opportunity to meet first lady Melania Trump at a reception. It was an opportunity I wanted to make the most of. After all, it's not every day you meet the first lady of the United States; and her husband's position on "buy American" initiatives meant this could be the chance of a lifetime to share the "origin matters" message on behalf of America's flower farmers. Once she had finished taking photos with prior guests, I approached the first lady, reached for her hand and introduced myself: "Hello, I'm Diana Roy, a flower farmer from California." (Read more here.) Staying On Mission The CCFC Is Unique Organization With A Unique Mission This weekend, one of our farmers reached out to me asking me to send him, "one sentence to describe the mission of the CCFC." He was preparing to give a presentation and wanted to be able to clearly articulate the purpose of the CCFC to his audience. Helping to keep your organization focused on your mission, your message and the people you serve is why a mission statement is so important. The good news is that the CCFC's mission is only once sentence: "To provide a unified effort by farmers to enhance the performance of the California cut flower and foliage industry."  (Read more here.) Celebrating California Grown Flowers Month at Arroyo Seco Weekend with Mud Barron Flowers On Your Head Is a CA Grown Hit! Festivalgoers gravitated to the all California Grown Flowers "Flowers On Your Head" tent during this weekend's Arroyo Seco Weekend. California Grown Flowers were a beautiful addition to this weekend's festivities at Arroyo Seco Weekend. The CCFC collaborated with Mud Barron of Muir Ranch to provide fresh California Grown Flowers for his crowd favorite "Flowers On Your Head," activation. The crowd loved it. (Read more here.) Celebrating American Grown at Destiny Hill Farm A Beautiful Evening On the Flower Farm In Western Pennsylvania  Photo by Farm Chick Photography Our Field to Vase Dinner at Destiny Hill Farm in Western Pennsylvania will go down as our miracle dinner. Just twenty-four hours before our dinner began, Washington, Pennsylvania was under a tornado warning as a severe storm ripped through the area.  (Read more here.) The Incredible Francoise Weeks! Francoise Shares Her Passion On the F2V Tour There is only one Francoise Weeks and she joined us at Destiny Hill Farm as our featured designer. Photo by Farm Chick Photography. I have a vivid memory of speaking with Francoise during our Field to Vase Dinner in Detroit in 2015 and hearing her passion for sourcing and designing with American Grown Flowers. She was committed to the idea of sourcing local long before it became "a thing." Sourcing from what grew around her is who she is and she is one of those rare designers who doesn't have a problem telling a bride "no," when something they're requesting isn't in season. An incredible talent, Francoise Weeks makes beautiful arrangements from plants that other people would consider weeds. Photo by Farm Chick Photography. Our conversation in Detroit touched on her desire to teach from flower farms and it was there we began discussing how to one day have her be a part of a future American Grown Field to Vase Dinner. (Read more here.) Kasey Cronquist, IOM                                                CEO & Ambassador New!                                                               916.468.4246 New! 1415 "L" Street, Suite 460 Sacramento, CA 95814  Note: CCFC's mailing address remains PO Box 90225, Santa Barbara, CA 93190 STAY CONNECTED

