Episode 528: Meet farmer-florist Eileen Tongson of Orlando-based FarmGal Flowers and enjoy her harvest-cornucopia design demonstration

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OURJHGtx7XA Thank you so much for joining us today! October is our celebration of our Slow Flowers members and one of my goals this month is to showcase and thank as many of our Premium Level members as possible, our top supporters. Today, we're visiting Eileen Tongson of FarmGal Flowers, coming to us from Orlando, Florida. As a farmer-florist, Eileen has experimented with a number of channels to market the flowers she grows, but she's honed in on two key portions of her business: teaching workshops and designing for events. Eileen Tongson withone of her signature Florida-grown bouquets When I asked her to join me during Membership Appreciation Month, Eileen suggested sharing a design demonstration during our interview. You'll enjoy meeting Eileen and learning about her robust workshop schedule -- offered all year long, season by season -- to satisfy customers eager for ways to connect with locally-grown flowers and to learn more about gardening. Eileen and I recorded this conversation and demo last week and I know hearing it and watching the video will get you thinking about harvest and holiday workshops that you can offer. Eileen in her home-based studio, featured in Where We Bloom Here's a bit more about Eileen before we get started, excerpted from her website: For as long as she can remember, Eileen has truly loved gardening. Her parents were avid gardeners and the family spent countless hours outdoors cultivating vegetables, fruit, and of course flowers. They taught Eileen to appreciate nature and all that it provides, and she is so thankful to them for the early introduction to what has become a lifelong passion.After all these years, she's still just as inspired by the natural beauty and cultivation of flowers. Eileen considers herself a city dweller, turned home-grown FarmGal.Life has taken her to the west coast and back, but her heart and my home have always been in the Sunshine State and the beautiful city of Orlando, Fl. It is where she has raised her family, and now with great enthusiasm that she gets to share her love for flower farming and floral design with her community.Eileen has studied floral design at numerous locations including Floret Flower Farm, the City College of San Francisco, and Flower School New York. She also completed the University of Florida IFAS Master Gardener Program in 2009. I continue to expand and refine my skills regularly through floral design and flower farming workshops across the country and as a member of Slow Flowers Society and the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers.Eileen's flowers and gardening expertise have been featured in Florists Review, Edible Orlando, Houzz.com, TravelChannel.com, The Monarch Initiative, Ocala Magazine, Orange Appeal magazine, Team Flower, Glam.com and most recently, in my two books, Slow Flowers Journal - Volume One and Where We Bloom. She was also included in Floret Farm's book, "Small Plot, Big Impact." Inside Eileen's efficient and compact studio, which opens onto her Orlando area garden FarmGal Flowers was also named Best Florist in Best of Winter Park 2019. Clients have included The Ford Motor Company, Williams-Sonoma Winter Park, the Orlando Magic, the Orlando Museum of Art, The Grove Winter Park, and Salata Winter Park.Eileen believes in locally and sustainably grown, seasonal flowers that support and beautify her community. And, if I am successful in creating a delightful bouquet or arrangement of freshly cut beauties for clients and local friends, then that makes me her HAPPY home-grown FarmGal! Slow Flowers Florida Botanical Couture Fashion Photo Shoot Thanks so much for joining me today!