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Category Archives: Floral Design

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The Dress That Spurred Floral Recognition

First Lady Jill Biden’s Floral Ensemble Gives a Nod to American Grown Flowers

On the evening of the presidential inauguration, First Lady Jill Biden, Ed.D., donned a dress and coordinating cashmere coat adorned with embroidered flowers representing every U.S. state. At heart level on the dress was the state flower of Delaware, her home state, representing that home really is where the heart resides. Flowers from every other state cascaded out from there.

 

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A post shared by Gabriela Hearst (@gabrielahearst)

The dress, coat and a matching embroidered face mask, all created by designer Gabriela Hearst, were seen worldwide when the President Joe Biden and the First Lady appeared in the White House and on a balcony for the evening inauguration concert.

There was no missing the floral theme or the nod to the variety and beauty of flowers and foliage grown by American flower farmers in every state in the nation.

At Certified American Grown, we’re still beaming about the floral nod! And we’re excited about what it can mean for American cut flower and foliage farmers.

Which is why we’re convinced there’s no better time to ask President Biden to support American farmers with an executive order declaring that the White House will use only American Grown Flowers in its arrangements. And that the administration pass the American Grown Act, which requires all federal agencies to only procure cut flowers and greens grown in the United States for their facilities, events and ceremonies.

Imagine if the dress seen around the globe spurred real action to support American famers. Imagine how far the symbolism of using only American Grown flowers and greens could go in supporting domestic farmers. Imagine the economic impact passing the American Grown Act could have in supporting hardworking flower farmers and their families. After all, the president already recently signed an executive order supporting American manufacturing, so supporting domestic flowers and greens is a reasonable stretch.

Which leads us to the next step – and an easy, clear cut way you can help. Whether you’re a farmer, a florist, a wholesaler or a consumer, you can support American flower farmers by adding your signature to our list of supporters of the American Grown Act. It takes less than one minute, but that minute could be as valuable to the industry as the floral ensemble seen around the world!

And you can take it a step further and share our story on your own social media creating even greater awareness and support for the American Grown floral community. Don’t forget to tag!

@drbiden

@flotus

@gabrielahearst

@americangrownflowers

#americangrown

#originmatters

#americangrownact

Join us. Support American flower and foliage farmers, and what they mean to the U.S. economy and the heart of our nation!

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Passionate Floral Pros Hear the Origin Matters Message

Over 300 floral designers gathered for the Team Flower Conference the first week of January in Southern California to learn, grow and build bridges between the various sectors of the floral industry. 

The event, the third of its kind, included a presentation by Certified American Grown’s own Anna Kalins. She took to the stage to share the hundreds of varieties of domestically grown flowers and foliage available 365 days a year from American flower farmers. She also shared the #originmatters message, explaining how florists, wholesalers and others connected to the flower industry can meet consumer demand – and spread the word – about the freshness, diversity and value of buying American Grown flowers. 

 

During the multiple-day event, several educational topics in the areas of design, business and flower farming were also spotlighted by speakers, including floral installations, centerpiece and bouquet design, marketing and testimonials, and growing dahlias and roses.

The annual event is scheduled for March 3-5, 2021 in Albany, New York.

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Cindy Magan Announced as Floral Designer for Field to Vase Dinner in Sacramento

‘Fresh Romantic’ Style Will Grace Tablescapes

Cindy Magan of Hillside Blooms Floristry will be the featured floral designer at the American Grown Field to Vase Dinner on the lawn of California’s state Capitol in Sacramento on June 12.

Photos courtesy of Cindy Magan.  Photos courtesy of Cindy Magan.

Magan, a California native, says she can’t wait to create tablescapes and other installations from the dozens of flower varieties grown up and down the state of California. She’ll be familiar with the blooms, having grown up in Fallbrook, California, where proteas are grown, and being a frequent visitor to San Diego and Half Moon Bay, home to many flower farms.

 

“I feel connected to these places and I can’t wait to play with the amazing flowers from throughout California,” Magan says. “I’m honored and I’m going to throw my entire heart into the designs.”

 

Dinner guests will appreciate Magan’s on-trend aesthetic, something she calls “fresh romantic,” that features a garden style paired with a special accents to keep the designs current. Think novelty accent flowers, surprise fillers and lots of texture.

