For those who have watched Erin Benzakien of Floret Farm, unveil her impressive ranges of floral treasures from the Floret breeding programme, this is big news. The inspiring, author, flower farmer, breeder and social media sensation, Benzakien has spent years developing her special range of new cut flower varieties, which also includes some bred by other respected flower farmers.
The floral design studio, shop and flower farm, ALMA | PROUST, founded and run by Milli Proust & Paris Alma have been working with the Floret Farm team, and have cunningly managed to ensure that (some of) the Floret Original seed range will be available through their seed shop, for growers and gardeners in the UK.
“After months of meticulous planning and overcoming every logistical and legal hurdle, we are delighted to announce that the seeds have safely arrived and will be ready for purchase this coming Sunday the 19th of May and delivered to your gardens as quickly as we can pack them!”, explain the duo in their newsletter.
Independent seed breeders, such as Floret Farm are vital to provide access to exceptional, unusual seeds, expanding the possibilities of what we can grow. “The fact that this seed is coming directly from these brilliant breeders means that this seed is unbelievably fresh, fresher than any seed you’ll get in a packet from a shop that has already gone through so many places, machines, and hands to get to yours”, add Proust and Alma.
In a conversation with Alma and Proust, Benzakien explained: “The goal of the breeding program is to develop new varieties that will help give local growers an advantage in the marketplace and open up a whole new world of possibilities for the seasonal flower movement. We’ve focused our efforts on flowers that are easy to grow, thrive in a wide range of climates, and are both vigorous and healthy so that even beginning gardeners will have success with them. New varieties are measured against a set of strict criteria, including long stems for cutting, beautiful coloring, and a unique form that will lend itself to flower arranging. To ensure that local growers have the advantage over imported blooms, we’ve been focusing on breeding flowers that don’t ship well (dahlias, celosia, and zinnias) so if floral designers or wholesale flower sellers want to get their hands on them, they will have to buy them locally or learn how to grow their own.”
Having trialled the seed Alma and Proust, rate the seed quality very highly. “We can already attest to the fantastic quality of the Floret Original seeds. The team over there have worked so hard to ensure immeasurably high germination rates across the range, and we had nearly a 100% germination rate on the packets they sent us earlier this spring. This means that, if stored well, this seed should be in the excellent bracket for a couple of years, at the very least. So, if you’ve run out of room to grow them this year, save them for next. We don’t know if or when we’ll be able to get our hands on them again, so if you don’t want to miss out, get them now, and we’ll be sending out resources on how to properly store your seed to help retain the best germination.”
For a chance to get your hands on the seeds, a sign up to the Alma|Proust newsletter is required (for 24-hour early access) and the sale will take place this Sunday, the 19th of May, at 10 am BST. For all the details see their latest instagram post where they explain all.
On the arrival of her seed ranges to the UK, Benzakien said “I am beyond thrilled that we were able to find a way to finally bring these special seeds across the pond to all of the beautiful people who want to grow them in the UK! I can’t wait to see them in your gardens and on your farms in the future! And because our climates are so similar and the local flower movement is so strong there, my hope is that they will do really well for everyone.”
We look forward to finally seeing the sprinklings of beautiful Floret Originals appearing in gardens and flower farms across the country. Kudos for Floret Farm for breeding the seeds, and to Alma and Proust for bringing them here.