We had our first in a series of PFG flower farm tours last evening, kicking it off with Love ‘n Fresh Flowers, one of our flower farms right in the heart of Philadelphia. Many of our florist customers are already familiar with this flower farm because it serves as the hub for our flower collective. But even though the florists on the tour had been to the hub many times and had a cursory glance at Love ‘n Fresh Flowers, this in-depth tour was an extensive education on the details of how and what Love ‘n Fresh Flowers grows.
Upon arriving, tour guests were greeted with a seasonal botanically-themed cocktail: gin & tonics made with fresh lavender syrup and garnished with pink blueberries and violas just picked from the farm. Guests then got a chance to meet and mingle before the tour got started. It was fun to see connections being made. Lots of “oh, I follow you on Instagram!” and “I love your work!”.
After everyone arrived, Jennie, the owner of Love ‘n Fresh Flowers, took everyone out into the fields for the full tour. We explored and talked about all the perennials she has planted, especially the native varieties and why they play such a big part in regenerative flower farming. We oohed and ahhed over the dahlias that are just coming into bloom. We had a look inside the hoop houses and then the greenhouse to see what new annual crops are growing and will be ready later this summer. A crowd favorite was walking through the oakleaf hydrangeas that are a magic fairyland in full bloom at the moment.
At the end of the evening, we gathered in the barn again and shared some stories as a group about what it’s like to be a sustainable florist committed to using locally-grown stems. Some business advice was exchanged and just generally a lot of good will too. We loved seeing our community blossom in this moment and truly can’t wait to do it again! Our next farm tour will be at the Flores Temporis farm in late August. Please be sure to sign up for our newsletter to get a notification of when the date has been set and tickets are available.
