The on-going question I hear in the floral industry is – “how much should I charge for (such & such) design?”
Of course there are many factors that go into figuring out the final price of all floral designs – the season, the availability of the flowers, your location.
And it seems one of the hardest designs to price out are aisle petals. After all, can’t you just pick up unused flower petals off your floor?? Surely you’ve heard brides, wedding planners, other vendors, and magazines/blogs suggest that idea! As if.

Let’s take a deeper look at why petals cost what they cost.
#1- A Rose is a Rose and each one costs the same regardless of how you plan to use it.
#2- The majority of roses are flown in from South America and transportation to get them here costs money.
#3- At times we can get discounted petals from our wholesalers – such a lovely treat when that works out that way! However, we have to plan on paying full-price for the roses, there is no guarantee we can get the petals at a discounted price – especially in a specific color.
#4- Those petals off the floor? Yea sure, those guard petals that have been stomped on will look great down the aisle.
#5- And even if we did decide to pick them up off the floor we’d have to pay an employee to do so – that costs money.
#6- There’s never enough discarded petals on the floor to use on an aisle anyway.
#7- Most people think – well, it’s JUST petals. Preparing petals takes time – figure out how long it takes to de-petal 200 roses … time=money. Charge for that time. It takes time to calculate how many petals are needed, ordering them, picking them up, conditioning them, de-petaling, storing them and time to actually setup at the wedding.
#8- Keep in mind the clean up after the event and the labor involved – washing containers and buckets, etc.

When you think about it there is a lot to consider when pricing out aisle petals, right?

Let’s do a little homework project together.
Check out this gorgeous aisle design by Cori Cook Floral Design of Colorado.
Cori used (8) 25-stem bunches of roses to complete this look.

Please leave us a comment and tell us what you’d charge for this design.
Tomorrow we’ll be back with what Cori charged.

Did you do your homework yesterday? Did you calculate out what you’d charge for this aisle petal design?

Here are a few more angles on the aisle …

IN Photography

(8) 25-stem bunches of roses = 200 Stems of Roses

Cori was able to pre-order and confirm a discounted price for these roses. (Remember what we said yesterday, getting discounted prices can be tricky so be very careful with this approach. Cori was able to secure a discount price and opted to pass on that savings to her clients.)
200 Roses x $2.00 per stem Retail = $400.00
Labor 30% = $115.50
Setup – 2 People x $50.00 Per Hour x 1 Hour = $100.00
Strike – 2 People x $50.00 Per Hour x 1 Hour = $100.00
Final Price = $725.00 (Round up to a ‘whole number’)

Now most people who did answer us yesterday stated they would charge $800-$1,500 for this aisle petal treatment.
Let’s do the math:
200 Roses x $4.00 per stem Retail = $800.00
Labor 30% = $240.00
Setup – 2 People = $100.00
Strike – 2 People = $100.00
Final Price = $1240.00 (Round up or down to a ‘whole number’, I’d probably go to $1,200.00 or $1,250.00)

Huge Thank You to Cori Cook Floral Design for working with us on this project!
PS – did you all see those gorgeous floral arrangements at the front and back of the aisle?! g.o.r.g.e.o.u.s

Today we have a question asked by designer Christine De Beer about Tool Etiquette

Question #3
I often wonder…. I am very protective over my tools and equipment. And I cringe when someone, for example, grabs my fabric scissors to cut wire. Am I alone in this or would you say there is something like Floral Designer Etiquette? Thou shalt not…

…..

Thou shall not…
…move my tools
…use my tools and not put them back where you found them. (I have enough trouble keeping up with where I put them.)
…use my ribbon sheers for ANYTHING else
…steal my stool
…get upset if I catch you at any of the above
Althea Wiles of Rose of Sharon Floral Designs, Arkansas

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I so agree with Christine!! I am very conscious in my studio of training helpers and freelancers about tool care, both for the tools and for themselves. I encourage all designers I work with to make it a habit of closing their clippers before they put them down on the counter. And if I do find them open on the counter, I pause and remind everyone. Perhaps it’s an urban myth, but I have heard of designers sustaining deep cuts as a result of open clippers falling off their counter. And I have a special case for my fabric scissors and they don’t even make an appearance until we’re working on ribbon.
Clare Day Flowers, British Columbia

