https://youtu.be/J85KKde0QOg?si=G_qU8ViQQmjc7jHQ

Jessica Hall of Harmony Harvest Farm and The Mum Project

PROMO CODE: Harmony Harvest has provided a promo code for our listeners and viewers. You can apply this to any retail or wholesale order SLOWMUMS

I’m welcoming Jessica Hall of Harmony Harvest Farm back to the Slow Flowers Podcast today with an update on her Weyers Cave, Virginia-based farm’s expanding collection of specialty, old-fashioned, heirloom, and hard-to-find chrysanthemums for growers and gardeners. The Mum Project, as it is called by Jessica and her partners, mom Chris Auville, and sister Stephanie Duncan, reflects the ambitious journey on which these women have embarked to educate themselves and the entire floral community about the exquisite qualities of chrysanthemums.

Harvesting mums at Harmony Harvest Farm

They have networked extensively with other chrysanthemum aficionados, from members of the national chrysanthemum society to growers of public garden collections. Their goal is to expand the Harmony Harvest list of “mother” plants from which they can take cuttings, propagate more plants, and offer high quality plug to growers. In the process, they also are advocating for other flower farmers to get in on the mum game, offering educational resources and events to elevate understanding about growing mums.

Beautiful apricot chrysanthemum petals

To peruse the collection of mums – ranging from ‘Apricot Alexis’, with a blushy-salmon color and a cascade of curving petals, to ‘Vesuvio’, an ultra-weird creamy-ivory chrysanthemum that begs the question - "are you sure that's a mum?", there are more than 50 selections in the current inventory of plugs, or plant starts, offered at both retail and wholesale programs.

Inside the high tunnel at Harmony Harvest Farm

Let’s jump right in and join my conversation with Jessica. Because of the time of year, there isn’t much to see in terms of rows of colorful chrysanthemum plants, but Jessica did send us a small video she filmed inside one of the three chrysanthemum growing houses at Harmony Harvest. We’ll see that first and then move right into our conversation, recently recorded on January 11th.

The Mum Project has a scope of more than 50 specialty chrysanthemum varieties

Thanks so much for joining me today! As you heard us discuss, in collaboration with the USDA and other agriculture authorities in states across the US, Harmony Harvest Farm is compliant with all required regulations, training, and inspections. I don’t know about you, but I’m inspired and because I don’t have a lot of cutting garden space, I’m looking at my front garden border with a new point of view, thinking about where I can perennialize some of the juicy chrysanthemums among my grasses, shrubs, roses and other permanent plantings!

PROMO CODE: Harmony Harvest has provided a promo code for our listeners and viewers. You can apply this to any retail or wholesale order SLOWMUMS

News of the Week

The New Year is off to a great start, and I love hearing from our listeners and viewers about how inspired they feel after learning from our guests. If I haven’t said it often enough, our programming is the “voice” of the Slow Flowers Movement and we love showcasing our members and their stories. As we think about the shifts, opportunities and changes in the floral landscape for 2024, I hope you took a moment to read the just-released Slow Flowers Floral Insights & Industry Forecast, our 10th annual report. I’ll share the link in our show notes for you to check it out. And, we’re honored that the UK-based lifestyle publication House & Garden has picked up on the forecast, reporting on three of our seven insights and those influences on the gardening world for 2024.

Click to read about Slow Flowers Forecast on House & Garden

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