Autorentext

Chloé Roy is a successful ecological flower grower, flower farming instructor, and founder of the groundbreaking start-up Floramama. After working with Jean-Martin Fortier at Les Jardins de la Grelinette for two years, she was inspired to apply her newly acquired skills in human-scale agriculture to floriculture. Chloé studied cut flower production with Erin Benzakein of Floret Flowers and learned floral arranging from Sarah Ryhanen of New York-based Saipua. She launched Floramama, Quebec's first biointensive flower farm, in 2014. Since then, Floramama has grown to provide full-time employment for several women while delivering bouquets to over 550 annual subscribers and selling to the public through farmers markets, to florists and designers, to small local shops and a large organic grocery store chain, as well as arranging flowers for weddings and events, turning Floramama's 1.5 acres of flowers into a $380,000 annual business. Chloé lives and farms in Frelighsburg, Quebec.

Klappentext

Setting the world on flower with this beautiful, practical, and inspiring guide to small-scale floriculture

Floramama is a practical guide for running a successful six-figure cut-flower business on 1.5 acres, combining ecological cultivation practices with entrepreneurial insights and the artistry of floral design.

Author and farmer Chloé Roy merges Jean-Martin Fortier's biointensive market gardening principles with her experience in Quebec's ecological flower-growing movement, inspired by the "slow flower" philosophy. This visually stunning resource covers:

• An overview of the various classifications of flowers and their uses, covering annuals, biennials, perennials, bulb plants, and wildflowers
• Cultivation techniques for vigorous, healthy blooms from site selection and infrastructure to soil amendments, transplanting and seed-starting methods, tools, irrigation, pest management, and harvest practices that extend vase life
• Planting schedules and business and marketing strategies to help maximize productivity and financial viability, particularly in challenging climates
• Guidance on crafting visually stunning bouquets by creatively combining elements such as color, texture, volume, and form to create both harmony and contrast.
  Whether you're an established market gardener, an aspiring flower farmer, or simply passionate about sustainable blooms, Floramama offers valuable insights to help you grow with both purpose and profit.

Inhalt

Chapter 1: How it All Began
Chapter 2: Major Categories of Flowers
Chapter 3: Before Starting a Flower Farm
Chapter 4: Planning the Season
Chapter 5: Seed Sowing
Chapter 6: Growth
Chapter 7: Harvesting
Chapter 8: Bouquet Making
Chapter 9: Marketing Appendices

Glossary
Bibliography
Acknowledgments