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I think when people are particular about their materials/tools, it is their responsibility to let people know what those items are used for. My ribbon scissors are labeled as such, my wire cutters are labeled as such, etc. This way there shouldn’t be any confusion about what each tools’ purpose is. Also, boxes are labeled with a description of what’s in them and whether or not the items are fragile. Generally, I try to have assistants who share my need for organization/neatness. This way, I know I can trust them to put things back the way they found them, to follow/read any labels or instructions that have been written, and to ask if they are unsure of something. Never assume that others know what is inside your head, and you can’t be everywhere all the time. Labels, labels, labels, and specific written instructions in the way of proposals, contracts and appendices!
Blair of Sweet Blossoms, Maryland

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Fabulous tools make a task easy.
Poor or beat up tools make a job difficult.
Buy & protect expensive tools!
From raising 4 kids I learned through much error:
A place for everything and everything in it’s place.
I have always written on my fabric scissors.
In floral design you can not blame one of your designers whose mouth and elbow are holding items and while blinding reaching for scissors they grab the wrong pair. This is way my scissors are written on plus always have a ribbon on them for added insurance.
Nancy of Destiny Hill Farm, Pennsylvania

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Don’t get me started, lol. I have had co-workers admire, covet, steal, mess up, lose, and throw away various tools over the years. Most of them ask nicely and return them, though. Every shop I’ve worked in has a ribbon tied around one of the handles of the ribbon scissors. You ask permission to use another’s tools, it’s just polite.
Margaret Burnette, Texas

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Our fabric scissors all have the word “FABRIC” on them, which we cross out or remove the label when they can’t be sharpened effectively anymore. I am a huge stickler about this!
Polly of Robin Hollow Farm, Rhode Island

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If you use my ribbon scissors to cut wire I die a little inside.
Alison of Floral Artistry, Vermont

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This is funny, because I have never been like that, but of course have worked with many designer who are, and I absolutely respect it! At my shop, I just have a drawer of clippers, scissors, shears, knives, etc. for anyone to use. I don’t care who uses what, the only thing that bothers me is if the ribbon shears are used for anything besides ribbon. I accidentally throw my clippers in the trash all the time, so I can’t get too attached to them.
Amy of Crimson & Clover, Maryland

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We are constantly having the battle of the tools. Most recently special ribbon scissors have been designated with ribbons tied to the handles. I have actually threatened termination (jokingly of course) if I see anyone using those scissors on anything but ribbon. We also have a special pair of shears with a fancy cutting edge and I have been known to hide those away. Too often we will be hosting DIY parties in the shop and people will try to cut flowers with the fancy shears….makes my heart break. We also have the constant battle of lost knives and clippers. There seems to be a black hole of lost tools at A Garden Party. I am thinking they disappear into the trash when we do the massive floor sweep. The girls are always begging me to order more!
Dawn, A Garden Party, New Jersey

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I love all of my tools but I just try to get over it. Especially when I’m guilty of using the floral knife for something else, or using my shears to cut chicken wire. It happens.. although as far as the ribbon scissors they are placed far away from all the tools and we have a big pretty bow on them that means only for ribbons!
Alex of Exquisite Designs, Illinois

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Agreed….the proper tool should be used for the right job! And I have my personal favs….so my assistant shouldn’t use them! LOL! I clean them after every use…and I want them to be stored in their closed and locked positions. OH…and they must be sharp!!!!! I am just as picky about the cuts on the stems….I want them to have a elongated angle  with a sharp tip…and no fraying!!!!
Andrea Layne Floral Design, Florida

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I have ribbon scissors and they have a long piece of ribbon tied on them. There is no way of mistaking them. They are also in their own tray.
Kris of KRISanthemums, Oregon

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I am ok with my tools sharing. I should also say I probably have a garden of tools growing over the years on my compost pile!!! I have thrown so many good tools away such as 2 pairs of Red Sakagen The Florist Scissors, and, box cutters and the list goes on. UGH:)
Tracy of Park Place Design, Michigan

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Thank you to everyone that participated! I definitely sense that NO ONE likes their fabrics scissors messed with!!

If you’d like to participate in our future Content Calls, be sure to sign up for our newsletter – the link is at the top right of this page.

If you have a question you’d like us to ask in a future Content Call please Email it – info@flirtyfleurs.com

Bee’s Wedding and Event Designs

How cool is the aisle decor treatment?!
I love the Sunflowers lining the ceremony aisle – very happy and celebratory for an outdoor Colorado style wedding.
I asked my friend, Amy of The Flower House, to tell us more about this ceremony and its price tag.

