Pursue your passion
Training & support for a new generation of flower growers
Since hosting our very first on-farm workshop in 2012, Floret has offered scholarships to deserving flower lovers to attend our training tuition-free. Past scholarship recipients have taken what they learned from Floret to create or expand successful flower businesses across the globe. Floret scholarships are a small way of paying forward the generosity and support we’ve received over the years.
PAYING IT FORWARD
Years ago, I started Floret with a $1,000 loan from my mom, a used wheelbarrow, a shovel, a few dahlia tubers, and a head full of dreams. I spent the first few years learning how to grow flowers largely through trial and error, as I never felt like I was in a place where I could invest in my education. My future changed the day I got an email from one of my floral heroes, offering me a slot at an upcoming workshop. Having the opportunity to have someone take me under their wing and mentor me as I tried to follow my heart was a turning point for me. I vowed that if I ever had a chance to pay it forward in the future I would.
FLORET SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
FOR GARDENERS, FARMERS, FLORISTS & DREAMERS
Offered once per year, Floret scholarships are supporting a new generation of flower growers by providing advanced training through our workshops.
Sign up to be notified about the next scholarship application period.
FLORET SCHOLARSHIP WINNER STORIES
TRAINING A NEW GENERATION OF SMALL-SCALE FLOWER GROWERS
KYLIE’S STORY
Kylie Lewis took on the task of raising her younger sister while also navigating classes as a 21-year-old college student. “Becoming her guardian made me want to be my best self,” she shared. “Farming expedited the journey. Farming tenders strength, determination, and hope.”
Kylie spent the next decade working as a field hand and manager at organic vegetable farms in Oregon and Washington while dreaming of growing flowers on her own land. Kylie received a Floret Scholarship, and after completing the Floret Online Workshop in 2020, she now grows flowers for weddings, special events, and bouquet subscriptions on a ¼-acre plot.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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When is the scholarship application period?
Our next application period will begin in the fall of 2022. Sign up for our newsletter to be notified about the next Floret Scholarship application opportunity.
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What is included with the scholarship?
Each scholarship includes free registration to the Floret Online Workshop, our 6-week online course focused on growing flowers on a small scale.
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I don't yet have a flower business. Can I still apply for a scholarship?
Applications are welcome from all skill levels, including those who have never grown flowers before, as well as established growers.
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I don't live in the U.S. Am I eligible to apply for a scholarship?
Yes! We accept applications from flower lovers from across the globe.
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How many scholarships do you offer?
The number of scholarships we offer varies each year.
SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
“Floret inspired me the most regarding the sharing of information. The workshop is so rich and embraces so many aspects of flower farming that after 6 weeks you feel that you have everything you need to start your own business. I instinctively encourage aspiring flower farmers to take the workshop, to read the books—because the results are real.”
“The scholarship allowed us to really understand fundamentally the techniques required to grow high-quality flowers, which was a game-changer for us. It was also meaningful because it felt like validation that what we wanted to do was actually a 'thing'—that someone else, who knows about flowers, believed that our flower dreams were worthy of investment, meant a lot.”
“Through skills acquired from the workshop, I was able to plan, grow, and sell my product in my chosen market and do it within a time frame that worked for my life. One of the most encouraging parts of the workshop for me was the consistent message to take things at your own pace, learn through your mistakes, and share your gained knowledge with others.”
“I come from generations of flower growers and collectors in Sri Lanka. When we immigrated to England and left everything behind, it felt like the link to our family legacy was broken. Because of Floret’s scholarship, I can now continue our family legacy and create a meaningful career from my passion and love for growing flowers.”
“The workshop is a treasure trove of data I needed so much. But the real discovery of the course is ... people! Erin, Jill, the team, and all my kind and responsive classmates from the Learning Community. Thanks to all these people I've never felt alone on my way.”
“I found the course (and Erin) to be very inspiring. It opened up my world to new ideas in regards to how to grow not only more and better flowers but also how to grow my business (and myself) in a direction that works for me and for my family. I have so many ideas and much more confidence in my abilities to put them into action.”
“After the workshop, I was able to turn my small edible flowers farm into a fresh-cut flower farm. Now I am equipped to successfully plan the layout of my flower farm, grow beautiful flowers organically, effectively plan my crop rotations and, select the perfect flowers to grow in my climate.”
