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Emerald Design

Evansville Event Florist and Flower Farm

Field to Vase Dinner Tour

October 10, 2018 by Whitney Muncy

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I was in Nashville this past Friday for the Field to Vase Dinner Tour, held at Green Door Gourmet. I have been wanting to attend a Field to Vase Dinner since I first heard of the program.  When I learned that the tour would be coming to Nashville, I jumped at the chance to attend.

local flowers, seasonal flowers
Field to Vase Dinner Tour sponsored by Certified American Grown Flowers

The Field to Vase Dinner Tour is held at six locations throughout the year and highlights the particular region and flowers grown on the farm where it is held.

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From the American Grown Flowers website: “The American Grown Field to Vase Dinner Tour is a series of intimate, must-attend gatherings that place seasonal, local and sustainable American Grown Flowers at the center of the table where locally grown food, beer and wine is served by a farm-to-table chef. Each artisan-style dinner is held at a breathtaking venue — an American flower farm that encourages guests to experience the age-old art and science of flower farming.”

local flowers, american grown flowers, seasonal flowers
Flower fields at Green Door Gourmet in Nashville, TN

Using locally grown flowers is important to me for several reasons.

  1. Locally grown flowers are fresher than flowers that have been imported.
  2. Locally grown flowers are often more unique than what is available through a floral wholesaler because of shipping constraints.
  3. I value the relationships I have with local growers and believe in the shop local movement which puts more money directly into our local economy.
local flowers, american grown flowers, seasonal flowers, slow flowers
Flower fields at Green Door Gourmet in Nashville, TN

Because Nashville is in the same gardening zone as Evansville, many of the same flowers are available at our local farms.  But, I was able to see new varieties and learn about farming on a larger scale than our local farms.

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Okra as filler! I love it!

Touring the farm and attending the dinner would have been enough to make my experience complete.  But when I learned that I would have a chance to design for the event, I had to take the opportunity.

Team Flower members designing for the event, photo courtesy of Field to Vase Dinner Tour

Kelly Perry of Team Flower led the design team for the event.  Team Flower is an educational platform, of which I am a member, that offers classes and instructional videos in all aspects of the floral industry.  Nine Team Flower members, with Kelly’s instruction, created unique color-blocked centerpieces for the dinner for 200.

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One of the best parts of the event for me was meeting and talking with these ladies about their businesses which ranged from flower farms to studio designers to brick and mortar floral shop owners.

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And the flowers!!!

local flowers, american grown flowers, seasonal flowers, slow flowers

All of the flowers were grown at Green Door Gourmet with the exception of the roses, which were also American grown.  It was some of the most beautiful product I have ever worked with! We were given gorgeous dahlias, the largest lisianthus I have ever seen, zinnias, celosia, cosmos, marigolds, gomphrena, amaranthus, sedum, and garden roses.

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Foliage included eucalyptus, privet, artichoke, sweet potato vine, okra, and basil–which made the arrangements smell fantastic!

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Field to Vase Dinner Tour at Green Door Gourmet in Nashville, TN

A long table was set amongst sunflowers with three types of arrangements.

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Rectangular and square containers were filled with colorful flowers with cylinders of white cosmos and candles between. The abundance of flowers showed the meaning of the gathering.

local flowers, american grown flowers, seasonal flowers, slow flowers

local flowers, american grown flowers, seasonal flowers, slow flowers

local flowers, american grown flowers, seasonal flowers, slow flowers

Guests arrived at the picturesque farm and saw the vintage truck filled with flowers and favors that would be passed out at the end of the night.

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Field to Vase Dinner Tour at Green Door Gourmet in Nashville, TN

The farm’s lead florist created swags at the entry table.

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local flowers, american grown flowers, seasonal flowers, slow flowers

local flowers, american grown flowers, seasonal flowers, slow flowers

Walking further in, cocktail tables were set amongst three drink stations serving local beer and wine and signature flower-themed cocktails.

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local flowers, american grown flowers, seasonal flowers, slow flowers
Interactive Boutonniere Bar

Guests could enjoy their drinks, tour the farm, or stop at the boutonniere bar to create their own special piece.

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Field to Vase Dinner Tour at Green Door Gourmet in Nashville, TN

The dinner itself was amazing.  The food was delicious, a fabulous band played and I enjoyed conversation with guests around me from four different states.

local flowers, american grown flowers, seasonal flowers, slow flowers

local flowers, american grown flowers, seasonal flowers, slow flowers

local flowers, american grown flowers, seasonal flowers, slow flowers

local flowers, american grown flowers, seasonal flowers, slow flowers
Field to Vase Dinner Tour at Green Door Gourmet in Nashville, TN

If you ever have the chance to attend the Field to Vase Dinner tour, I highly recommend it.  You can visit their website or Facebook page for information on next year’s tour.  If you would like someone to attend with you, let me know.  I would love the chance to experience the dinner again.

local flowers, american grown flowers, seasonal flowers, slow flowers

Thank you to American Grown Flowers for all of your work promoting the domestic flower industry, to Green Door Gourmet for opening up your farm, and to Team Flower for the opportunity to design with you.  It was a very memorable experience.

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What Our Clients Are Saying

  • "...Whitney and Pat are a dream to work with, both very friendly, knowledgable, and receptive to your needs. They took my vision and  created a variety of arrangements that were WAY beyond my expectations! They truly nailed it! I can't recommend them enough." Sarah
    Sarah
  • "Emerald Design was an absolute pleasure to work with! Whitney understood my vision and made everything more than I could have imagined! Sometimes when you have a vision, things do not always go as planned, but Whitney made sure this was possible in every way... I can’t thank Emerald Design enough for making me feel at ease during all of the planning and for the beautiful outcome!" Jayme
    Jayme
  • Emerald Design did a wonderful job on making our wedding ceremony and reception flowers absolutely beautiful. Their attention to detail and knowledge of their craft showed in their recommendations and the final products. I would trust Whitney and Pat with another large event in a heartbeat! Thank you for all your hard work!
    Audrey
  • Made my wedding day dreams come true! They were amazing, from consultation to wedding day, and executed everything I had envisioned. It could not have come together so seamlessly without the help of Whitney and Pat! So sweet! Beyond pleased! Definitely will recommend to all my friends and clientele!
    Hannah

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