“A complete pain in the arse depending on the soil conditions. Too soggy and you’re in trouble, to dry and you’re in trouble. We had hard ground and had to take a power drill with a large auger bit to get into the ground… which is dangerous thanks to the sprinkler system. After we “planted” them we did “water them in” when we set up.. I went back the next day to strike and even though the wedding took place on a sweltering August day, all the sunflowers were still alive.”

The Details:
80 Sunflowers x $3.50 per stem = $280
Labor for Installation & Strike = $85
1 Drill with Auger Bit = $100 – (although it has been used for several projects since this wedding and not all $100 was applied to this wedding)
Final Price Tag: $400.00

Images by Lindsay B Photography

Thank you, Amy, for working with us on this pricing post. Amy is the owner of The Flower House in Denver, Colorado.

I love my friend Amy, she tells it the way it is!
In her words-

The Roses:
The aisle was made using 500 roses worth of petals. I bought box lots and got a great price on them 2 weeks before Valentines day. The bulk roses cost us $0.48 each but I HAD to take shipment 2 weeks out to lock in the price before the ridiculous holiday pricing kicked in. Ironically, the other 600 roses I ordered for personal flowers and centerpieces (which were at the highest sessional Valentine’s prices and from a very excellent grower) came in so ugly that I ended up using the roses I had stored dry for 2 weeks. The new roses that cost $2.25 a stem wholesale went on the aisle. Damn V-day.
Aisle petals: $1000 (which is really only possible with bulk pricing).

The Candles:
75 each side, assorted pillars and floating, $1000. That particular wedding we were able to incorporate previously burned pillars. New would have cost her double. I generally only use LED now- because of real candles propensity to blow out and for safety reasons. The last wedding we did that treatment with using real candles was at demand of the mother of the Bride. I had really pushed her for LED and she refused. The bride’s dress caught on fire during the ceremony. The mom laughed about it afterwards and said that was her own fault. Now when I tell brides and MOBs that story they all quickly agree that LEDs are just fine. HAHAHA!
LED treatments can also be done without the glass and it still looks pretty.
I charged $500 to set up and strike the aisle too.

Total Price Tag: $2,500.00

Thank you, Amy, for working with us on this pricing post. Amy is the owner of The Flower House in Denver, Colorado.

Katie of Noonan Designs has a great question for all of us regarding setting up floral studios..

Question #4
I’m opening a floral studio here in San Luis Obispo, California. I’m over the moon about it, but there’s also a million things running through my mind, and questions on layout and practicality. Since I’ve been working out of the home since I opened my business, it would be awesome to hear what shop veterans have to say about opening a studio.
Floral shop owners- if you were to open your shop today or re-design your studio what are the key things, or top 5 elements you would build into the design?

…..

Last January, we moved from a tiny spot to a 1500sf retail spot. Things I would recommend you think about include storage space (lots and lots of shelving/storage space), a dedicated ribbon area, and easy-clean floors (concrete is great). One thing I wish I’d investigated better was the airflow in the room. My primary processing area gets the most heat in the winter while the rest of the shop is freezing.
Althea of Rose of Sharon Floral Designs, Arkansas

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Wheels!!! On your trashcan, on your cooler shelves, on your flat surface workspaces(tables, cabinets, islands) A layout that makes sense for your space. A floor sink.
Margaret Burnette, Texas

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Your sinks can never be big enough! I put in sinks that I thought were overkill, but it turns out, its awesome to have a ton of sink-room!
Kelsey of Crabapple Floral, North Dakota

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SPACE to design in a MUST!! when I opened my studio I was limited, but that’s ok. I put in 3 work stations and they are not huge BUT they work for me. Put up shelves and ribbon holders and places to to keep tape, paints, etc at hand and eye level as I have grown my inventory my space has gotten so much smaller. BUT I would not trade it for the world.
Tracy of Park Place Design, Michigan

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We moved into a real studio this past June and the key elements are – walk in cooler, roll up door that you can back your truck into for loading, drain in the floor, plentiful and sturdy storage shelving, good water pressure and very high ceilings. I keep meaning to buy a full length mirror to look at bouquets as I’m making them – I keep running into the bathroom for a peak!
Susan of Three Sisters Custom Flowers & Events, California

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Easy flow is essential in any workspace. I have found ‘zones’ for different types of tasks are helpful- i.e. processing floral product and
washing/drying buckets happen in one area; while ribbons, labeling and finishing touches on product happen in another. I have a mix of
containers on display to give me ideas for upcoming event work as I work with seasonal product throughout the year, and to remind me what I have stored away in inventory. I also place miscellaneous like items into large tupperware containers so they can be easily accessed when needed.
A spot in a workspace with natural light and a simple background is a plus to have as well, to snap shots of work for portfolio or social media posts.

