Are local flowers right for my event?
On the heels of the "Slow Food Movement" is the "Slow Flower Movement." The Slow Flower Movement is the movement of customers and florists opting to use U.S. grown flowers, the more local to your area the better! This is great, it is delivering fresher flowers that are more unique, since many flowers aren't team players when it comes to long term storage and shipping! Which is why all the fun has been bred out of those imported blooms and you have limited blooms to choose from. Not to mention all the stuff they coat them to get them to last through their journey. Local flowers tend to be more fragrant, because the scent wasn’t bred out of them. From the field to your event, your bouquet may still be looking good when you get back from you honeymoon! We grow unusual and quirky components not commonly seen (heck yeah that’s a tomato!).
There is a catch, not all flowers bloom all year. There is a season to our growing and a season for specific flowers. Tulips will not bloom in August as Dahlias are not going to bloom in April. For those wanting a very specific flower, even out of it's natural season for our area, this may seem terrible (what no Freesia in October?!) but it really is lovely. We get to celebrate each flower in its rightful season.
The smell of sweet peas will tie your memory of your June wedding, so when they are in bloom they will instantly take you back. How special is that?!
Celebrating flowers within their rightful season is something we are incredibly passionate about!
So… are local flowers the right choice for you? Ask yourself these questions:
Are you okay with having last minute surprises? (nature throws curveballs, this requires flexibility)
Are you okay with having only in-season blooms? (the flowers in bloom the week of your event are the flowers that will be used in the floral designs, we do not purchase imports and are subjected to the whims of nature)
Are chemical-free and sustainable growing practices important to you? (this may mean a few tiny aphids but hey, no carcinogenic sludge being sprayed!)
Do you want to support domestic/local growers and businesses?
Does your floral vision allow of substitutions, creativity, and out-of-the-box flowers/design?
Are your envisioning highly stylized florals with very specific colors and types? (we cannot guarantee exact colors and specific flowers, you may want to seek a more traditional florist who are more than happy to order/spray paint flowers for you!).
Another note: Sierra Flower Farm's growing philosophies flow into our design philosophies. Meaning, we are floral-foam free florist and make the best effort to use earth friendly design tools in our works.