Ellen Frost owner of Local Color Flowers in Baltimore.
Ellen Frost loves flowers. Even more, she loves owning and operating a flower studio which exclusively sources local flowers. Ellen founded her company, Local Color Flowers, in 2008 as a part-time wedding floral business to provide Baltimore area couples a more sustainable flower option for their celebrations. Over the past 12 years, Ellen has grown Local Color Flowers into a thriving business adding floral design classes, corporate events, subscriptions, and retail as well as creative social and educational community events – all using 100% locally grown flowers. Ellen’s business is a vital contributor to Baltimore’s local economy and a vibrant community resource. Ellen, herself, is an innovative entrepreneur and expert in the floriculture industry sought-after for teaching, business consulting, podcasts, interviews, panels and speaking engagements both locally and nationally.
A Masters of Business Administration (MBA) graduate and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified professional, Ellen has valuable credentials and years of business experience. Her training in operations management, supply chain, and social entrepreneurship provides a unique professional perspective among floral designers. With all her time in the classroom and boardroom, Ellen has not been shy to get her hands dirty. While achieving her Master Gardener certification from the University of Maryland Extension program, Ellen worked several seasons for Breidenbaugh Farm in Carney, MD planting, watering, harvesting, weeding (so much weeding) and selling at market.
Ellen working in her studio in the Waverly neighborhood of Baltimore, MD. (Photo by Laura Chase de Formigny)
Ellen was recognized in 2016 by the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers with the Allan M Armitage Award for Leadership for her business success, commitment to locally grown flowers and role in developing the US floriculture industry. She has mentored and supported new growers in Maryland for years including a buying promise of the new growers’ entire first year harvest. She writes a regular column for Cut Flower Quarterly with Laura Beth Resnick of Butterbee Farm called “The Farmer and the Florist.” Ellen has taught over 100 design and business courses to garden clubs, flower enthusiasts, budding entrepreneurs, and students from grade school to graduate school, in addition to her formal business consulting relationships.
Note of interest: Listen to the podcast of the Botanical Brouhaha chatting with Ellen Frost about starting her business, how it works, and a list of how she is leading her business through the 2020 pandemic.
Ellen is excited to tell the stories of her love affair with flowers and share her business insight and years of experience through her new online course Florist School Online: Growing Your Business with Local Flower Sourcing.
Ellen Frost’s Online Course:
Florist School Online: Growing Your Business with Local Flower Sourcing.
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