Foxglove Market & Studio Leads the “Slow Flower” Movement in Minnesota

Foxglove owner Christine Hoffman in her shop

Alex Steinberg/Midwest Home

With its fresh take on the flower shop, Foxglove Market and Studio added a shot of modern eclecticism to Grand Avenue when it opened in the summer of 2013. The sunny storefront is one part floral studio, one part modern mercantile and salvage shop, and one part working studio for owner Christine Hoffman.

But beyond the colorful floral arrangements and quirky-cool home decor is a deeper message. Hoffman is a local leader in the “slow flower” movement, a philosophy the shop is built upon. Like the “slow fashion” and “slow food” trends, the movement has a focus on intentionally sourcing local, organic, and chemical-free products from small, independent growers and vendors, instead of importing flowers from Holland or South America. Blooms are cut the day before or day-of, placed into buckets of water, and delivered to the shop by the growers themselves—no small challenge for a place like Minnesota. The Foxglove website even has a breakdown of the carbon footprint of a typical grocery-store bouquet vs. a locally sourced “Slow Flower” bouquet.

“Flowers grown this way support a diverse ecological system, benefiting our local pollinators, birds, and wildlife,” says Hoffman.

While Hoffman provides custom floral arrangements as well as in-home holiday decorations for clients, those looking to get their hands dirty can opt for one of the shop’s workshops. Its holiday season kicks off with an autumn wreath-making workshop this Saturday (9:30–11 a.m.) and continues with a Thanksgiving centerpiece workshop on November 21 (9:30–11 a.m.) and winter wreath workshop on December 3 (6:30–8 p.m.). Each of the workshops cost $55, which includes all materials. For more info on workshops and in-store events, visit foxglovemarket.com.

Hoffman also will be decorating the interior of the Governor’s Residence at 1006 Summit Avenue for the holidays along with Studio Emme, Mama’s Happy, Scusi, and Robert Kramer. Tours are available beginning December 1; visit mn.gov for a schedule.