Local Flower Growers Market Celebrates Its First Anniversary!

Snowballs and callas displayed by Oregon Coastal Flowers inside the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market warehouse

Yesterday the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market celebrated its one-year anniversary with a festive party at their Georgetown warehouse.  It was a joyous occasion, full of color, supportive buyers and friends, fresh blooms, and good food.  Debra Prinzing and David E. Perry, author and photographer, were on hand to sign copies of their new book, The 50 Mile Bouquet.  (The New York Times recently wrote an interesting article about the book and the “buy local” flower movement.  You can link to it here.)

Starting June 1st, the market will open its doors to retail buyers on Fridays from 10 – 2 and will charge a $5 fee for this privilege.  I appreciated getting an invitation to the Anniversary Party, even though I am not a wholesaler or florist.  I am proud to know this group of local flower growers who are working so hard to promote sustainability and local markets in the flower industry.  Small is beautiful!

Here are some photos of the day:

Twig baskets on the loading dock, from Oregon Coastal Flowers

Bucket full of calla lilies, Oregon Coastal Flowers

I simply cannot resist including another photo of these gorgeous calla lilies.

Buyer selects individual blooms from the choice inventory of J Foss Garden Flowers.

Janet, owner of J Foss Garden Flowers

Janet writes up a sale.

Another buyer

Casual seating area

Diane Szukovathy of Jello Mold Farm flanked by author Debra Prinzing and photographer David E. Perry with their book, The 50 Mile Bouquet

Debra Prinzing signing book

Debra Prinzing signing copies of her new book, The 50 Mile Bouquet

Photographer David E. Perry signing copies of his book, The 50 Mile Bouquet

The focus is on super fresh, seasonal flowers like these tulips.

Flower arranging demonstration

Flower arranging demonstration

Diane Szukovathy speaking passionately to local buyers and florists

Diane talking with her hands

Jello molds at the warehouse from Jello Mold Farm

Reflections in a mirror at the warehouse

Purchases on the loading dock

Diane Szukovathy, President of the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market Cooperative

Colorful Calla Lilies

Calla lilies at the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market

I’d never seen so many colors of calla lilies in one place before my visit to the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market — creamy white, yellow, peach, burgundy, and such a deep purple that it was almost black.  (The dark ones were a challenge to photograph.)  These were the bounty of Z Callas, a specialty grower from Oregon.

I took so many photos of the calla lilies that I decided they needed their own post.  I just love the curvy, sensuous lines of this elegant flower.

Calla lilies at the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market

Luscious, creamy calla lilies

Yellow calla lilies against dark purple ones

All the colors of a sunset in these calla lilies

Calla lilies

Purple calla lilies

 

Enchanted and Enthralled by Colorful Calla Lilies

Unusual orange calla lillies

While we were in Tacoma, Carol and I stopped in at the W W Seymour Botanical Conservatory in Wright Park.  Last year I was enthralled when I saw pink calla lilies for the first time.  On this visit to Tacoma’s conservatory, I was amazed to see calla lilies in purple and sunset orange colors.  They were enchanting!

Purple calla lilies on display at the W W Seymour Botanical Conservatory in Tacoma

Purple calla lilies

 

Sunset orange calla lily, W W Seymour Botanical Conservatory

Calla lily

Calla lily close up

Pink calla lily, W W Seymour Botanical Conservatory

Pink calla lilies

W W Seymour Botanical Conservatory, Tacoma

Watercolor sketches of calla lilies

Watercolor sketches of calla lilies

What Nature Reveals

"Benedictine prayer is designed to enable people to realize that God is in the world around them." Joan Chittister

“Morning and evening, season by season, year after year we watch the sun rise and set, death and resurrection daily come and go, beginnings and endings follow one another without terror and without woe.  We come to realize that we are simply small parts of a continuing creation, and we take hope and comfort and perspective from that.”
     — from Wisdom Distilled from the Daily: Living the Rule of St. Benedict Today by Joan Chittister, OSB

Nature can be another catalyst for contemplation.  Here are some photos taken during my contemplative walks around the grounds of St. John’s University:

Grace upon grace . . .

Tiger lily

"The world laughs in flowers." e e cummings

"Consciousness of God is perpetual prayer." Joan Chittister, OSB

"The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn." Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Faith sees a beautiful blossom in a bulb, a lovely garden in a seed, and a giant oak in an acorn." William Arthur Ward

Dragonfly poses for backside view

Dragonfly

Natural necklace of lavender blossoms

Chipmunk in a tree

Thistle down

Reflections in the lake on my walk to Morning Prayer

Dandelion wishes

“We have to learn to be mindful that creation belongs to God and we have only been put here as its keepers.”
     — from Wisdom Distilled from the Daily by Joan Chittister, OSB

Pink Calla Lilies

Seeing calla lilies, unexpectedly pink, rates right up there with last year’s sighting of blue poppies!

Lovely pink calla lily

Calla lily with raindrop on tip

Gracefully furled pink calla lily

Calla lily with raindrop

Pink calla lily

Calla Lilies

Georgia O'Keeffe's Calla Lilies, 1923

I admire Georgia O’Keeffe’s paintings.  She certainly captures the minimalist elegance and grace of white calla lilies.  They have to be one of the most classically feminine flowers.  I love the simple sweeping curves of the calla lily’s elongated petals.

“The modest Rose puts forth a
          thorn,
The humble sheep a threat’ning
          horn;
While the Lily white shall in love
          delight,
Nor a thorn nor a threat stain her
          beauty bright.”
     — William Blake

Calla Lily silhouette

Calla Lily

Calla Lily