“I made it my mission to educate those who want to hear about organic farming and sustainability. I created a few jobs for women here on my farm and hope to extend the farm further (with all the techniques I learned from you), empowering more women. Even though I was experienced in growing, I took away quite a number of efficiency and marketing strategies that I will implement from this season on!”
“The scholarship showed us that someone believed in us … It was HUGE to know that someone cared! It gave us the nudge that we needed to change our trajectory. This course was not just the functional tools to grow a flower farm—it helps you understand your anchor that brings you back to flowers.”
“The workshop has been a great foundation as I launch the cut-flower side of Sow Sow Farms. The many tools it provided have helped me focus my time and energy on starting small so that I am only taking on as much as I as one person can realistically handle. I have also been blown away by the incredible, generous community connected with the workshop.”
“Earning the scholarship gave me the confidence to actually make something that has been a dream of mine a reality! I'm excited to take the next steps to continue to grow and provide my students with relevant hands-on learning opportunities.”
“I'm grateful the program is lifetime access. I've been able to pour through the instructional guide and begin to plan a garden sanctuary for my daughter and me. I hope to apply this knowledge in assisting others with horticultural therapy and providing fresh-cut flowers to accompany my pottery.”
“Since winning the scholarship I'm so determined to do it right. There are times when I panic but I will only grow when I start digging in. The workshop gave me a new lease on life. It's a venture to look forward to since I'm new at the farm and I will pay it forward in due season.”
“This scholarship has been a blessing to me and my team as it's allowed us to not only dream beyond—of what could be—but it has given us the practical tools, strategies, and inspiration we need to take our idea and turn it into a reality.”
“The demand for British flowers in London has exploded in the past year, and the scholarship has really given us the tools to apply the learning to help us—and to enable others, in the future—to meet this demand.”
“I’d encourage anyone who is passionate about growing and selling flowers to take this course and apply for this scholarship if financial assistance is needed. Share your story and speak from the heart. They heard me and supported me at a time when I needed it most.”
"The Floret Workshop gave me encouragement to just get in there and do it. I've had several opportunities crop up since completing the workshop that are huge and scary. But I can hear Erin and Jill's voices in my head telling me to go for it, and that it will be okay."
"Having access to the Floret Workshop through the scholarship was an amazing gift for our school urban farming program, and for me personally! My students and I greatly enjoyed the videos, and gained so much knowledge along the way. There is still so much to unpack!"
“The workshop was great for giving me a jump start on getting my flower business going. Flower farming has been an exercise in patience, careful study, and personal growth. It’s difficult but fulfilling, and my goal is to grow flowers year-round. You guys have been an essential part of this journey, and I am so grateful.”
“Being selected as a 2019 Floret Workshop scholarship recipient was a key turning point in my career. It wasn’t just a little boost; it was rocket fuel. This ever-growing community of colleagues has been immensely helpful, and allows the learning to continue.”
“I was truly touched that Erin, on the other side of the world, should give me such a precious opportunity. The gift to learn through the Floret Scholarship was just the beginning. Such kindness and generosity has made me extra determined to build a successful sustainable business growing flowers people love.”
“The workshop helped me enormously. I am a beginner farmer and gardener, so having the fortune of winning one of Floret’s scholarships opened the doors to many concepts and growing techniques that helped me minimize start-up costs.”
“Before receiving the scholarship, we wanted to get serious about growing cut flowers on our vegetable farm, but we weren’t sure where to start. The workshop really helped us with efficiency and timing. Having all the right ingredients made growing and selling a breeze.”
“Thank you so much to Erin and the Floret Team for giving me such an amazing opportunity through this scholarship. It has truly changed the way I approach both my business and my life.”
“Even after 45+ years as an organic grower, I have learned so much and continue to learn and grow. Because of the Floret Workshop, my dreams are becoming a reality! I’ll soon be 73, with a lovely small business that gives me pleasure, profits and wonderful new friends.”
“Winning the scholarship made us feel more confident right away. Floret reminded us how important it is to follow your heart and use your head to analyze things carefully. We saved so much time and money by avoiding mistakes. The workshop was simply terrific.”
