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Slow Flowers PodcastThe Voice of the Slow Flowers Movement Author: Debra Prinzing
The Slow Flowers Podcast is the award-winning, long-running show known as the Voice of the Slow Flowers Movement. Airing weekly for more than 9 years, we focus on the business of flower farming and floral design through the Slow Flowers sustainability ethos. Listen to a new episode each Wednesday, available for free download here at slowflowerspodcast.com or on iTunes, Spotify, and other podcast platforms. Language: en-us Genres: Home & Garden, Leisure Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Episode 771: Eileen Tongson of Orlando’s FarmGal Flowers on building a cutting garden-based business as a pioneer of the Slow Flowers Movement
Wednesday, 3 June, 2026
https://youtu.be/6Fw4Yodu3Ww?si=9dEb1tKVamN6haAQ I recorded today’s conversation on the final day of our recent flower and garden-inspired river cruise in Holland and Belgium. It was a spontaneous decision to sit down with Eileen Tongson, a longtime Slow Flowers member, owner of FarmGal Flowers, and one of 29 North American growers featured in the pages of The Flower Farmers book, who had joined the tour along with her cousin, Sarah Ponce. Based in Winter Park, Florida, a suburb of Orlando, Eileen’s success at growing flowers nearly year-round was once a curiosity; now it’s part of her reputation. Her students want to learn how to grow a flower garden like she has; they take Eileen’s workshops at a local botanical garden or at East End Market, an artisanal food and restaurant hub; and in small-group events at the FarmGal Flowers' cottage garden where Eileen lives with her family. I’m so thankful that Eileen agreed to record this conversation with me as she shared her story with fellow tour-goers and with our viewers and listeners. It also gave me a chance to tell the story of the origins of the Slow Flowers Movement with our fellow travelers. FarmGal Flowers opening pages of chapter The Flower Farmers In the pages of The Flower Farmers book, the opening lines of our chapter about FarmGal Flowers begins: “The botanical lifestyle that Eileen Tongson leads today began with a simple packet of zinnia seeds from her mother. “In retrospect, I was very fortunate, because I didn’t think much about it when I threw those seeds into some of my vegetable beds,” she says. “But they grew like crazy!” Eileen Tongson, FarmGal Flowers And as is the case with so many of us, those seeds planted a passion for flowers, an overflowing cutting garden, and a new career for the former nursing educator. Twelve years ago, FarmGal Flowers was born, and through her micro urban flower farm Eileen has made a great impression on her community and beyond. Inside pages from The Flower Farmers book chapter featuring FarmGal Flowers I’m so happy that she agreed to be part of The Flower Farmers book. Her story illustrates how to shape a flower-filled life and how to share it with others. And in our conversation, Eileen joined me in telling the Slow Flowers story, as well. Debra Prinzing and Eileen Tongson in Holland April 2026 We recorded in the lounge of AmaWaterways’ Certo vessel, the home of our seven-day river and canal cruise in April. About 20 of our fellow tourgoers joined us to learn more about Slow Flowers and FarmGal Flowers, and it was a lively and lovely experience – and I'm so happy we can share it with you today. Find and follow FarmGal Flowers on Instagram and FacebookSign up for FarmGal Flowers' newsletter here Thank you to our Sponsors This show is brought to you by slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms. It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers. Thank you to our lead sponsor, Flowerbulb.eu and their U.S. lily bulb vendors. One of the most recognizable flowers in the world, the lily is a top-selling cut flower, offering long-lasting blooms, year-round availability, and a dazzling petal palette. Flowerbulb.eu has partnered with Slow Flowers to provide beautiful lily inspiration and farming resources to help growers and florists connect their customers with more lilies. Learn more at Flowerbulb.eu. Thank you to Rooted Farmers. Rooted Farmers works exclusively with local growers to put the highest-quality specialty cut flowers in floral customers' hands. When you partner with Rooted Farmers, you are investing in your community, and you can expect a commitment to excellence in return. Learn more at RootedFarmers.com. And thank you to Johnny's Selected Seeds, an employee-owned company that provides our industry the best flower, herb and vegetable seeds -- supplied to farms large and small and even backyard cutting gardens like mine. Find the full catalog of flower seeds and bulbs at johnnyseeds.com. Thank you for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than 1.5 million times by listeners like you. Thank you for listening, commenting and sharing – it means so much. As our movement gains more supporters and more passionate participants who believe in the importance of our domestic cut flower industry, the momentum is contagious. I know you feel it, too. If you’re new to our weekly Show and our long-running Podcast, check out all of our resources at SlowFlowersSociety.com. Thank you for listening! Sending love, from my cutting garden to you! (c) Missy Palacol Photography I'm Debra Prinzing, host and producer of the Slow Flowers Show & Podcast. The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. The content and opinions expressed here are either mine alone or those of my guests alone, independent of any podcast sponsor or other person, company or organization. Next week, you're invited to join me in putting more Slow Flowers on the table, one stem, one vase at a time. Thanks so much for joining us today and I'll see you next week! Music credits: Drone Pine; Gaena; Color Countryby Blue Dot Sessionshttp://www.sessions.blue Lovelyby Tryad http://tryad.bandcamp.com/album/instrumentalshttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ In The Fieldaudionautix.com