I prefer a clean work space, with little clutter. I believe that we are lucky to work with such beauty in our day to day, and that having a tidy space allows us to be inspired rather than distracted by our surroundings!
Tess of July Floral Design, Washington

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I would love a bigger cooler, more table space and a hot water tank! Other than that, I love my studio.
Alex of Exquisite Designs, Illinois

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After 7 years in my first retail location, we moved to a bigger space and I really had a chance to mold the way operations would flow in my new space. I think this is personal for each shop owner depending on what you’d like to focus on.
For my top 5 must haves:
I had the dream of a flower room for customers to walk into and experience which came to life when I stumbled upon a used walk in cooler with windows that is the focal point of my shop.
I also wanted to have the design area in the front of the store so that customers could watch us design (also helps to be present for walk-ins even when you’re busy designing). I still think my design area could be bigger.
I never had a private office or consultation area before, so that was something I also paid a lot of attention to. I love my office and so do my clients, its really cozy and relaxed while still feeling very stylish and fun.
Other things to consider are of course window display and foot traffic outside, its really what brings people in, and then creating paths and displays through the store.
Plumbing was one thing that became too expensive in the end to make my life easier. I wished for a sink next to my design area but settled for one in the back of the store.
Amy of Crimson & Clover Floral Design, Maryland

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Is your studio open for retail business on a daily basis or just by appointment?Will you have regular hours?
Will the studio be making daily deliveries, or will your studio be for weddings and events only?
If you will be having a studio with regular hours where people can come in and buy flowers daily, one thing I would
do is consider the layout of the sales area and the work area.
I have a retail studio that is open to the public on a daily basis~ when I am there, I am not married to regular retail hours.
I do weddings and events but also daily orders and delivery.
My studio is adorable, and a good working environment, which is all blended into one. I wanted my customers to be able to be
a part of the work area, I even have a couple of bar stools where they can have a seat while I make their design. They love this!
You have to be ok with the fact that your work area is viewed at all times and keeping it super neat (and safe) is sometimes
difficult, especially when you just received your flower shipment and flowers are everywhere.
It is hard sometimes to keep it perfect for the customers….its a working studio….
If this is something that you think may be hard to do, I would strongly suggest making the work area a little hidden from the
view and traffic.
My consultation area is in a separate room, which is nice.
My work area was a kitchen area, complete with cabinets and sink and counters. Looks clean and sleek. I love having the cabinets to store my vases from view, and also have shelves that show the vases neatly stocked. I have big drawers that store my ribbon~ I am not a fan of a messy ribbon rack, it never looks nice. Love having them handy when I need them and hidden when I don’t.
Hope this helps!
Dore of Stems, Colorado

Stems Flower Shop

Stems Flower Shop

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Thank you to everyone that participated!

If you’d like to participate in our future Content Calls, be sure to sign up for our newsletter – the link is at the top right of this page.

If you have a question you’d like us to ask in a future Content Call please Email it – info@flirtyfleurs.com

My conversation with Kris started off with her answering Katie’s question that we posted yesterday and evolved into an entire blog post about her studio. Super fun to peek into Kris’ floral design studio!
This is what Kris has to say about designing your studio:

There are always things you will change in your design studio. Drawings and measurements help in the beginning … until you start moving and working in the space.
My customers like to see where I work and that is my comfortable space as well…I designed a consultation area and we seldom use it.
Top 5 in my studio:
#1 farmhouse sink , with a low front, a tall back and one side , with a fabulous faucet that you can put buckets under
#2 sliding barn door that is a chalk board, helps me to keep orders organized
#3 desk space that is an antique table, located close to my work space
#4 lighting is so important, make sure to have a beautiful one in there some place
#5 designate a spot for photos …

This is the barn door( It actually was on a barn that the family has. It was leaning against the wall, the door part had been damaged by a bull, so we put a 3/4 inch sheet of plywood over the entire door and chalk board paint. The metal rail I just sprayed with rust proof paint).

