Find local flowers for Mother’s Day through Floret’s Farmer-Florist Collective

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the past year, it’s that flowers are more important than ever. A year ago, the flower supply chain was completely upended, and since flowers weren’t considered “essential,” wholesalers had to halt their operations, leaving the farms that supplied them with nowhere to send their blooms. Some of the largest flower farms in the country were unable to weather the storm, and many were forced to close for good. And with the shuttering of the wedding and event industry, florists were left scrambling to find blooms to fill the few orders that they did have.

I watched small-scale local growers all over the world, who were at the opposite end of the spectrum, quickly shift and pivot their businesses to adjust to the rapidly changing landscape. Farmers set up online ordering systems and offered door-to-door delivery, and even started shipping their blooms directly from their farms. I also heard stories from florists who had always relied on wholesalers for their blooms but had begun seeking out growers in their area — and many even planted cutting gardens for the very first time.

A big part of our mission here at Floret is to connect people who want flowers with the people growing them. The main way we do this is through the Farmer-Florist Collective, our online directory, which is free to use and join.

Last year, the Collective grew by 50 percent and now has more than 2,000 members, making it the largest flower directory in the world! We received so many messages of thanks from florists and flower lovers looking for blooms in their area, and from farmers who were so appreciative of all the new customers coming to them. Nothing makes me more happy than to play matchmaker in this way!

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, I would love to encourage you to seek out local flowers to gift this spring. Through the Collective, you can find growers in your area, along with florists who use local, seasonal blooms in their arrangements.

How it works

The flower farms, florists, and farmer-florists listed in the directory are all part of the global seasonal flower movement.

Every member of the Collective has pledged to use local, seasonal flowers and to use sustainable growing and business practices whenever possible.

To find flowers

The Find Flowers tab on the Floret website will take you right to the Collective. You can search for flowers using your location — city, state, or ZIP code — and the interactive map will bring up members in your area.

Color-coded dots, or stars for Floret workshop alumni, designate members in the Flower Farm, Florist/Designer, Farmer-Florist, and Related Business categories. Click on a dot or star to bring up a member’s profile, which includes their website or other contact information.

Then reach out! These growers want to hear from you.

Whether you’re a farmer trying to get the word out, a florist in search of blooms, or someone who wants to give the gift of fresh flowers or who simply needs a dose of beauty in your life right now, the Collective is a great place to find what you need.

To join the Collective

The Farmer-Florist Collective lists three categories: Flower Farm, Florist/Designer, and Farmer-Florist. If you’d like to set up a listing and join the Collective, head over to the page and create an account by following the simple steps outlined there. It only takes a few minutes. Choose a photo of yourself or someone from your company — with flowers — to include with your listing. If you’re a Floret Online Workshop alum, you’ll be designated with a star.

This a listing you can manage yourself, updating your information and photo anytime you need to after logging in.

I’d love to hear about the ways you’ve used the Farmer-Florist Collective directory to connect with others and to find local flowers.

Please note: If you submit a comment below and it doesn’t show up right away, sit tight; we have a spam filter that requires we approve most comments before they are published.

If you find this information is helpful, I would love it if you would share it with your friends.