 

 

“Flowers are an artistic medium for me; I love playing with textures and getting creative with flowers and greens,” Magan adds.

Guests at this dinner are in for a treat as they dine on in the shade of the Capitol building at tables adorned with Magan’s lush romantic garden look.

Seats are going fast for this unique location!

 

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Wondering What a Field to Vase Dinner is Like?

These Photos Capture the Magic!

If you’ve always wanted to attend an American Grown Field to Vase Dinner but haven’t yet, or if you’re a past guest who’d like to relive the magical experience, check out these incredible photos from the first stop on this year’s dinner tour!

Guests were awed by the rainbow of colors surrounding this beautifully designed table and the Pacific Ocean within view.  Photo by Carrie McCluskey Photography.

 

Mike A. Mellano of Mellano and Company, was the host for the evening and led guests on a farm tour sharing both the history and the science behind farming at The Flower Fields. Photo by Carrie McCluskey Photography.

 

Smithers Oasis and FloraLife sponsored the boutonniere bar where guests had a fun opportunity to make their own.  Photo by Carrie McCluskey Photography.

 

Wine and hors d’oeuvres were enjoyed before the dinner began.  Photo by Carrie McCluskey Photography.

 

Our inaugural 2019 dinner was held last week in Carlsbad, California, at The Flower Fields and was hosted by Mellano & Company. Guests dined in fields of ranunculus at tables bursting with homegrown flowers, thanks to floral designer René van Rems, who added an extra splash with fresh flower chandeliers overhead!

Featured designer, René van Rems, created these amazing floral chandeliers that graced the ceiling of the table.  Photo by Carrie McCluskey Photography.

 

Photo by Carrie McCluskey Photography.

 

Take a look that the photos. Then take a deep breath and imagine yourself at one of these dinners!

Every guest went home with an armful of flowers and swag!  Photo by Carrie McCluskey Photography.

We’ve got five more stops on this year’s tour and seats are going fast!

 

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René van Rems Is Featured Designer at First Dinner Tour Stop

Extend Your Experience With Design Workshop!

With just over a month to go until our inaugural dinner on the 2019 American Grown Field to Vase Dinner Tour, we’re thrilled to announce that renowned floral designer, educator and author René van Rems will be the featured floral designer at our first stop at The Flower Fields in Carlsbad, California, on April 18.

Floral designer René van Rems created a stunning tablescape and mesmerizing floral design installations at our Fallbrook Dinner in 2018.  Photo by Carrie McCluskey Photography.

Van Rems is an acclaimed ambassador to the floral industry and a friend to Certified American Grown, having been the featured designer last year at our sold-out dinner at Resendiz Brothers Protea Brothers in Fallbrook, California.

His designs, featuring assorted protea, were nothing short of amazing!

Van Rems brought brilliant life and color to every detail of the Fallbrook Field to Vase Dinner.  He made sure that even this old farm cart was decorated with flowers from the farm.

A leading speaker, educator and floral design demonstrator, van Rems has led workshops and design shows in the U.S., Europe and Asia. He’s also frequently featured at art museum events, including “Art Alive” in San Diego.

 

 

Beyond special events, van Rems regularly holds workshops at his state-of-the-art training center in Carlsbad, California. His two-, three- and five-day programs cover floral trends, advanced floral design techniques and business basics.

And he’s recognized for bringing a European influence to American floral designs. His breathtaking arrangements have been featured in Better Homes & Gardens, Sunset Magazine and on HGTV.

 

 

 

Van Rems will lead a hands-on floral design workshop April 17 and 18 at The Flower Fields. The workshop is open to dinner guests and the public, but just 25 seats are available!  This hands-on one-and-a-half day workshop will cover designing with ranunculus and other Certified American Grown botanicals and cut foliage.

Learn about tabletop vignettes, large display-style arrangements, floral chandeliers and more!

Register at paypal.me/renevanrems. Only 25 seats are available!

With superstars like René van Rems designing for the American Grown Field to Vase Dinner Tour, tickets to all dinners are going quickly!

Save your seat at a future dinner today!

 

 

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Certified American Grown Flowers Star at FTD World Cup 2019

Bart Hassam of Australia Named Champion!

The FTD World Cup 2019, considered the Olympics of floral design, was held last weekend in Philadelphia, marking the first time the competition has been held in the U.S. since 1985. But perhaps even more exciting than its return to the U.S. is the fact that global participants in the competition created some of their designs with over 14,000 Certified American Grown Flowers and Greens donated by American flower farmers!