This is the other section of the barn door…it was in better shape so just painted the rail and left the other as it was:

(Notice the grandson’s art work and it is a great back drop for where clients sit and the grandkids take naps).

This is the sink I LOVE… the right side is as tall as the back, which works great since the door it there. I ordered the faucet after much looking, to fit my needs. The sink was at a junk barn sale and the owner traded it to me for the use of our gardens for her daughter’s wedding ceremony. I had it re-glazed, found a basket strainer for the drain. My husband built the base out of galvanized pipe ( I had seen the same kind of base at Cool Water in San Francisco, when I took a class from Paula Pryke).

This is the entrance to the studio. The bench to the right of the door is my ‘go to’ place for photos, since the light there is always great!

Kris of KRISanthemums
Hermiston, Oregon

Thank you, Kris, for sharing your studio with us!

Designed by Neill Strain

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When did you start your business and where are you located?
We began our flower farming adventure just two years ago, selling our first stems to a local community food co-op in May, 2012. Triple Wren Farms (so named to keep us focused on our mission and vision) is located north of Ferndale, WA, in the midst of a beautiful u-pick apple orchard.

Why did you begin flower farming?
In 2011, our family’s main source of income ended and through a series of unexpected events we started this incredible journey towards a more agriculturally-oriented lifestyle. We began building this business for our family’s future and named it in a play on our children’s names. We are so thankful that, in the course of two years, it has (literally!) blossomed into a thriving family business. We have put in a lot of hard work, but also have been incredibly blessed by the support and generosity of many friends and family, the owners of the orchard we manage, and our amazing Seattle Wholesale Growers Market family.

What flowers and foliages do you grow? Are there particular flowers/foliages you specialize in?
We grow about 50 varieties of seasonal specialty cut flowers. In a nutshell this means that we specialize in growing items that thrive in our climate during the time of year that makes them naturally happy, and we grow lots of them! So for example, in spring we offer luscious anemone and ranunculus in bright, clear colors and beautiful fall- or winter-sown annuals such as dainty queen anne’s lace, fragrant sweet peas, and vivid calendula. As we segue into summer we work our way through perennials like lilacs, tree peonies, wisteria vine, viburnum, and garden or climbing roses into staples like richly-hued snapdragons, delicate feverfew, bupleurum, and many varieties of sunflowers. The transition into late summer/fall is one of our favorites with fluffy cosmos, brilliant celosia, hot zinnias, golden dill, chocolatey rudbeckia, and spectacular dahlias (including coveted café au lait!). We grow a good assortment of gourds and squash and cold-tolerant flowering kale to harvest as the chilly weather sets in, and then in winter we create amazing kissing balls and foliage cuts from our of fresh evergreens and cedars. Because we also manage a u-pick apple orchard, we also pull either flowering or fruited crabapple branches from the farm throughout the year.

What are your current pest management/growing practices?
We are thrilled to have Triple Wren Farms Salmon Safe Certified!

Where do you sell your flowers?
We sell the majority of our flowers through the phenomenal Seattle Wholesale Grower’s Market. We also love working with lovely local DIY brides (generally from Island, Skagit, and Whatcom Counties in WA), and we sell our flowers in straight bunches (usually 10 stems of a single variety) to select local groceries, food co-ops, and florists.

Do you ship your flowers?
At this point we don’t ship our flowers, but we have experiments and ideas in the works for this future possibility!

What are your plans for 2014?
We are looking to expand the quantities of what we grow well, and trying our best to limit ourselves from trying out too many new varieties of flowers. It’s hard to exercise self control!
We are also very excited about rolling out our first Flower CSA program in Bellingham, WA.
Triple Wren Farms also grows edible produce, and we are very proud to have been accepted into Sustainable Connection’s Food to Bank On program in Whatcom County, WA, beginning in January, 2014. The mentoring and farm-business training that we are going to be incredibly privileged to receive will help our farm business as a whole. I’m sure we will carry many concepts over into the way we plan and manage our specialty cut flowers. We’re very excited about 2014!

How do you find out what your wholesalers and/or designers want for the next season?
We ask them! Towards the end of this past growing season I reached out to our most loyal customers (primarily florists and grocery floral buyers) and asked them to let me know what they wished they could find locally grown to buy for their designs. We got a great response and are implementing lots of their ideas this next season in regard to colors, textures, shapes and trends that are on the horizon.

