Building a Sustainable Floral Business with Ellen Frost

Text Agony Aunt Roz with your Cutflower Questions.

In this episode, Roz sits down with Ellen Frost, owner of Local Color Flowers, to explore the world of locally sourced, sustainable floristry. With 17 years of experience, Ellen shares her journey from gardening enthusiast to floral business owner and the challenges of maintaining a 100% local sourcing model.

They dive into the environmental impact of imported flowers, the logistics of working with local flower farmers, and why education is key to changing industry practices. Ellen also discusses the growing demand for sustainable flowers, her ideas for improving flower sourcing efficiency, and how community engagement is shaping the future of floristry.

Whether you're a florist, flower farmer, or flower lover, this episode is packed with insights on how to build a sustainable floristry business while staying true to your values.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

🌸 How Ellen’s journey into floristry began with a love for gardening
🌿 Why sustainability has been a core principle of her business from day one
📚 The importance of educating customers about local flowers
✈️ The carbon footprint of imported flowers and the waste in the floral industry
💐 How building relationships with flower farmers improves quality and supply
🚛 The logistics of sourcing locally and the challenges florists face
📈 The financial realities of running a local flower business
🤝 How community engagement and education are shaping the future of floristry
💡 Why florists should share knowledge and resources to strengthen the industry

Connect with Ellen Frost & Local Color Flowers:

📍 http://locoflo.com/

Make the most of your garden by visiting bramblecrest.com and use the code FIELDGATE at checkout. See website for full details.

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with fellow florists and flower lovers!

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• Lots of free resources on our website: https://thecutflowercollective.co.uk/cut-flower-resources/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fieldgateflowers
• Facebook Group 'Cut Flower Farming - Growth and Profit in your business' https://www.facebook.com/groups/449543639411874
• Facebook Group 'The Cut Flower Collection' https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutflowercollection