Inside the Blooming Business of Floret Flower Farm
Warning: These pictures will make you want to quit your day job.
Call her the Dahlia Lama. Erin Benzakein of Floret Flower Farm is inspiring a new generation of florist-farmers with hands-on workshops at her 3-acre farm in Washington's lush Skagit Valley.
Erin Benzakien
After leaving Seattle in search of a "slower, more intentional" lifestyle, Erin Benzakein found more than just a home in Washington's Skagit Valley; she found a calling. Shortly after her great-grandmother passed away, Erin planted a double row of sweet peas in her vegetable garden as a tribute to her flower-loving relative. They grew in such abundance that Erin started sharing bundles with anyone who would take them. From that first humble crop nearly eight years ago, a flower business was born.
In this photo: Erin poses with her blooms (and brood) before talking shop at Floret Flower Farm.
Flower Workshops
Now that Floret Flower Farm is in full bloom (in addition to a packed calendar of weddings and events, Floret flowers are carried at local Whole Foods stores), Erin has turned her attention to sharing her home-grown wisdom with budding flower enthusiasts. Several times a year, the Floret team opens its fields to workshop attendees looking to draw inspiration from Erin's signature organic design style and to get a glimpse at the labor involved with running a small flower farm.
Fields of Dahlias
The workshops, now in their third year, draw participants from across the United States and all over the globe (Brazil, Thailand, England). "I love empowering people with the knowledge that you don't need hundreds of acres or fancy equipment to be a flower farmer," Erin says. "You can achieve this job with drive and creativity. That's the message I want to spread." If Floret's success is any indication, that message will spread like wildflowers.
In this photo: Business is blooming for Erin and husband Chris. The pick of the day? Dahlias. So. Many. Dahlias.
Bountiful Blooms
After a harvesting demonstration, participants are turned loose in the fields to cut blooms, which they will later load into the farm truck and turn into arrangements.
Gathering Supplies
With the entire barn brimming with flowers, the design process begins. Here, Carra Duggan of Everett Family Farm in Santa Cruz, California, gathers her freshly picked supplies.
Dahlias
Erin is constantly testing new varieties of flowers—50 to 100 of a single bloom at a time—to find unique types. Out of her 75 dahlias, Cafe au Lait (shown) is easily her favorite. "They have a gorgeous, creamy blush hue, and they can grow as large as your head," she says.
Getting Their Hands Dirty
Florists-in-training Jordyn Pecha (far left), Katie Elliott (center), and her mother Teresa Engbretson (right), all from Washington, admire their hard work.
Centerpieces
Because many of Erin's workshop attendees are interested in wedding floral design, the final day of the workshop is focused on centerpieces. After attendees set the long farmhouse table, they gather around it for the locally sourced celebration. With the sun setting and the barn draped in flowers and aglow with candles, the group celebrates late into the night.
Floral Feast
Ashley Rodriguez of the beloved food
blog Not Without Salt caters an extravagant farewell dinner.
Floret Flower Farm
Visit Floret Flowers for the 2016 schedule of workshops, and look for the Floret team as they travel around the country next year teaching one-day classes aimed at connecting farmers and florists.
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