Saturday, August 31, 2013

Martha Stewart’s American Made Contest! Vote for Local Color Flowers today!

085MM_KFA_5473Local Color Flowers has been nominated for Martha’s Stewart’s American Made Award in Design! It’s pretty exciting to think that we are in the running with “makers” all over the country doing such amazing work.

This is a big deal. If Local Color Flowers receives the most votes in the Design category, not only will we WIN but we will also be able to show the world that it is possible to have a successful floral design business using 100% locally grown flowers! No chemically sprayed roses or floral foam needed!

Though we’ve got the nomination, we still need the votes. That’s where you can help. Each day from now until September 13th you can vote for us up to six times by clicking here!  Voting is easy, and our competition is tough, so every single vote is going to count!

If just voting isn’t enough for you, don’t worry. There are even more ways to show your support! Forward this message to your friends and family. Share our Facebook videos and posts. Film your own video telling people why they should vote for us. Tag us, Pin us, walk down the street and shout about us! The more people hear about our nomination, the more votes we can get!

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Cat Rapped Endorses Local Color Flowers

Local Color Flowers wants to put Baltimore and Maryland on Martha’s map! If we win this award, we will be sending an important message to America. We will be proving to America that small businesses can really make a beautiful difference in their communities when they choose local products, follow green practices, and support their local economy.

Let the voting begin!

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Butterbee Farm Needs Your Help

Our friends at Butterbee Farm are expanding! Many of you may be familiar with Laura Beth and Butterbee Farm. They are located right here in Baltimore and they have been providing us with beautiful flowers all season.

The bees!

During their first year of production, Butterbee Farm has been leasing space from Whitelock Community Farm in Reservoir Hill. While they love being part of the Whitelock Community, the amount of space they have to grow on is really small.  After much searching, Butterbee Farm has found a new home in Baltimore County. The space is sunny, has great soil, great drainage and a good spirit.

To help them expand, Butterbee Farm is embarking on a crowd funding campaign.  Here is a list of some of the items they need:

    • a tool shed: $1,000
    • a deer fence (deer pressure in the area is pretty intense): $1000
    • basic tools like hoes/a precision seeder/harvesting knives: $1,000
    • soil amendments, compost, and initial tillage: $2,000
    • Water meter accessibility and drip irrigation (the most sustainable kind of irrigation): $2,000.
    • Potting soil and seeds: $2,000
    • Labor: $1,000
    • Liability insurance and LLC status: $1,000

As an entrepreneur whose business depends on flower farmers, I’m proud to be able to help support Butterbee Farm in their expansion. If you are an entrepreneur, a farmer, a lover of flowers or just a generous friend, please consider contributing to Butterbee Farm’s campaign.  They have some great gifts for your contribution including design classes with Local Color Flowers! Spread the love! Support local farmers!

Monday, August 5, 2013

Summer Bouquet Class

Summer Bouquet Class: By Carling A.W. Elder

[photo-64.jpg]Friday morning, I got to do something really fun. I got to go to my work, and not work at all! Yesterday morning, I was lucky enough to attend a Summer Bouquet class at Local Color Flowers taught by my talented boss Ellen Frost where I got to sit back, play with some beautiful local flowers, and revel in being a student again.

I’m always quick to tell anyone who asks that one of the best things about designing with local flowers is the ever changing variety and availability of the flowers. Each week, there are different colors, textures, shapes, and scents to examine and explore, and it keeps floral design from ever becoming boring or static. I love the challenge of working with new materials each week, and I always feel it’s my responsibility to the growers to make their flowers shine in each design.

For the class this week, there was basil, celosia, mountain mint, lisianthus, gomphrena, zinnias, sunflowers, and marigolds to choose from. The mint and basil smelled fresh and sweet, and the multicolored zinnias lit up the studio table with their brilliance. We each got a silver or white, low footed bowl to use as a vase, and quickly filled it with a ball of chicken wire to create an eco friendly support structure for our arrangements.

As Ellen explained the basics of floral design, we passed a golden marigold around the design table and stuck our faces into it, delighting in its earthy scent. I watched the excitement on the faces of my classmates as they learned how to cut stems on an angle, the importance of foliage and texture, and the benefits of buying local flowers. As I choose green and orange flowers for my design, I watched others gravitate towards their favorite colors of purple, red, and yellow. Once we had chosen our flowers, we each grabbed a pair of clippers and, as Ellen likes to say,  “Dove in!”

 

My friend Julie accompanied me to the class. When we got home, she asked me “Was it useful for you?” wondering if I found the class helpful since I’ve been doing floral design for a few years. I answered with a resounding “YES!” At yesterday’s class, Ellen’s teaching, summer’s  fresh flowers, and the basic elements of floral design, gave me a deliciously strong shot of inspiration. While creating our summer bouquets, I saw my classmates awaken to the joys of floral design, and I thought about the many reasons I love floral design so much.

At yesterday’s design class, I realized that no matter how good a designer I ever become, my goal is to always approach floral design with a beginners eyes:  with enthusiasm, with curiosity, and with a desire to learn. 

In other words, I will forever strive to be a student of my favorite artform, floral design.