by August 28, 2022
A few years ago I had the pleasure of attending a Texas-swing field to vase dinner at a flower farm in Blanco, as a guest of Debra Prinzing, founder of Slow Flowers, which advocates the use of American-grown flowers in the US floral industry. Debra also co-founded Bloom Imprint, a boutique publishing company with Robin Avani, that showcases floral personalities, creatives, farmers and artisans.
Their latest publication is Beautiful Books Black Flora: Profiles of Inspired Black Flower Growers + Florists Teresa J. by Speight. Teri is a garden-writer friend of mine — her website is Cottage in the Court — and she’ll be speaking at my Garden Spark speaker series in October. So I was excited to read his new book!
I’m not familiar with floral design or the art of floriculture, but that’s not a prerequisite for enjoying the book, which is really about people, especially black people in the United States who grow and/or work with flowers. Teri shares the inspiring stories of 23 floral creatives and growers, highlighting the work of black entrepreneurs in an industry that can seem overwhelmingly white.
black flora Floristry shows how diverse it really is, not only in terms of the number of black business owners but also in the type of work they do. Terry profiles botanical artists, floral designers, florists, florists, creative directors and horticultural therapists across the US.
With the story of each person’s journey into the art of flowers, the book showcases exquisite examples of their work. It’s sure to inspire young people of color — or anyone thinking of jumping into floristry from another career path — to consider floral design or floristry as something they can do, too.
black flora A beautiful book about people and the flowers and works they love, who have long been overlooked as black creatives in white art. Their stories are inspiring and inspiring. As Teri writes, “[Y]A new generation of black plant-lovers is looking for inspiring examples of successful floral artists and entrepreneurs. When they see their potential — through representation of people who look like them in farming and floriculture — future possibilities enable their dreams.”
Disclosure: I purchased a copy of this black flora and reviewed it at my own discretion and without compensation. This post, like everything in Digging, is my personal opinion. Photo from black flora Courtesy of Bloom Imprint.
I welcome your comments. Scroll to the end of this post to leave a. If you’re reading an email, click here to go to Digging and find the comment box at the end of each post. And hey, did someone forward you this email and you want to subscribe? Click here to have Digging delivered straight to your inbox!
__________________________
dig deep
It’s juicy time Austin Cactus and Succulent Society’s Fall Show and Sale Sept. 3 and 4 at the Austin Area Garden Center at Zilker Botanical Garden. Includes a plant exhibit, plant and pottery sale, silent auction, and plant raffles. Open from 10 am to 5 pm. Entry to the garden is free with payment.
Learn about garden design from the experts here Garden Spark! I host private talks with inspiring designers, landscape architects, and writers several times a year in Austin. These are limited-attendance events that sell out quickly, so join the Garden Spark email list to be notified in advance. Just click on this link and ask to be added. You can find this year’s speaker lineup here.
All material © 2022 by Pam Penick for Excavation. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