Certified American Grown was a proud sponsor (as displayed on the big screen) of this year’s FTD World Cup competition in Philadelphia.

For the first time ever, domestically grown flowers starred on the biggest stage in the floral industry during a surprise challenge held on Saturday, March 2. The surprise package of flowers was the only origin-based design package offered during the competition.

The 2019 FTD World Cup was held in conjunction with the Philadelphia Flower Show and included massive floral displays and floral demonstrations.

The FTD World Cup included designers from 23 different countries who won their national competitions to gain entry into the contest. During the main competition last Friday and Saturday, the designers completed four tasks starting with three designs of their own creation (a table for two, a hand tied bouquet, an architecture-inspired piece) and ending with an on-the-fly design – the Certified American Grown Flowers and Greens task. From there, 10 semifinalists moved on to tackle a semifinal challenge Sunday morning.

The 2019 FTD World Cup Champion, Australia’s Bart Hassam, puts the finishing touches on his arrangement, which took first place. ( Photo by Jonathan Wilson for WHYY)

On Sunday evening, five finalists competed in one last surprise task and Bart Hassam of Australia was named the champion, earning a prize worth about $17,000.

Certified American Flowers and Greens were sent to Philadelphia from flower and greens farms from across the country to be featured as one of the surprise packages that all 23 designers were given to work with for the final stage of the first round.

A huge thank you goes out to the farms who sent their Certified American Grown Flowers and Greens to the competition, showcasing how America’s flower farming families can provide beautiful blooms 365 days a year:

  • Mellano & Co.
  • Holland America Flowers
  • Ferntrust
  • Star Valley Flowers
  • Myriad Flowers
  • California Pajarosa
  • Resendiz Brothers Protea
  • Camflor
  • Bloomia
  • Washington Bulb
  • Continental Floral Greens
  • Kitayama Brothers
  • Ocean Breeze Farms

Certified American Grown’s procurement specialist Anna Kalins and American Grown Flowers and Green champion and former Field to Vase designer Kelly Shore of Petals by the Shore represented the Certified American Grown program throughout the week and at the FTD World Cup Gala.

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Designer Kelly Shore Unveils ‘A Year of American Grown Bouquets’

Passion Project Shows What Can Be Designed 365 Days a Year With Domestic Blooms 

Kelly Shore, recently featured in an ad in Florists Review, highlighting her commitment to Certified American Grown Flowers as a promise she can build her business on.

At the start of 2018, floral designer Kelly Shore challenged herself to spend the year designing with the highest percentage of American Grown Flowers possible. It was a personal effort on her part to see exactly what was achievable with flowers sourced exclusively from U.S. flower farms.

And her connections to Certified American Grown farms as a designer for the American Grown Field to Vase Dinner Tour and the First Lady’s Luncheon, along with her participation in the group’s annual fly-in to Washington, D.C., help paved the way for what would come next.

Kelly Shore with freshly cut flowers arranged on the farm at Plantmasters in Maryland. Photo by Susie & Becky.

Sure, her goal to use more Certified American Grown Flowers was public, but she was privately working on (and funding) another project that came to light at the start of 2018.

Each month, Shore, owner and lead designer at Petals by the Shore in Maryland, designed and photographed a bride’s bouquet created entirely with American Grown flowers and foliage. She describes the project as an experiential exercise to help her learn what grows 365 days a year in the U.S.

“I’m an experiential learner and actively making change with a hands-on approach is the only way I knew I would learn how to confidently make the change I wanted to. So I began the project ‘A Year of American Grown bouquets.’ My work with Certified American Grown inspired the undertaking – meeting the farmers, hearing their stories, that meant everything. And having those people connections was important, and motivating. ”

Kelly Shore has traveled to Alaska to design with the peonies growing there. She was the featured floral designer at the 2017 American Grown Field to Vase Dinner at Scenic Place Peonies in Homer, Alaska. Photo by Joshua Veldstra.

Every month, Shore picked an unconventional color palette – think lavender and blue in December, orange and yellow in February – and sourced all floral materials from American flower farmers.

She worked closely with wholesaler DVFlora and also reached out personally to source flowers from U.S. farms that grow varieties bride’s crave.

