Episode 792: Floral Foraging from your backyard with landscape designer and horticulturist Susan Ryan of Gardendigs

https://youtu.be/fGsFSJ7AbQs?si=eNS68SJUcm17ScNN

In late August, I joined other members of the Northwest Horticultural Society for a special event in Susan Ryan’s Tacoma residential garden. We learned her philosophy around designing florals from the landscape and created a seasonal floral arrangement using familiar and uncommon design ingredients. I was there to introduce and interview Susan, as the two of us discussed her garden-gathered approach to floral design. Susan led us on a walking tour as she described some of her favorite ornamental shrubs, perennials, vines, and annuals suitable for cutting. She encouraged gardeners to experiment with plants that may not be common floral design ingredients and showed how she relies on greenery and leaf texture to build structure in the vase. Today’s episode shares a peek into Susan’s garden and how she created a lush vase arrangement from plants at her fingertips -- no special trip to the flower market for this experience.

Susan Ryan of Gardendigs

Susan Ryan is an APLD Certified Landscape Designer and Certified Professional Horticulturist and owner of Tacoma-based Gardendigs. She served 12 years as a community Master Gardener and studied extensively at South Seattle College in the landscape design, construction and horticulture department. Susan holds a BFA in Interior Design and her interiors have earned awards and been featured in numerous publications. She is a Northwest Flower & Garden Festival Gold Medal Show Garden winner.

Susan Ryan with Debra Prinzing for our Q&A in the garden

A Slow Flowers member since 2025, Susan’s business model combines everything that I’m also drawn to, namely landscape design and floral design. Love of nature and a desire to create beauty led her interior design and textiles interest to expand outdoors and design a hybrid business model that makes total sense to me. Clients come to Gardendigs for nature-inspired floristry; site visits and coaching for residential gardens; and garden design and styling. There is a lot of education woven through these services, because Susan wants to empower and encourage her clients to have a deeper relationship with their own small parcel of yard or garden.

A day of floral design with garden-foraged ingredients

Gillian Mathews, Debra Prinzing, Susan Ryan and Sue Goetz

Today’s episode will introduce you to Susan during a short Q&A I led at a late-August workshop in her garden. Thanks so much to Gillian Mathews and Sue Goetz of the Northwest Horticultural Society for inviting me to be part of the morning in Susan’s backyard – and for participating in the fun. After the Q&A, you’ll enjoy the walking tour that Susan led through her property in a historic Tacoma neighborhood, followed by her design demonstration featuring just-clipped elements. Be sure to check our show notes for details on the “slow pottery” that Susan commissioned for workshop participants to use and bring home – I especially loved this aspect of the event.

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Slow Flowers Summit 2027 -- Ticket Sales Open on November 1st

Slow Flowers Summit 2027 SpeakersTop Row: Leslie Bennett, Melissa Olson, Nichole Skalski, and Hannah MullerCenter Row: Alana and Michael KaramBottom Row: Jacqueline Pham, Kristine Albrecht, Jennifer McClendon, and Jim Salyards

Head’s up for all of you interested in the Slow Flowers Summit for 2027! This coming week, on Sunday, November 1st, we will open up Early-Bird ticket sales with a $100 off savings at both membership and general levels.

You can click over to slowflowerssummit.com to check out the speaker lineup, the program, the venue at Filoli Historic House and Garden in the SF Bay Area. Also, we’re offering you the chance to manage your payments through Klarna – a new feature for the Summit.

Pilar Zuniga of Gorgeous and Green

And, I’m very excited to announce our special Oakland Flower Lovers Garden Tour, a separately-ticketed private tour that will take pl