Country Living USA – September 2019

DIVERSIONS & AMUSEMENTS

COUNTRYLIVING.COM / SEPTEMBER 2019 ƁƂ

the itinerary

stem education

A play-by-play guide to Flowerstock’s festivities

I

f you plant it, they will come.

At least that was true for

Holly Heider Chapple, who

envisioned a one-of-a-kind

botanical festival—like Wood-

stock, but with fl orists, gardeners,

and other kindred spirits—when

she and her husband, Evan

Chapple, opened the gates of

Hope Flower Farm (hopeflower

farm.com), their 25-acre northern

Virginia property and working

bed-and-breakfast. “ The idea of

Flowerstock was brewing long

before we had the farm,” explains

Holly, an in-demand wedding

and event florist, floral stylist,

passionate educator, and founder

of the Chapel Designers profes-

sional organization (chapel

designers.com). “There are all

sorts of fl oral design workshops

going in a luxurious direction,

but Flowerstock was born from

my realization that I would be

most happy if I could simply be

together with all of my flower

friends, sitting in a meadow of

flowers,” she says.

While Hope Flower Farm

offers a year-round venue for

Holly to teach, host events, and

stimulate tourism in her Loudoun

County community, Flowerstock

is the property’s signature event,

with 100-plus people traveling

from as far as Brazil and Romania

in the name of learning (creative

writing, flower arranging),

feasting (on family-style fare

catered by a local restaurant),

and networking (see: dance

parties, late-night bonfires).

“People come for the flowers, the

camaraderie, the music—the

entire floral experience,” says

Holly. Here, a peek inside the

annual (and perennial!) event.

Barn demos
highlight
flowers that are
grown on-site.

DAY 1

Check-in: Guests line up for the

Bank Barn, where Holly and

Evan thank attendees—including

fl oral designers Maggie and

Mick Bailey (brambleandbee

.com), who traveled 1,400 miles

from Texas—for making the trip.

Holly also encourages guests to

personalize the exteriors of

their natural canvas tents (each

erected on its own wood fl oor)

with fl owers, streamers,

lanterns, and signage.

Hands-on Learning: Guest

instructors demonstrate fl oral

techniques beneath strands of

cafe lights. Alicia and Adam

Rico of Dallas-based Bows +

Arrows (bowsandarrowsfl owers

.com) banter with the audience

as farm volunteers place

buckets of blooms harvested

from Holly’s cutting garden

within reach. Other presenters

include Steve Moore (sinclair

andmoore.com) and Nancy

Teasley (oakandtheowl.com).

Lunch and Shopping: Guests

dine on local fare as Charleston-

based duo Nathan & Eva

perform. On-site vendors sell

vintage pottery, hand-dyed silk

ribbons, and other fl oral

accessories.