Episode 780: Doing it All – Flowers, Plants, and Weddings, with Corinne Bryson of Flora Good Times in Beacon, New York

https://youtu.be/R8chcTR0f-I?si=PxNp5SHukl4Nj9uo In 2019, Corinne Bryson founded Flora Good Times, a retail plant and flower shop and design studio in Beacon, New York. Located on Beacon’s beautiful Main Street, in a lush, plant-filled jewel box of a space, Flora Good Times specializes in unusual houseplants and unconventional flower arrangements. Corinne has cared for and loved thousands of houseplants throughout her life, and has no plans to stop loving more. Proudly woman-owned, with a team of women creatives, Flora Good Times contributes a portion of its sales to fighting for justice in food and farming systems, human rights initiatives, and local community building. As Corinne says, “We believe in science and equity. We believe that plants aren’t decor, they’re a relationship. Education is the most important thing, and online advice is endless. We want to help customers weed through it all to know what really matters, so that they and their plant friends can take a deep breath and enjoy each other.”Recently featured in the Summer 2026 issue of Slow Flowers Journal, Corinne enthusiastically said “yes,” when I told her I would be in the NYC area in late July and hoped to visit Flora Good Times in person. Located about 75 minutes by train north of Grand Central Station, Beacon is a charming town, with a vibrant downtown area. Join me on a tour of the flower and plant shop there, followed by a sit-down conversation with Corinne, filmed in the production studio located nearby. Corinne Bryson of Flora Good Times Flora Good Times was built with a focus on supporting local in every way possible. The shop and studio source flowers locally from farms in all directions – including the Hudson Valley, northern New Jersey, and members of the nearby Connecticut Flower Collective. The products on Flora Good Times shelves come from local and national makers for everything from pottery offerings to home goods, paper, gifts, and accessories. This is a small business that walks the talk, believing that a rising tide lifts all ships. And by looking to individual small farms and makers, all rise. Curated pottery and unique houseplants As I mentioned in the intro, I spend a delightful day visiting Beacon. Ostensibly, we were in NYC to attend the USA Track and Field Championships in Manhattan, my husband Bruce’s passion, and of course, to see our two sons who live and work there. But I snuck away one morning, taking the Metro North train on a beautiful route along the Hudson River. I wish I had more time to visit other Slow Flowers members in the area, but that will have to take place on my next trip. Focusing on the story of Corinne and Flora Good Times allowed me to film a video tour of her plant and flower shop, and to sit down for an informative conversation about what gives her joy – and her inspiring story. The Flower Bar at Flora Good Times As a post-script to today’s episode, I dug into “The Flora Dispatch,” the blog on Flora Good Times’ website, where I learned this: In 2025, the shop and studio purchased Over 82,270 stems of flowers from local farmers across the Hudson Valley, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The off season was supplemented with over 54,470 stems from select importers, always chosen with care, to support 30 full-Service, A-La-Carte and Pickup weddings for couples who came from near and far to celebrate in the beautiful Hudson Valley. In addition to serving wedding ceremonies, Flora Good Times made 1,532 bouquets, 1,231 arrangements, tended to 3,475 specialty plants, and completed 613 deliveries. They did it all: From everyday gestures to corporate retreats to once-in-a-lifetime moments, it meant filling the Lower Hudson Valley with natural beauty through flowers and plants. Behind all the pretty stuff, the team at FGT we spent approximately 1 million hours (Rounding Down) cleaning buckets, candles, and processing stems. They lost 40 pairs of clippers — but Corinne admits, those might be in her car. The post concludes with this summary: “What we learned was immeasurable. The flower lover: Hand-tied delivery bouquet (left) and Corinne with a floral headdress (right) "None of this happens alone. We are endlessly grateful to the farmers who grow with integrity and care, the vendors and collaborators who show up ready to make something beautiful, and our customers who trust us with meaningful moments in their lives. To our floral artists and shop team: your talent, patience, creativity, and calm under pressure are the backbone of this business. We see you, and we’re so thankful for you." More inspiration from Hudson Valley's Flora Good Times "Most of all, thank you to our community. To our local customers, our fellow small businesses, and the couples and planners who choose to work with us for their wedding day. Six years in, we still feel surprised by our good fortune. We’re crazy proud of the work we do, ridiculously grateful for the support we receive, and so excited to keep growing, one season at a time.” I’m so grateful for Corinne’s leadership in the Slow Flowers community and I hope you draw ideas and inspiration from her story! Find and follow Flora Good Times on Instagram and Facebook Thank you to our Sponsors This show is brought to you by slowflowers.com, the free, online directory to florists, shops, and studios who design with local, seasonal and sustainable flowers and to the farms that grow those blooms. It’s the conscious choice for buying and sending flowers. Thank you to our lead sponsor, My Patio Tree: Expertly Grown Plants, Perfectly Designed to Elevate Your Garden. Their second-generation family tree farm has curated the best-performing, cutting-edge, multi-zone varieties to enhance your garden, patio or special event. Every tree purchased supports Plant With Purpose, a nonprofit organization that restores hope by reversing global poverty and environmental damage. Learn more at mypatiotree.com. Thank you to Charles Little and Company for supplying our industry with some of the most beautiful and sustainably-grown design ingredients, available nationwide through their website at charleslittleandcompany.com. On August 25th, spend the day touring Charles Little & Company in Eugene, Oregon, as part of the ASCFG regional gathering. Learn how the farm operates seasonally with an emphasis on field grown crops for national sales and visit the farm stand and U-Pick fields that connect the farm to its community. Interact with Charles Little and Bethany Little to learn and be inspired. Lunch is included. Ticket details are at ascfg.org. Thank you to the Seattle Growers Market, a farmer-owned cooperative committed to providing the very best the Pacific Northwest has to offer in cut flowers, foliage and plants. The Growers Market’s mission is to foster a vibrant marketplace that sustains local flower farms and provides top-quality products and service to the local floral industry. Visit them at seattlegrowersmarket.com. Thank you for joining me today! The Slow Flowers Podcast is a member-supported endeavor, downloaded more than 1.6 million times by listeners like you. Thank you for listening, commenting and sharing – it means so much. As our movement gains more supporters and more passionate participants who believe in the importance of our domestic cut flower industry, the momentum is contagious. I know you feel it, too. Thank you for listening! Sending love, from my cutting garden to you! (c) Missy Palacol Photography If you’re new to our weekly Show and our long-running Podcast, check out all of our resources at SlowFlowersSociety.com. I'm Debra Prinzing, host and producer of the Slow Flowers Show & Podcast. The Slow Flowers Podcast is engineered and edited by Andrew Brenlan. The content and opinions expressed here are either mine alone or those of my guests alone, independent of any podcast sponsor or other person, company or organization. Next week, you're invited to join me in putting more Slow Flowers on the table, one stem, one vase at a time. Thanks so much for joining us today and I'll see you next week! Music credits: Drone Pine; Gaena; Light on the Jettyby Blue Dot Sessionshttp://www.sessions.blue Lovelyby Tryad http://tryad.bandcamp.com/album/instrumentalshttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ In The Fieldaudionautix.com