Live farm fresh

I first started working with Erin Benzakein of Floret about 4 years ago. She was seeking advice on how to transition her in-person flower farming workshop into an online version that could reach & serve more people.

Within the first few minutes of our first coaching call, I knew that Erin was incredibly special.

Not only was she super smart, hardworking and unbelievably talented – But she was also bursting with such a passion for organically grown flowers, that it was easy to see how that passion was infectious to others.

I’ve had the honor of working with Erin and her team pretty much non-stop for the last four years on various digital marketing projects and course deliveries. And through that time, it’s been so fun to watch Erin’s big vision literally “blossom” as she continues to expand the farm and churn out some of the best flower gardening books on the planet.

You see…Floret is a small flower farm in the Mount Vernon area of Washington State. But Erin does NOT sell flowers!

(That part is usually a surprise to people.)

Instead of selling flowers, Erin sells seed and does tons of research. And part of her research leads to wonderful, new plant introductions for the cut flower market.

But…Erin also teaches about everything she learns.

She shares massive amounts of information on small-scale farming, her favorite varieties and even how to grow and enjoy flowers at home.

Erin’s goal is to get more people to grow flowers…organically…because it’s good for the planet and our souls.

And with that…I need to let you know about her latest’s book!

Over the years, I’ve had lots of glimpses behind-the-scenes of many of Floret’s projects. And I have to say that watching Erin’s latest book, Discovering Dahlias, come to life has been especially magical.

First, the photography in Discovering Dahlias is drool-worthy. Seriously.

You can open the book to literally any page and your heart will swoon over the beautiful and inspiring imagery taken by Erin’s ultra-talented husband, Chris.

But what will truly make your heart stop is the thoughtful and deeply informative content that Erin and her team have put together.

Every section is lovingly detailed and jam-packed with info. Every growing technique is carefully photographed and described step-by-step so that you know exactly what to do and when to do it. And every dahlia type, color and shape imaginable is documented within the beautiful pages.

If you love dahlias as much as I do, or if you have ever even considered growing them, THIS is the book for you!

In fact…when you will find yourself curled up with this book, you’ll want to make sure you have two things with you…

1. A note pad to jot down all the ideas popping into your brain
2. Your laptop so that you can either place orders or get on the waitlist for the best varieties

If you are new to Floret, let me share all the ways you can learn more.

For more reading, check out:

1. Erin’s first book, Cut Flower Garden
2. Erin’s second book, A Year in Flowers

In 2017, I did two podcast interviews with Erin. You can listen to Erin share (in her own words) about her farm life here:

1. Erin Benzakein – Behind-the-Scenes of Flower Farming (Podcast #119)
2. Erin Benzakein – on Growing Organic Flowers (Podcast #95)

Growing Floret – The Documentary Series!

The other big news…Erin and her farm are being featured in a 4-part mini-series by Magnolia Network and DisneyPlus.

Here’s more info on Growing Floret the documentary series! 

(It’s so good)

The film crew followed Erin around for a whole year and it took all my willpower not to share the secret until the first episode was released in January. I’m so glad the first episode is out so we can freely discuss it now!

You’ll see the whole story of how Erin is creating magic in the soil and her journey of building a working farm bit by bit.

If you have ever considered starting a farm yourself, prepare to be inspired. Erin and her team share the real truth, the hard work and what it means to be driven by something bigger than yourself.

One Last Thing…

As you dig into all things Floret, there’s one more thing I want you to know…

Erin has a knack for surrounding herself with talent. Every single member of her farm crew and her creative team is top-notch. They are dedicated, hard-working, uber-talented, fun and they all pour their heart and soul into their work.

That’s why every aspect of Floret is so good. These people care about the planet. They care about flowers.

And they care about the people who grow flowers with them.

I hope you add Discovering Dahlias to your book collection. You’ll be so glad you did!

Note: Some links in this post are affiliate links

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