Episode 771: Eileen Tongson of Orlando’s FarmGal Flowers on building a cutting garden-based business as a pioneer of the Slow Flowers Movement
About this episode
Eileen Tongson discusses her journey in building a cutting garden-based business and her role in the Slow Flowers Movement.
https://youtu.be/6Fw4Yodu3Ww?si=9dEb1tKVamN6haAQ I recorded today’s conversation on the final day of our recent flower and garden-inspired river cruise in Holland and Belgium. It was a spontaneous decision to sit down with Eileen Tongson, a longtime Slow Flowers member, owner of FarmGal Flowers, and one of 29 North American growers featured in the pages of The Flower Farmers book, who had joined the tour along with her cousin, Sarah Ponce. Based in Winter Park, Florida, a suburb of Orlando, Eileen’s success at growing flowers nearly year-round was once a curiosity; now it’s part of her reputation. Her students want to learn how to grow a flower garden like she has; they take Eileen’s workshops at a local botanical garden or at East End Market, an artisanal food and restaurant hub; and in small-group events at the FarmGal Flowers' cottage garden where Eileen lives with her family. I’m so thankful that Eileen agreed to record this conversation with me as she shared her story with fellow tour-goers and with our viewers and listeners. It also gave me a chance to tell the story of the origins of the Slow Flowers Movement with our fellow travelers. FarmGal Flowers opening pages of…
More episodes of Slow Flowers Podcast
- Episode 777: Snohomish Co. Flower Collective (bonus interview w/ Alicia Schwede)
- Episode 776: Learn How to Make a Sustainable, European-Style Armature with Gina Thresher of From the Ground Up Floral
- Episode 775: The Earth Dress with Alanna Messner-Scholl of Waverly Flower Co., the American Flowers Week Botanical Couture Series, Part Three
- Episode 774: Lily Fashions with floral artist Françoise Weeks, the American Flowers Week Botanical Couture Series, Part Two
- Episode 773: The Marigold Gardens with Caitlin Mathes, the American Flowers Week Botanical Couture Series, Part One
- Episode 772: Diversification Through On-Farm Workshops with Niki Irving of Flourish Flower Farm
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Slow Flowers Podcast podcast page.