Page Text: alaska // July 18 - 23, 2022
Escape with me to the “Land of the Midnight Sun!”
I’ve spent a week in Homer, Alaska, for the last 5 summers and want to invite you to join me in one of my favorite places for the ultimate American Grown creative floral retreat!
Summer in Alaska is something otherworldly, especially during the height of peony season. The vast peony fields featuring the most vibrant and saturated colors, with views of glaciers, are something you have to see with your own eyes! Homer, Alaska is breathtaking from coast to fields to mountains.
Be one of 12 floral designers to spend 6 days in this breathtaking coastal community where each will leave inspired and changed! Not many can say they’ve had this full-immersion experience!
The Alaska peony industry only began in the last 20 years and has caught the attention and appreciation from U.S. designers in the last six years. Alaska’s climate and extended daylight during the summer provides the perfect growing condition in months that previously never offered cut peonies for consumers anywhere in the world.
During our 6 full days together, we’ll be touring multiple family-owned peony farms; seeing the ins-and-outs of production, packing, shipping and sourcing; dining in peony fields, and most importantly, designing on the farm with a variety of homegrown blooms, especially those over-sized peonies. Our time together will also include a photo shoot across Kachemak Bay by plane & boat, with our bouquets and model in tow, where you’ll be even closer to the glaciers and mountains in the quaint coastal village of Seldovia.
Learning how to better source local and American grown flowers year-round, how to better understand regional seasonality, how to communicate this mission and business model to your clients, and how to price and plan for the year will be the focus of 2 breakout education sessions.
To celebrate the 3rd Annual Homer Peony Celebration we will be creating lush peony centric botanical couture for the 1st Annual Fleur de Paeonia! Paired with another designer before you arrive to Alaska, you 2 will determine the theme of the couture on your mannequin. A full day will be spent prepping and building these life-size designs to be on display at Bear Creek Winery’s gardens, and 1 design will be awarded the “People’s Choice Alaskan Basket” at the conclusion.
The last day of the retreat will include a scenic boat trip across Kachemak Bay to tour Gull Island Rookery, which is home to over 10 different species of birds that number in the 1000’s. We will dine at the famous Saltry Restaurant located in Halibut Cove, a one-of-a-kind dining experience. Our day culminates with an Alaskan-inspired farm-to-table dinner at Scenic Place Peonies showcasing our centerpieces from our hands-on workshop.
All designs created during the week will be professionally photographed for your to use in your portfolio. And come prepared for some amazing in-action shots and new headshots with epic backdrops!
This is an incredible opportunity to not only meet the farmers that grow breathtaking peonies, but to truly immerse yourself in their local community and gain a solid understanding of why these blooms are so important to the floral industry and your business. This is your moment to grow your confidence & expertise in domestic floral sourcing 365 days a year, create in a beautiful natural setting with your peers, and become a better steward of the U.S. floriculture industry!