FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2 P.M., in the cathedral nave; find the link purchase tickets here

Tickets have now gone on sale for this very special event, presented by the Slow Flowers Society and co-sponsored by Saint Mark’s Cathedral. Learning to be Kinder to Nature is a lecture, floral design demonstration, and book signing with Shane Connolly, an influential role model in sustainable floristry and environmentally-mindful design practices. His artistry is guided by the garden and the seasons, and the values brings to flower sourcing are inspiring. Seattle audiences will learn from Shane in person during his lecture and floral design demonstrations. This lecture will also encompass Shane’s remarks about the Sustainable Church Flowers project in the U.K. as he shares his message with flower enthusiasts, organic gardeners, and floral professionals.

His clients range from great public institutions like The Victoria & Albert Museum, the Royal Academy of Arts, and the National Portrait Gallery, to a veritable who’s who of the great and the good of British life. He is perhaps best known for his public work for The Royal Family. His most recent commission was The Coronation of Their Majesties The King and Queen in Westminster Abbey in May 2023. But he also designed the flowers for their marriage at Windsor Castle in 2005 and for the wedding of The Prince and Princess of Wales in 2011.

Shane has approached all these iconic moments with the same respect for nature, season and setting. Everything is thoughtful, in all senses of the word. Shane has designed events in countries as diverse as the USA and India, and always with the
same aim: to leave the smallest footprint behind and be led by what is local and available. Shane works with the Royal Horticultural Society to improve sustainability in floristry in their annual shows, and he is also a judge at RHS Chelsea. He has written five books and teaches his approach to flower design all over the world.

Tickets: $45 per person; $70 includes a signed copy of A Year in Flowers by Shane Connolly. Learn more and find the link to buy tickets here.