California Cut Flower Commission, PO Box 90225, Santa Barbara, CA 93190-0225

Christina Burton-Fox AIFD floral artist & instructor

American Flowers Week 2017

American Flowers Week 2017       It's Here! The 3rd Annual American Flowers Week - June 28-July 4       Are you Joining the Campaign? Participating in American Flowers Week is easy -- and really doesn't cost a penny! Here are 5 Actions you can take to promote yourself, your flowers and your community beginning today through July 4th: Use the #AmericanFlowersWeek hashtag on your social posts -- Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & Pinterest. Share images of your flowers today and every day of the campaign. The goal is to get American grown flowers trending!  Create Community -- Throw an American Flowers Week party! People across the country are gathering with fellow flower farmers and floral designers to play with flowers. See links below for inspiration -- it's easy and who doesn't want to experience seasonal and local blooms?! Take advantage of all our FREE resources. This year, we have social media badges galore. You can download these badges to use in your own promotional activities. Show Your Colors! And don't forget to download our USA Map of State Flowers, as well as your individual state flower page, and channel your inner artist.Coloring is a major stress-buster, did you know? Use our state flower graphics as bonus hand-outs to share with customers and clients, too!         What's American Flowers Week?       AFW is a week-long celebration of domestic flowers designed to raise consumer awareness and unite America’s flower farmers with the U.S. floral industry.  According to founder Debra Prinzing, "clearly, we’re at a new normal where consumers are highly conscious of the origins of the goods they purchase, and this is more evident in the floral industry than ever before. The Slow Flowers community of growers and designers believe it's important to raise awareness and celebrate local and domestic flowers with a new American floral holiday.”     Click here to learn more about American Flowers Week►   Here's What's Going On Around the Country     Earlier this week, the Hudson Valley Flower Growers held their first Farmer & Florist party, aka an "Arranging Soiree" (top image), inspired by last year's SC Upstate Flowers' American Flowers Week Party.  Continuing their flower fete tradition, SC Upstate Flowers just held its 2nd annual AFW gathering last week (bottom image), inviting florists to join them for an evening of networking, arranging with fresh, local & seasonal South Carolina-grown blooms, and refreshments. Talk about a great way to create community!       Click here to read about SC Upstate Flowers' 2016 party► Click here to read our American Flowers Week story in Growing for Market►     For the 3rd year in a row, our great friends at Farmgirl Flowers created a very special American Flowers Week bouquet with all local blooms. And this year, they've added a delicious Apple Pie to the package! What's more American than Apple Pie and Local Flowers?!     Click here to order your FGF bouquet + pie►     Our friends at Longfield Gardens, a Slow Flowers sponsor, are staging an #americanflowersweek Photo Contest -- what more incentive do you need to snap and share your floral pride?! In honor of American Flowers Week, Longfield is giving away a $100 gift certificate to one lucky winner, drawn from entries through July 4th! Local Flowers for the WIN!     Click here for Longfield Gardens' contest details ►     Label your Flowers! We've sold out of 2017 bouquet labels, but you can gain inspiration from the packaging ideas shown here.  Libby Francis of The Modest Florist in Baltimore, Maryland, made her own labels with the American Flowers Week logo to add to her Mason Jar bouquets (top) while Christine Hoffman of Foxglove Market and The Twin Cities Flower Exchange added labels to her local bouquets.     Click here to download American Flowers Week logos & graphics ►     Share the LOCAL Flower Love and post something special to honor American Flowers Week, like this beautiful floral heart created by our friend Hillary Alger of Johnny's Selected Seeds, a Slow Flowers sponsor.    Click here to order your cutting garden seeds from Johnny's ►     Share images of local flowers with your message of support to highlight American Flowers Week with your community, like Slow Flowers member Nan Mattson of Queen City Flower Farm (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Kelly Perry of Team Flower (Boone, N.C.)         Capture attention for American Flowers Week like these Slow Flowers Friends: Teresa Sabankaya of Bonny Doon Garden Co. in Santa Cruz, California hangs a poster of the beautiful "rose tutu" she created for our American Flowers Week wearable floral fashion series (top image); Jenny Diaz, our awesome graphic designer and illustrator for all things Slow Flowers, colored her home state's flora map with a classic California poppy palette (middle image); Elizabeth Fox of Bluegreen Gardens in Lancaster, Ohio, created a special American Flowers Week CSA offer for her clients (bottom image), which we LOVE!       ARE YOU COMING to the Slow Flowers SUMMIT?     Slow Flowers SUMMIT presenters include, left to right: Top row: Teresa Sabankaya, Chantal Aida-Gordon, Amy Stewart; Middle row: Emily Ellen Anderson, James Baggett, Leslie Bennett; Bottom row: Lisa Waud, Nicole Cordier Wahlquist, Riz Reyes       10 Great Reasons to Attend the Slow Flowers SUMMIT 1. It takes place during the heart of American Flowers Week 2. It opens your mind to new ideas, attitudes and provocative thinking 3. It introduces you to inspiring and fresh voices and concepts in the progressive Slow Flowers community 4. It connects you with a talented network of Slow Flowers designers and growers -- doers and thinkers like you! 5. It highlights new channels for domestic flower sourcing and  eco/sustainable design 6. It challenges you to rethink tired approaches and try something new 7. It gives you updated language to describe your brand and mission 8. It feeds your creativity (plus your palate -- we'll have great eats, drinks and a signature 'Wicked Plants' cocktail from Amy Stewart) 9. It sends you home with a flower-lover's swag bag of cool stuff 10. It puts you at the vortex of the Slow Flowers Movement     Click here to secure your ticket today! ►   What else to do in SEATTLE? Learn a new Skill!     Learn How to Make Natural Pigments to Dye Silk Ribbons & Linens  Sign up for The Art of Dyeing with Susanna Luck of Nettle Textiles Saturday, July 1st, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at Seattle Wholesale Growers Market Susanna Luck of Nettle Textiles is a Portland-based floral designer and textile artist. Learn her recipes and techniques for custom-dyeing beautiful and naturally-hued ribbons and table linens that add a luxe, lustrous element to bouquets and events. Registration: $260 + $75 materials fee (includes all supplies, fabrics, recipes and LUNCH)     Click here for details & registration ►     More campaign graphics for American Flowers Week 2017!  Last month we unveiled the stunning All-American Sunflower gown created by Seattle designer Amy Kunkel-Patterson of Gather Design Co. that incorporates locally-grown Pacific Northwest sunflowers, rudbeckia, amaranth and ornamental grasses (top left). Now there's more to post and share! Presenting three more amazing creations from Slowflowers.com member designers and flower farmers, clockwise from top right: Menswear vest, created by Riz Reyes of RHR Horticulture with foraged Northwest ingredients and product sourced at the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market (c) Mary Grace Long Photography Floral cape, created by Tara Folker of Splints & Daisies with flowering bulbs and foliage donated by Stargazer Barn (c) With Love & Embers Photography Rose tutu, created by Teresa Sabankaya of Bonnie Doon Garden Co., with her own garden flowers and roses from California Pajarosa (c) John Kaemmerling Photography     Click here to download more American Flowers Week graphics ► Click here to Create Your SLOWFLOWERS.COM Listing►

Christina Burton-Fox AIFD floral artist & instructor