With the flowers sourced and 100 percent American grown, Shore would design a bouquet and have it professionally photographed (by Sarah Collier of Taken by Sarah Photography) in the hands of a bridal model in a studio or outdoor floral-related setting.

The project is featured in the January 2019 issue of Florists Review, and Shore started blogging about the effort and posting on social media in early January.

She stresses that the project was not just art for art’s sake, but was instead a learning journey and “a real working project to change my business.” And, in the long run, to show other designers what’s possible with domestic flowers.

“In everything I do, I want to bring visibility to the flower farms and encourage other designers to want to do the same,” Shore explains. “People are so inspired by it and they feel like they can do it. Designers are reaching out and saying the bouquets are gorgeous, and I’ve had a lot of farms comment that they appreciate the project and the recognition.”

And the lesson in it for Shore?

“That’ there’s a reliability in what I can get that’s American Grown. I can ask for specific farms and products because now I know the quality. And I get excited when I know the farms I’m getting the flowers from and see the sleeve and the beautiful logos. I’m proud to know that I’m supporting American farmers and their families.”

Flowers labeled Certified American Grown allow designers to quickly identify the origin of their blooms and provides them a third-party guarantee that the source of their flowers have been verified.

Shore’s confident her project can serve as a road map for other floral designers who may be considering increasing their use of domestically grown flowers, or even who are just hoping to get to know nearby flower farmers and their products.

“I understand how, as designers, it’s can be easy find ourselves celebrating some of these exotic flowers from places like Holland or Japan, but through this experience, I was really amazed to see what’s growing year-round right here in the U.S. We’re not even scratching the surface of what we can create with as designers, and to me, that had to change.”

Kelly Shore on the farm at Scenic Place Peonies in Homer, Alaska. Photo by Joshua Veldstra.

 

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Designers Announced for Sacramento, Soldiers Grove Dinners

Meet Liezet Arnold, Greg Campbell and Erick New!

Liezet Arnold will be the featured designer at our next American Grown Field to Vase Dinner in Sacramento on June 13.

With the first two stops on the 2018 American Grown Field to Vase Dinner Tour under our belt and another dinner just weeks away, we’re excited to announce more floral designers for our upcoming dinners!

Liezet Arnold of Bloem Decor will be designing breathtaking tablescapes at our Sacramento dinner on June 13 in the gardens of the state Capitol.

Next, Greg Campbell and Erick New of Garden District will bring their skills to our Sept. 8 dinner in Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin.

Arnold, the daughter of a tomato farmer who grew up in a small village in Holland, began working in flower shops at age 16. After years in the industry, she earned the title Master Dutch Florist.

In 1985, she moved to Beverly Hills to work in a flower shop that catered to celebrity clients and allowed her to expand her floral creativity. Along the way, she met her husband and moved to Sacramento where she started a creative flower shop featuring designs that “maintain European traditions with our unique flair.”

Today, 33 years later, Arnold is still celebrating the beauty and delight of flowers from her Sacramento flower shop. We can’t wait to see how she brings her unique style to the Field to Vase Dinner tablescapes in Sacramento!

Greg Campbell and Erick New of Garden District

At Gardent District, co-owners Campbell and New have created a business based on floral abundance and artistry. The shop provides seasonal flowers, unique gifts and home accents, and their floral installations weave flowers and greenery into breathtaking textural structures.

Their showroom in the heart of Memphis, Tennessee is a soaring showcase of the latest in flowers, containers and antiques.

You can get a sense of their design aesthetic and their commitment to the field to vase approach in their upcoming book, Florists To The Field.  The images in the book hint at the incredible design style diners at the Field to Vase Dinner in Wisconsin will experience.

Thanks to designers like these, an amazing artisanal meal and the opportunity to meet an American flower farmer and dine in fields of flowers, American Grown Field to Vase Dinner destinations continue to sell out.

Don’t miss out on our Sacramento, CA or Soldiers Grove, WI dinners!

 

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Rene van Rems Wows at First 2018 Tour Stop

Floral Designer Shares the Inside Story on Prepping for a Field to Vase Dinner

You might think the job of a floral designer is singular – to surprise and delight by creating beautiful flower arrangements.

When the designer is Rene van Rems, you’d be wrong.

