'Slow Flower' movement in budding stage

Some flower farmers in California are reporting an increased demand for local flowers, grown without pesticides. For the Plarisans, a mother-daughter combo operating out of California, that means growing rare local flowers like the near-dark sunflower or rainbow hued zinnias. Their most in-demand flower, and the most difficult to grow, is the dahlia.

 

"I thought roses would be the most difficult to grow, but they haven't been," Karen Plarisan, mother and owner of Verbena Flowers and Trimming, told the Republican American. "But the dahlias got infested with white flies and that attracted moldy mildew. It caught us by surprise."

 

In the fall, the duo turns to homegrown produce, foraged materials, local farm stands and familiar flowers.

 

The New York Times reports that the so-called "Slow Flower" movement is popular along the coastlines and loses influence further into the country. Some of the flowers are being used for non-traditional wedding bouquets and arrangements.

 

Sources: The Republican American and The New York Times.