Introducing our first publication

FLORAL STANDARDS

A Practical Guide for Harvesting and Delivering Professional Quality Products

Written by flower farmers for flower farmers, growers, and gardeners. This essential reference covers 230 cut floral crops grown by members of the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market.  This comprehensive guide provides detailed insights into the proper harvest stages and care techniques for processing cut flowers and foliage for wholesale floral sales.

Floral Standards book opened to dahlia specifications
Floral Standards Book cover

Publisher: Seattle Wholesale Growers Market

  • ISBN: 979-8-9905123-0-6

  • Library of Congress Control Number: 2024909056

  • Printer: Consolidated Press – September 2024 

  • Softcover: 8-1/2″ x 11″ – 336 pages

  • 425+ full-color photographs throughout

$79.95 each

Available at the Market without shipping fees.

United States Book Orders

Book $79.95 + sales tax $8.22 + $9.50 USPS Domestic Shipping (5-7 days) = $97.72 US only

Shipped US Only $97.72 each

Canadian Book Orders Only 

USPS First Class Mail International Package rate: USD $34.86 with Prepay Duties and Taxes flat rate $9.95 = USD $44.81 shipping with insurance + Book $79.95 + $4.50 box, labeling, and Customs processing fee.

Shipped Canada $129.26 USD

FLORAL STANDARDS: 

A practical guide for harvesting and delivering professional quality products  

BOOK SUMMARY:

This comprehensive guide provides detailed insights into the proper harvest stages and care techniques for processing cut flowers and foliage for wholesale floral sales. This reference book for specialty cut flower growers sets a high bar for quality and offers the granular detail necessary to produce and deliver a diverse array of floral products. Written by farmers for flower farmers, it contains a general section on best practices and product specification sheets for over 230 crops grown by Seattle Wholesale Growers Market (SWGM) Cooperative members. Information for each crop includes harvest stage, post-harvest care, stem counts, heights and bucket packs, expected vase life, recommended varieties for cutting, and shipping notes.

Charts provide extended information on high-performing cultivars and varieties of chrysanthemums, daffodils, dahlias, lilacs, peonies, garden roses, sweet peas, and tulips. The book also encompasses various woody, textural, and foliage crops, including conifers. Harvest stage instructions are included for drying over 60 different plants.

A community effort led by Diane Szukovathy, SWGM member, and Brad Siebe, SWGM General Manager, this book was authored by the growers and staff of SWGM and focuses on crops that grow successfully in the Pacific Northwest. John Dole, Professor of Horticulture at North Carolina State University, reviewed data and contributed additional information on ethylene sensitivity and post-harvest care. The foreword was written by Debra Prinzing, author of Slow Flowers.

AUTHOR BIO:

The Seattle Wholesale Growers Market is a producer-owned cooperative established in 2011. A community-driven enterprise, the co-op aims to create sustainable living for member farms by promoting quality products to the floral industry. SWGM serves professional florists and floral enthusiasts from a warehouse in Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood and has become a national model for the local flower movement.

For wholesale order quantities and shipping rates (15 books in master pack – 38 lbs.) please inquire.

Send all required documents for resale identification and your shipping information by email to Orders@swgm.coop  to determine the custom shipping rate.

International Shipping Requests:

Please provide a complete shipping address with postal codes. Indicate whether you are shipping to a residential address, or a business as this may increase certain shipping rates for services.  Telephone number is required for the Customs form to complete the shipping quote. Send all the required information by email to Orders@swgm.coop  to determine the custom shipping rate.

Reviews

“This book is the missing link for flower farmers, both new and seasoned! Learning to grow flowers is one thing, but learning the specific ins and outs of what’s required in terms of quality and standards to sell flowers at a wholesale level is another skill altogether. Lucky for us, we don’t have to wing it anymore. Floral Standards will lift and strengthen our industry by helping farmers become pros.”
— Lennie Larkin, Farm Business Coach and author of Flower Farming For Profit

“Floral Standards is an invaluable resource, to which the grower or home gardener will undoubtedly refer over and over again. It’s the sort of reference material I wish I had at my fingertips when I started flower farming.”
— Antonio Valente, Antonio Valente Flowers

“Wow, wow, wow! I am so excited about this book! The multiple photos for each of the 230 crops showing the precise stages of harvest make it especially helpful – plus, I appreciate all of the detailed descriptions about post-harvest treatment, stem length and other industry standards to consider. No other book offers this level of comprehensive, practical guidance for the commercial floral market. The fact that this book was written by cut flower growers who are actively growing and selling flowers makes it immensely relevant, useful and realistic.”
— Niki Irving, Flourish Flower Farm, author of Growing Flowers

Featured on Slow Flowers

Slow Flowers Podcast webpage for the YouTube episode and the Podcast. You can find the link to both here.

“This meticulously crafted guide offers a deep dive into the standards and best practices needed to ensure top-notch quality from farm field to florist. The collective expertise shines through in the clear, actionable direction on every aspect of the floral post crop maturity process, emphasizing harvesting techniques and quality control. Floral Standards stands out for its blend of practical tips and necessary professional insight, making it accessible for both novice growers and experienced farmers. The emphasis on maintaining high standards throughout the supply chain is complemented by detailed photography and real-world examples, helping readers, farmers and farm employees avoid common pitfalls and achieve consistently excellent results. Floral Standards is not just a manual but a comprehensive resource for all that are serious about achieving consistency in their flower farming business or personal flower-growing endeavors. With its focus on quality and professionalism, this guide will be a go-to reference and training tool for our farming operation.”
— Drew Groezinger, Clara Joyce Flowers LLC

“Floral Standards is the book the flower farming industry has been in need of to create Standard Operating Procedures for harvesting each crop. There is so much grey area when it comes to harvest standards, depending on the farm’s final sales outlet, and I think this book has taken that into consideration with specific stages of harvest of some of the most complicated crops. This will be a great visual guide for communicating with new harvesters or troubleshooting post-harvest care.”
— Gretel Adams, Sunny Meadows Flower Farm

“KUDOS to the 18 flower farmers and collaborators who created this magnificent 5-star book! It’s the MUST HAVE all-in-one resource for commercial growers and home gardeners alike!! I guarantee you’ll pull it out time and time again for best practice advice in WHAT varieties are superior for glorious florals, HOW to grow them, BEST time/stage/stem length for harvesting, OPTIMUM post-harvest treatment for the longest lasting blooms and foliages, how to TRANSPORT your cuttings … there’s even a PRICING guide. The attention that has gone into this one-of-a-kind reference book is unbelievable!!”
— Val Schirmer, President, Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers

Available for Sale in the Market and Online: September 25th, 2024