Van Rems was the floral designer for the recent American Grown Field to Vase Dinner at Resendiz Brothers Protea in Fallbrook, California. But his efforts went far beyond arranging flowers. He started by visiting the site with flower farmer Mel Resendiz to help select the perfect location for the dinner.

Photo by Carrie McCluskey Photography.

Since proteas are grown on steep hillsides, this was no small feat. But van Rems knew what he was looking for – a hilltop surrounded by other flower-adorned hills that would provide a sense of warmth and intimacy for dinner guests.

Beautiful farm fresh flowers adorned the tables, welcoming guests to a night of food, wine and flowers. Photo by Carrie McCluskey Photography.

 

Next up, van Rems determined a theme for the arrangements that would adorn the long banquet tables and selected containers from Field to Vase Dinner Tour sponsor Syndicate Sales.

He decided to create three variations of a floral design that featured pincushion proteas and he created them in reverse proportion. “We draped everything down while featuring the pincushions. This way, the flowers are looking at the diner and the diner is looking at the flowers. The flowers were the star and the materials we put with them were very botanical and were from the surrounding landscape. It was a real execution of ‘field to vase.’”

Photo by Carrie McCluskey Photography.

For the containers, van Rems selected brushed glass vases with similar designs and textures in colors that provided contrast with the flowers and surrounding landscape.

The amazing part – the 180 arrangements needed for the dinner were created by 15 students who were part of a workshop van Rems led in advance of the dinner. Not only did they learn floral design skills, participants got a hands-on experience in event execution.

“The event became a lesson plan,” van Rems explains. “The students learned what you can’t learn in a book or on YouTube; it was truly experiential.”

Floral designer Rene van Rems was responsible for the beautiful tablescape and floral design installations. Photo by Carrie McCluskey Photography.

Beyond special events, van Rems regularly holds workshops at his state-of-the-art training center in Carlsbad, California. His two-, three- and five-day programs cover floral trends, advanced floral design techniques and business basics.

As for the reviews of the first stop for the 2018 American Grown Field to Vase Dinner Tour – van Rems shares what guests told him: “Everyone loved the experience because it was beyond their expectations. People had no idea what to expect and they were blown away by a beautifully executed dinner. The No. 1 wow was the site and the flowers were a spoke in the wheel of an amazing experience.”

We couldn’t agree more.

 

 

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Meet the American Grown Flowers Month Merchandising Contest Judges

Distinguished Panel to Review Competitors Store Displays

April showers will bring July’s joy as America celebrates American Grown Flowers Month to recognize the economic and cultural impact of cut flower and greens farmers.

That’s why Certified American Grown is working with farmers and retailers nationwide to create colorful in-store promotion programs that help consumers identify and appreciate homegrown blooms throughout July.

More than 1,200 stores have signed up to participate in the campaign so far.

And that’s just the start of who is onboard with our national contest built around this month-long recognition. Meet our distinguished judges who will rate the in-store displays that promote American Grown Flowers Month:

 

Travis Rigby is publisher of Super Floral magazine, Florists’ Review and president of FlowerBox and PosterGarden.com, creative presentation sites he founded earlier this decade. A resident of Portland, Oregon, Rigby has a degree in communications from the University of Utah.

 

 

 

J Keith White, AIFD, is the creative director for American Floral Trends Forecast and AANDK Productions. A floral designer himself, he’s known in the industry for combining modern and traditional floristry into a diverse art form. Most Americans would recognize his work with extravagant floral designs for the official cars of the Rose Parade each New Year’s Day.

 

 

 

 

Tom Bowling, AIFD, PFCI, is another Rose Parade veteran, serving since 1996 as both a designer and eventually a judge for the spectacular floats. Today, the education director for Syndicate Sales (a sponsor of the American Grown Field to Vase Dinner Tour) in Fairfield, Ohio, Bowling has a 37-year history with the floral industry, including owning his own shop for 20 years and serving as a past president of AIFD.

 

Contest participants will be featured in Super Floral and Florists’ Review, with winners of the cash prizes enjoying the publications’ spotlights. Additionally, Certified American Grown will feature and promote all participants on social media, in a press release and on its blog and website.

Stores will be judged on the quality and beauty of their displays, their ability to increase flower sales in July and their efforts to promote the celebration overall, as well as the Certified American Grown brand.

It’s not too late to be involved with American Grown Flowers Month. Visit AmericanGrownFlowers.org/julycontest/ to learn more and register!