Episode 430: Two Virginia floral voices: Shanda Zelaya of Flor de Casa Designs and Kate Meyer of Chatham Flower Farm

Fifty States of Slow Flowers continues today with a stop in Virginia.

This year-long project is coming to a close and it has been so rewarding to bring you a large cross-section of voices and stories of passionate Slow Flowers Members.

I love it that we can approach conversations about floral ventures from two perspectives: from a designer's point of view and from a grower's viewpoint.

That's what today's interview accomplishes as we check in with two members in Virginia.

Today, I'm thrilled to feature Shanda Zelaya of Flor de Casa Designs, based in Arlington, Virginia (serving the DC Metro area in the Northern part of the state) and Kate Meyer of Chatham Flower Farm in Painter, Virginia (on the Chesapeak Bay/Eastern Shore). Together, they give us a portrait of to the city and the country and how flowers factor into both areas.

Studio wedding and event florist, Shanda Zelaya of Flor de Casa Designs

First, let me introduce Shanda Zelaya. We met in 2018 when she attended the Slow Flowers Summit in Washington, D.C., and we recently reconnected at Holly Chapple's Flowerstock. I'm delighted that you can hear Shanda's story and her path to floristry.

Born in Costa Rica, flowers have surrounded Shanda since infancy.  It wasn't until she married her best friend in 2015 that she realized just how much she loved flowers.  A year later, Flor de Casa Designs was born.  Inspired by comments from a complete stranger, Shanda's Northern Virginia based floral studio caters to brides that have a taste for natural beauty. ​

She specializes in fine art floral design and offers a design style for couples  wanting loose, organic, textured and free-flowing flower arrangements that take inspiration from the beautiful blooms we find in nature.  No roundy-moundy's found here, folks, Shanda insists.

Shanda Zelaya of Flor de Casa Designs, one of our Virginia guests!

Flor de Casa Designs has been featured in several publications, including: Washingtonian Weddings, United with Love, Wedding Chicks and Baltimore Magazine (June 2019 Issue) among others. ​

Find and follow Flor de Casa Designs at these social places:

Flor de Casa Designs on Facebook

Flor de Casa Designs on Instagram

Flor de Casa Designs on Pinterest

That was fun! Hearing about anyone's path to

flowers is inspiring. Of course, each person's story is unique. But there is

often a common and universal thread that threads Shanda's story to my story; my

story to your story and on it goes. That is a 

yearning to connect with nature, to express ourselves creatively and

artistically, and to find a profession in balance with a lifestyle of beauty.

Don't you agree?

Kate Meyer and John Fitzpatrick of Chatham Flower Farm (left) and a field of their dahlias on Virginia's Eastern Shore (right)

So that thread continues with our second guest, Kate Meyer of Chatham Flower Farm. Kate has an equally fascinating journey to share and you'll find yourself wanting to put Virginia on your travel list for 2020 just to see where she farms and lives.

Kate Meyer and her husband John Fitzpatrick I knew they wanted to settle on the Eastern Shore a few years back when John came to harvest straw with his brother's company Aden Brook. They had spent many summers there in Virginia during straw season, extending the length of time each year. After both spending many years traveling for work, Kate says they needed to feel grounded in a place of their own. It was just a matter of finding not only the perfect loca...