https://youtu.be/AIrGJUfpHuk

You're in for a treat today with my conversation featuring Janet Kramka of Backyard Blooms, based in Trumbull, Connecticut. In August, Janet and I participated in a webinar for New York's Madison Square Park Conservancy's horticultural lecture series -- all about the Slow Flowers Movement. It was really fun to share the screen with a Slow Flowers member who is walking the talk in her practices as a small-scale farmer-florist.

Janet (left) and her newest summer crop, Chinese forget me nots (Cynoglossum amabile)

Buckets of bunches and bouquets

Through that experience, I became fascinated with Janet's personal story of pivoting to a second career after working in the graphic design field. She recorded a special video tour of Backyard Blooms' "backyard" in Connecticut where Janet grows mostly annuals and dahlias in raised beds.

Janet and her husband Pete, who has adopted flower farming as his second profession.

It's really impressive to see the scale of what she's built with the land available to her. Backyard Blooms grows and sells custom bouquets, flower subscriptions and DIY buckets direct to consumers, as well as maintaining a presence at the popular Trumbull Farmers' Market. They offer wholesale flowers to florists through the Connecticut Flower Collective.

A photograph from 2019, depicting how Janet and Pete established their first raised beds.

And here's how Backyard Blooms appeared in July 2022.

Today's conversation focuses on Backyard Blooms' services, customer base and regional market.

"What started as a love of nature and gardening has blossomed into our small-but-mighty family farm where we are committed to growing flowers sustainably and organically. Our blooms are local, unique, and grown with great care for florists, designers, and anyone who delights in the beauty of flowers."janet kramka, backyard blooms

The spring tulip bounty at Backyard Blooms

Follow Backyard Blooms on Instagram and Facebook.

More Resources

https://youtu.be/FyVeifTeE3c
The replay video of our Slow Flowers Presentation recorded on August 18th for Madison Square Park Conservancy

LISTEN: Slow Flowers Podcast Episode 494 with farmer-florist Haley Billipp of Eddy Farm and Connecticut Flower Collective.

Thank you to our Sponsors

This show is brought to you by Slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to more than 850 florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms.  It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers.

Thank you to our lead sponsor, Farmgirl Flowers. Farmgirl Flowers delivers iconic burlap-wrapped bouquets and lush, abundant arrangements to customers across the U.S., supporting U.S. flower farms by purchasing more than $10 million dollars of U.S.-grown fresh and seasonal flowers and foliage annually. Discover more at farmgirlflowers.com.

Thank you to Store It Cold, creators of the revolutionary CoolBot, a popular solution for flower farmers, studio florists and farmer-florists.  Save $1000s when you build your own walk-in cooler with the CoolBot and an air conditioner.  Don't have time to build your own? They also have turnkey units available. Learn more at storeitcold.com.

Thank you to CalFlowers, the leading floral trade association in California, providing valuable transportation and other benefits to flower growers and the entire floral supply chain in California and 48 other states. The Association is a leader in bringing fresh cut flowers to the U.S. market and in promoting the benefits of flowers to new generations of American consumers. Learn more at cafgs.org.

Thank you to Details Flowers Software, a platform specifically designed to help florists and designers do more and earn more. With an elegant and easy-to-use system--Details is here to improve profitability, productivity, and organization for floral businesses of all shapes and ...