Page 9 - Harnett Life Fall 2021

Scott Johnson (dad), Marshall Johnson (grandfather) and Ashley in the back of Ashley’s great-grandfather’s truck in
front of the summer field which was just being planted

Always on the lookout to add new pick-up locations and ex- between the local farm and the local consumer. You purchase
pand and scale her business, Ashley also sells in Wilmington at your subscription at the beginning of the growing season, which
pop-up markets like the Wilmington Farmer’s Market at Tid- helps us purchase needed seeds, equipment, etc. In return, we
al Creek and the Palate Bottle Shop & Garden. Additionally, supply you with fresh, North Carolina grown flowers through-
she often supplies flowers for weddings and events by selling out harvest season. It is a mutually beneficial relationship and
directly to florists like her best friend Ally Favory of Wilm- a special sort of trust. It is truly community with no need for a
ington’s Blossom Bay Design. Add to the menu Ashley’s sea- middleman.”
sonal workshops at various locations, which include wreath-
making, Ikebana, naturalistic tabletop design, flower arranging Add to this the fact that local, sold in-season flowers provide
and more. The popular sessions, which include sips, bites and more fragrance and smell, last longer in a vase and offer a true
a take-home creation, usually sell out. To stay abreast of the seasonal awareness of what is in bloom right now. They look
offerings, go to https://foxhoundflowers.com/pages/seasonal- better, too; many sought-after blooms do not ship well. For all
sessions. these reasons and more, the “slow flower” movement, simi-
lar to the slow food and slow fashion trends, has increased in
More than a mantra ― why buy local popularity in recent years ― each the antithesis of the fast ver-
If not for locally grown flowers, she shared, flowers would al- sion of the markets and the negativity that comes with them,
ways be sourced from far-away places like Columbia, Ecuador i.e., fast food and fast fashion, greasy eats and cheap clothes.
and Mexico, increasing the environmental footprint in every To such, rising numbers say, “No thanks.”
way from the chemicals and packaging used to the water and
transport required, not to mention the unethical working condi- Ashley concurs. “In our age of getting anything and everything
tions and unfair wages common for third-world farmworkers. anytime with the click of a button, slow flowers are unique. You
have to wait for them.”
She explained, “The model (we use) is built on a commitment
Harnett Life ~ Fall 2021 Page 9