"How did something as natural and ephemeral as a flower spawn a global industry? And what if anything had we lost along the way?"
Amy Stewart in her foreword to The 50 Mile Bouquet
"To many of us who seek that visceral joy of just-picked bouquets to bring into our homes or use for special celebrations-or give as a gift to others- the flower has lost its soul. What happened?"
Debra Prinzing in her introduction to The 50 Mile Bouquet
When we first moved into our present home, we were surrounded by nurseries and farms that grew strawberries, apples and asparagus. As well as berries, our nearest farming neighbours, the Butt family, grew flowers: dahlias, delphinium and glads.
Over the years we came to know this large and extended farm family. I grow flowers for fun. They grow flowers for a living. It is the flip side of the same coin, so the conversation was always easy and natural.
Like many area residents, we'd head to their farm to pick our own strawberries in June. In the summer months, we'd always stop by their stand at the weekly Farmer's Market to buy bouquets of their fresh flowers.
Who could resist their beautiful dahlias?
When sprawling housing developments put pressure on the farm, the Butt's who had been growing flowers on their land since the 1940's, reluctantly sold their property, and moved to a quieter spot just north of us.
We've kept in touch though. We've been out to see the new farm and I still treat myself to a fresh bunch of their flowers every Farm Market day of the summer and early fall.
This brings me to the subject of today's post.
When I had read the buzz about the book The 50 Mile Bouquet and saw some of the preliminary photography for the book on the internet , I felt an immediate kinship with the book's subject matter.
So when the book came out earlier this year, I went looking for a copy.
Before I go much further, I want to pause at the book's cover image to admire the beautiful photography. Isn't this shot amazing? The picture simply dances with sunlight and color.
I want to be there in that field right now, waist-deep in summer flowers!
Photograph © David Perry from The 50 Mile Bouquet by Debra Prinzing, St. Lynn's Press, 2012
And now that I have strayed into the on the subject of photography, I want to show you my favourite shot in the book.
I love, love this image by photographer David E. Perry! It is the kind of picture you might want to frame and hang on a wall.
Photograph © David Perry from The 50 Mile Bouquet by Debra Prinzing, St. Lynn's Press, 2012
The book itself is fairly slender, but it has made a big impression on me. I honestly don't think that I will ever look at cut flowers with the same eyes again!
Winters are long here in Canada. I get through the months of cold, and ice with pots of forced spring bulbs and bouquets of cut flowers from the grocery store. There are many times however, when I have stood in front of the cellophane wrapped bunches of scentless roses, mums and carnations and wished there was an alternative. Even in the summer months, when there are locally grown flowers available, the store selection never varies.
The 50 Mile Bouquet peaks behind the curtain of the 40 billion global flower industry to reveal that there are alternatives already in place. The book follows the path from field to vase, highlighting along the way, growers committed to sustainable practices and floral designers who prefer to work with flowers that are seasonal, locally grown and natural.
If this all sounds just a bit dry, let me reassure you, I found the book to be both interesting and completely readable.
The 50 Mile Bouquet peaks behind the curtain of the 40 billion global flower industry to reveal that there are alternatives already in place. The book follows the path from field to vase, highlighting along the way, growers committed to sustainable practices and floral designers who prefer to work with flowers that are seasonal, locally grown and natural.
If this all sounds just a bit dry, let me reassure you, I found the book to be both interesting and completely readable.
Photograph © David Perry from The 50 Mile Bouquet by Debra Prinzing, St. Lynn's Press, 2012
As I read through the pages, I began silently cheering on growers like Tara Kolla who took on city hall and a disgruntled neighbour for the right to grow sweet peas in her half-acre backyard in Los Angeles.
I also found myself admiring growers like Diane Szukovathy and Dennis Westphall (pictured above) who managed to entice area floral designers to use unconventional flowers and foliage.
As author Debra Prinzing points out, most consumers are unaware of how "ungreen" many of their floral choices often are. For example, a standard box of long stem roses is very likely to have been sprayed with pesticides and dosed with preservatives, so they can make the two week journey from farm to store.
And did you know that the primary ingredient in the floral foam that many designers use is formaldehyde?
I had no idea. I bought some recently for a project I wanted to do. Now, I am thinking of returning it to the store.
I don't want to make the book sound preachy though, because it's not. It simply introduces readers to alternative ways to enjoy cut flowers. In its pages, we meet floral designers, wedding planners and even DIYers who are using new and creative methods to make arrangements and eliminate conventional and sometimes harmful industry practices.
A great tip for storing peonies for up to a month. I definitely want to try this technique out next summer when my peonies come into flower.
As Debra Prinzing writes in The 50 Mile Bouquet, there is "a better way to beautiful." I think that this is a book that anyone who enjoys flowers should want to read.
If you would like to be included in the draw for the copy of The 50 Mile Bouquet, please leave a comment below. I am going to leave the contest wide open until November 25th, so visitors to Holley's monthly garden book-review-linking-party can have a chance to enter. The draw and winning announcement will be made near the end of the month.
Many thanks to St. Lynn's Press for providing a book for this giveaway.
Many thanks to St. Lynn's Press for providing a book for this giveaway.
Good luck everyone!
I am going to link this post to Holley's monthly book review party later this month (November 20th). Be sure to check out Holley's blog on 20th for other interesting garden book reviews: Roses and Other Gardening Joys.
More Information and Links:
Debra Prinzing is an outdoor living expert who writes and lectures on interiors, architecture and landscapes. She is the author of six books including the award wining Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways ( Clarkson-Potter/Random House, 2008) Debra serves as the president of the Garden Writers Association and was a co-founder of GreatGardenSpeakers.com. Debra is a contributing editor Better Homes & Gardens and her features appear in magazines such as Garden Design, Fine Gardening and Metropolitan Home. Learn more about Debra at www.debraprinzing.com
Photographer David E. Perry began exploring the world and telling stories with his camera the day his father gave him a vintage Certo Dollina rangefinder and several roles of film. In The 50 Miles Bouquet David found a way to combine his love of photography with his love of flowers. To see examples of his photographic work, visit his website at www.davidperryphoto.com. David also has a blog as well.Special Photo Credits in this post: The photographs from the book The 50 Mile Bouquet are by photographer David E. Perry and have been used with kind permission from St Lynn's Press. © David Perry and Debra Prinzing 2012.
