Jennifer Jewell, Cultivating Place host and author of The Earth in Her Hands Regarding her lifelong passion for horticulture, Jennifer Jewell admits, “I probably didn’t have a choice.” Growing up with nature-loving parents—her mother, a professional gardener and floral designer, and her father, a wildlife biologist—“from the womb on I was in a greenhouse, in a garden, or on a trail.” With less access to gardening during college, Jennifer focused on writing and literature. In the mid-nineties, while living in Seattle and starting her family, she reignited her commitment to it. “I just got the gardening bug…and it has kept on at that steady relationship level ever since.” Jennifer is creator a
Susan McLeary (c) Amanda Dumouchelle "I might see a fashion show, for instance, and think—wow, that collar on that jacket is just amazing, I wonder how that would look made out of carnation petals." As a designer, artist, educator, and author, Susan McLeary, this year’s Slow Flowers Summit keynote speaker, stretches her floral wingspan, producing a feast for the eyes in her designs. In addition to arrangements, bouquets, and centerpieces—more typical fare when it comes to floristry—Susan also combines flowers to create jewelry, installations, clothing, and more. Whether she is working on “a tiny little floral ring or a huge floral installation,” her process relies on working in layers—heavie