“Taking the workshop has been one of the best things that has ever happened to me. The Universe was giving me the opportunity of a lifetime. The workshop has given me access to a community of flower people and great support and encouragement.”
“After receiving a scholarship to the Floret Online Workshop, I can honestly say my life drastically changed. It was the catalyst to “living” and “believing” in the good again. The Floret Online Workshop has helped my dream literally come to life.”
“I have better clarity of what direction the farm is heading, and a better roadmap of how to get there. I’ve also gained friends and peers through the workshop who are on a similar journey. We’re all trying to change the world one stem at a time.”
“Floret has inspired so many people, and being able to delve a little deeper into their success, strategies, and knowledge was like winning a golden ticket—but better! The positivity and encouragement from the Floret team and other participants were just what I needed.”
“Winning the Floret Scholarship has been the highlight of my year is honestly an understatement. This scholarship traveled far and it shows how huge of an impact Erin and the Floret team have on people’s lives—even if they are halfway across the globe.”
“It would be no exaggeration to say that this course has changed our entire perspective and outlook on growing flowers. Erin doesn’t gloss over the difficult parts, but really cuts through to the heart of what it takes to build a productive, thriving farm.”
“I can truly say that getting a scholarship for this course has been one of the greatest blessings in my life. As a young urban woman with very little ‘field cred,’ no entrepreneurial experience, and no financial security, feeling that I was being given a chance to go for it, chase my dream, and make it happen has been pivotal.”
“Being chosen for a Floret scholarship gave us a lot of encouragement. In each and every lesson we could feel the energy and passion of Floret and the Team passed to us. We also felt a lot of responsibility. The combination of these things made the scholarship so meaningful to us.”
“The Floret Workshop was exactly what I needed. The way it is outlined made it super easy, fun, and addictive to learn. The most noteworthy for me, was learning the efficiency of the day-to-day tasks done at Floret. It’s changed the way I think about and approach my business.”
“The workshop was a game changer for me. It provided me with the confidence to grow as a business, and to grow on a personal level. It also offered me the encouragement, guidance, and insight to take my business to the next level.”
“Receiving a workshop scholarship was one of the most validating and exciting experiences of my florist life. Starting a new business is challenging, and can often feel lonely and never-ending. The workshop was a breath of fresh air—to be able to press pause, enjoy being surrounded by so much beauty, and learn some valuable skills.”
“My business is very different now, thanks to the Floret Workshop. I know my strengths and I play to them. Sometimes I forget, and things get tense and stressful again, so I go back to what I learned from Erin, and I re-adjust.”
“The Floret Workshop was an inspiring, informative, and very well-rounded experience. I left with a newfound energy and direction. I look back on the workshop with such fond memories for the people I met, the warmth and guidance of the Floret team, and, of course, the flowers!”
“The wisdom, honest sharing, and care that I received at the Floret Workshop has contributed directly to me and my family being able to follow our hearts, and set out on the path to experience our dreams.”
“Attending the Floret Workshop encouraged me to never give up on my passions. It also strengthened my desire to farm and give back to the community. My goal is to focus more on helping others and to give back the education and inspiration that was so kindly given to me.”
“I left the workshop with much more than a little self-esteem. I headed home with a plan. In addition, I made lifelong friends with my peers that I will cherish for both support in my business, and in my personal life.”
“The Floret Workshop experience not only provided tons of information, but also exposed me to other amazingly hardworking, driven, talented, and creative women who boosted my self-confidence and reinforced my hunch that I was indeed on the right path.”
“Back home, I was much more confident about the ways of doing things on both sides of flower farming—in the field and in the design studio. It has been in the many little details that I’ve noticed Floret’s tips popping out in my work all season long.”
“I think everyone, should you ask them, takes a little something different away from the workshop. For me, it was self-discovery, on a multitude of levels. I will never be the same.”
FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM FLORET
Floret invites applications for scholarships once per year. Sign up to be notified about the next Floret Scholarship application opportunity.
Floret Online Workshop Scholarships
Floret invites applications for scholarships once per year.
Sign up to receive notifications about the Floret Scholarship program.
Have a question? Be sure to visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.
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