The Sustainable Flowers Podcast

The Sustainable Flowers Podcast:

A conversation about sustainable cut flower growing and designing between two passionate Canadian growers trying to figure it out.

Heather and Clara grow cut flowers for market on the northern edge of the Canadian Prairies. In this podcast they discuss the issues they face and alternatives to conventional approaches that they are putting into practice or are trialing to ensure that their small-scale flower farming operations are sustainable. Looking to the past and to new technologies to learn the whys and hows, they discuss everything from peat to floral foam, Antirrhinum to Zinnias as well as their weekly adventures on their Zones 2 and 3 flower farms.

"Flower Sharing" Considerations for Farmer Florists (and consumers!): A discussion with Linda D'Arco of Little Farmhouse Flowers

Nov 21, 2020

This week we are delighted to have Linda D'Arco of Little Farmhouse Flowers back to have a conversation about "Flower Sharing" a concept commercialized in the US by Bloomerent. We discuss what it is, how it affects/could affect us as small flower farmer/florists, and issues around sustainability.

Our theme music was...

Helping Pollinators: Interview with Dr. Stephanie Frischie of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Nov 15, 2020

Such a great chat this week with Dr. Stephanie Frischie from the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation ! Stephanie is an agronomist and native plant specialist and so generously and clearly talks us through types of pollinators we didn't know about and how to enhance habitat on our farms.

The great book by...

Dahlia Breeding and Genetics with Dr. Keith Hammett: Part 1

Nov 6, 2020

We are delighted that Dr. Keith Hammett, dahlia and sweet pea breeder extraordinaire, joins us again to answer our questions about dahlia genetics and the history of breeding these fabulous blooms. It is always a fascinating, and wide ranging discussion when we chat with Dr. Hammett, so we have divided our conversation...

Slug Research Update with Dr. Luong

Oct 31, 2020

Last season we had a fabulous chat with Dr. Lien Luong, Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta, about her fascinating research into the ecology and possible controls of slugs! She is our hero!

Dr. Luong agreed to talk with us again to report on her first round of results for...

Fall Ranunculus for Cold Climate Growers

Oct 25, 2020

To launch Season 3, Heather is divulging all of her hard won learnings about growing those astounding ranunculus you have seen on her social media feeds!