Website to help consumers find locally grown flowers launches

SEATTLE, WA (May 12, 2014) – Consumers in search of local, seasonal and sustainable flowers now have a place to find American-grown bouquets and blooms -- and to be assured of the origins of each stem they purchase.

Slowflowers.com is a free online directory designed to connect flower lovers with floral retailers, designers and studios that support and sell seasonal, locally grown and domestic flowers.

"People want to do the right thing and make sustainable choices in their lives -- and floral purchases are no exception," shared Debra Prinzing, the Seattle-based author of Slow Flowers and advocate of American flower farming. "With imports representing over 80 percent of flowers sold in this country, the mission of Slowflowers.com is to help people who care about the source of their flowers easily find and identify ways to buy American-grown flowers."

Slowflowers.com launched on May 6, 2014, with 250 flower farms, studios and designers in its searchable database. Prinzing anticipates the site will eventually showcase 1,000 American-grown suppliers and retailers coast-to-coast in all 50 states.

The site features search tools to find floral vendors in several categories, including retail flower shops, studio florists, wedding/event designers, and farmer-direct. An added feature highlights florists and farms that ship American grown flowers overnight - anywhere in the U.S. All members of Slowflowers.com pledge to supply their customers with local, regional and American-grown flowers.

Prinzing launched Slowflowers.com with a combination of personal funds and more than $18,000 in contributions generated during a 45-day campaign on the grassroots crowd-funding platform, Indiegogo. More than 220 individuals and floral businesses contributed to the campaign as “funders," with pledges ranging from floral fans giving $10 to the California Cut Flower Commission committing $1,500 to help launch the website.