Slow Flowers—Four Seasons of Locally Grown Bouquets from the Garden, Meadow and Farm

The slow food movement (with its hundreds of thousands of members and supporters) has changed our relationship with the foods in our lives. Now the slow flower movement is changing the way we think about cut flowers: Yes, we'd all prefer fresh, fragrant flowers in our bouquets, not the chemical-laden lifeless blooms flown in from afar - but what to do in those seasons when not much is growing locally? Acclaimed garden writer Debra Prinzing challenged herself to create a beautiful, locally-grown bouquet for each of 52 weeks of one year (going beyond flowers to include ornamental twigs, foliage, greenhouse plants, dried pods, and more), to demonstrate that all four seasons have their own botanical character to be celebrated. She provides extensive design tips, bouquet “recipes” and region-by-region floral ingredient lists that can be found in all climate zones through the year. Slow Flowers is written from a DIY floral designer's point of view, to inspire anyone to go green and make a beautiful bouquet with what's at hand, no matter the season.

Debra Prinzing is highly visible in the world of garden writing, and is president of the 1800-member Garden Writers Association of America. An outdoor living expert, she is a contributing editor for Better Homes & Gardens and Garden Design magazine and writes for top shelter and consumer publications. She is the author of six books, including Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways (with photographer William Wright - Clarkson Potter, 2008); and her latest, The 50 Mile Bouquet (with co-author photographer David Perry - St. Lynn's Press, 2012).