Episode 589: Bellevue Botanical Garden's Joseph Abken introduces the 2023 Slow Flowers Summit Host Venue - Slow Flowers Podcast with Debra Prinzing (2024)

Episode 589: Bellevue Botanical Garden’s Joseph Abken introduces the 2023 Slow Flowers Summit Host Venue

December 21st, 2022

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Hello again and welcome back to the Slow Flowers Podcast with Debra Prinzing, This is Episode 589

This is the weekly podcast about Slow Flowers and the people who grow and design with them. It’s all about making a conscious choice and I invite you to join the conversation and the creative community as we discuss the vital topics of saving our domestic flower farms and supporting a floral industry that relies on a safe, seasonal and local supply of flowers and foliage.

Episode 589: Bellevue Botanical Garden's Joseph Abken introduces the 2023 Slow Flowers Summit Host Venue - Slow Flowers Podcast with Debra Prinzing (1)

On December 1st we opened up registration for next year’s Slow Flowers Summit and it’s so gratifying to see how many of you are jumping on our $100-off Early Bird Ticket offer. Today, I also want to share more about our fantastic host venue — Bellevue Botanical Garden in Bellevue, Washington, just outside Seattle.

Joseph has an extensive background in management, merchandising and buying at independent garden centers and five more than five years, he served Executive Director of Kruckeberg Botanic Garden in Shoreline, just north of Seattle. He joined the Bellevue Botanical Garden as Society Director earlier this year and is an avid garden photographer — something that is a daily practice at the Botanical Garden.

And since it’s currently holiday season when the BBG hosts its special winter light show, Garden D’Lights, I filmed a nighttime video tour of the gardens illuminated with twinkling, botanical-inspired installations. So today, you’ll meet my friend Joseph Abken, director of the Bellevue Botanical Garden Society, the public garden’s programming, membership and development arm, as he shares a bit about the history and mission of this very special place. The light show continues through December 31st, so if you’re in the Seattle area, schedule a visit at dusk!

Slow Flowers Summit Early Bird Tickets

Remember, Early-Bird Discount Expires December 31st, so register now to take advantage of the lowest ticket prices available!

$749Slow Flowers Member
$849General Registration (Non Member)
$873Slow Flowers Member + Dinner on the Farm* $973General Registration (Non Member) + Dinner on the Farm*

*Dinner on the Farm is a separately ticketed event that will take place the evening of Sunday, June 25, 2023 at a local flower farm. Save $25on your dinner ticket when purchased at the time of Summit registration.

Monday, June 26th @Bellevue Botanical Garden

Two keynote presentations withAmy Balsters onBuilding a Better BouquetandLennie Larkin onThe Flower Dollar: Pricing + Profitability
Hands-onfloral design takeoverand tour of Bellevue Botanical Garden
Breakfast, buffet lunch and evening reception
and so much more!

Tuesday, June 27th @Bellevue Botanical Garden, Seattle Wholesale Growers Market & Mayesh Wholesale Florist

Design demonstration and Q&A withJulio Freitas of The Flower Hat
2 breakout sessionsto choose from to learn from experts in your field and connect with others on Flower Farming, Floral Design & Sustainability
Open house and design demonstrationsat Seattle Wholesale Growers Market & Mayesh Wholesale Florist
Breakfast, buffet lunch and evening reception

Click Here for Your Early Bird Registration

News for this Week

If you missed out December 9th Slow Flowers Member Virtual Meet-Up — all about Value-Added Flower Farm Products — you can catch the replay video above. You’ll hear from Natasha McCrary of 1818 Farms and Sarah Wagstaff of SUOT Farm and Flowers, as they share how many of their floral crops are reimagined into botanical products that extend the seasons into year-round revenue.

Thank you to our Sponsors

This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 850 florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowersand to the farms that grow those blooms. It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers.

Thank you to our lead sponsor, Farmgirl Flowers. Farmgirl Flowers delivers iconic burlap-wrapped bouquets and lush, abundant arrangements to customers across the U.S., supporting U.S. flower farms by purchasing more than $10 million dollars of U.S.-grown fresh and seasonal flowers and foliage annually. Discover more at farmgirlflowers.com.

Thank you to Johnny’s Selected Seeds, an employee-owned company that provides our industry the best flower, herb and vegetable seeds — supplied to farms large and small and even backyard cutting gardens like mine. Find the full catalog of flower seeds and bulbs at johnnysseeds.com.

Thank you to Mayesh Wholesale Florist. Family-owned since 1978, Mayesh is the premier wedding and event supplier in the U.S. and we’re thrilled to partner with Mayesh to promote local and domestic flowers, which they source from farms large and small around the U.S. Learn more at mayesh.com.

Thank you to The Gardener’s Workshop, which offers a full curriculum of online education for flower farmers and farmer-florists. Online education is more important this year than ever, and you’ll want to check out the course offerings at thegardenersworkshop.com.

Thanks so much for joining me today! TheSlow Flowers Podcastis a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than one million times by listeners like you. Thank you for listening, commenting and sharing – it means so much.As our movement gains more supporters and more passionate participants who believe in the importance of our domestic cut flower industry, the momentum is contagious. I know you feel it, too. If you’re new to our weekly Show and our long-running Podcast, check out all of our resources at SlowFlowersSociety.com

I’m Debra Prinzing, host and producer of the Slow Flowers Show & Podcast. TheSlow Flowers Podcastis engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. The content and opinions expressed here are either mine alone or those of myguests alone, independent of any podcast sponsor or other person, company or organization. Next week, you’re invited to join me in putting more Slow Flowers on the table, one stem, one vase at a time.

Music credits:
Homin Brer; Turning on the Lights;Gaena
byBlueDotSessions
http://www.sessions.blue

Lovely
byTryad
http://tryad.bandcamp.com/album/instrumentals
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

In The Field
audionautix.com

Week 23 // Slow Flowers Challenge
Friday garden field trip
Episode 615: Slow Flowers Summit Speaker Round-up with our subject experts in Flower Farming, Floral Design and Sustainability

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Episode 589: Bellevue Botanical Garden's Joseph Abken introduces the 2023 Slow Flowers Summit Host Venue - Slow Flowers Podcast with Debra Prinzing (2024)