Contact Information:
Sarah and Steve Pabody
360-296-5357
info@triplewrenfarms.com
www.triplewrenfarms.com
www.instagram.com/triplewrenfarms

Did you see that title and become concerned?! Concerned you are about to look at a whole post of rainbow dyed roses?! Don’t worry, I found lots of cool Rainbow Weddings with color blocking. It takes a certain kind of bride (daring) to go down the Rainbow path, but done right the flowers really can look cool!

Sullivan Owen

Jim Kennedy Photographers
Lisa Moon Events

Valley Flower Company

Pixies Petals

Pixies Petals

Sullivan Owen

Persimmon Floral

Parsonage Events

Just Bloomed

BLOOM

Today we discuss a Content Call Question asked by Nancy Cameron of Destiny Hill regarding Reality TV.

Question #5
Discussing the floral industry and reality TV. One of our Brides this summer was picked for the show 4 Brides & a Wedding. My husband, our event coordinator and I as well as the caterer the couple picked all refused to permit the show. Since the farm is our home we did not want camera crews here, plus we don’t care for the negative aspect of the show and we believe a wedding day is a sacred day. I’m not sure why the caterer said no to filming but the caterer absolutely is one if not the best of our preferred food vendors in service, presentation and taste. I think one of the categories in the judging may have been flowers? But, I’m not really sure. Florist may want to think about how they would handle their Bride in a reality show with their flower design judged.

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Ugh, just say no to reality TV.
Margaret Burnette, Texas

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I did a show this summer ” say yes to the dress” and it will air this new year. I think it’s a great thing to get the word out on my blog, FB, etc, I think it depends on the show.
Tracy of Park Place Design, Michigan

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This is such an interesting topic and I agree completely that the wedding day is sacred and if a show has negative aspects I probably would not want to be a part of it. Small, mundane moments can be edited to look like a huge ordeal and I wouldn’t want to put my professional image in the hands of someone who might edit me for a dramatic moment.
Alison of Floral Artistry, Vermont

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I love your reasons behind your decision and would think any bride would also want to use you for these reasons. I’d never thought of this before but it’s good to mull over and be prepared with a response if approached.
Dana of Della Blooms, Maryland

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I just wouldn’t be open to that, we go thru a lot of ugly (processing flowers, dealing with unreliable product, setting up an event, etc) to create pretty. In the end, I want to make sure my client is happy but I don’t need any negative publicity or mean spirited comments in regards to my work. My team and I work too hard for someone who is not our client to put us down. It’s just not worth it.
Alex of Exquisite Designs, Illinois

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My theory is that nothing good can come from a reality show. They rarely give any recognition other than in the credits and who looks at those? Don’t do it!
Susan of Three Sisters Custom Flowers & Events, California

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I think a reality tv show would be way more than I could handle,and would cheapen the event.
Kelsey of Crabapple Floral, North Dakota

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I can’t bring my self to believe that I would participate.
Kris of KRISanthemums, Oregon

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Thank you to everyone that participated!

If you’d like to participate in our future Content Calls, be sure to sign up for our newsletter – the link is at the top right of this page.

If you have a question you’d like us to ask in a future Content Call please Email it – info@flirtyfleurs.com

Designed by Neill Strain

Two weeks ago today 58 floral designers from around the world gathered for 3 flower filled and information packed days in Santa Barbara, California. We gathered to learn more about building and operating our businesses and to push our creative talents with a plethora of flowers at our fingertips.

Holly Chapple, the founder of Chapel Designers, gathered together an impressive list of presenters – the UK’s hottest young designer, Joseph Massie; the Queen of Woodlands design, Francoise Weeks; San Francisco’s much sought after designer, Nancy Liu Chin; and the four of them lead 2 days of splendid hands-on floral design workshops; on the business discussion day I led a discussion on Online Presences (including websites, blogs & social media) and Courtenay Lambert led a fantastic discussion about ordering & pricing.

The event took place at Sunstone Vineyards and Winery in Santa Ynez Valley, with lovely views of the valley – the perfect location to get our creative juices flowing! Holly instructed the participants on how to design a loosely styled hand-tied bridal bouquet. Francoise taught how to create awe-inspiring head pieces. Nancy designed four tablescapes to share a variety of styles with the designers, and then got everyone involved in designing with her. Joe designed an art installation with the purpose of building and emphasizing the unity between all the designers that participated in the workshop.

Of course, Joost and his team at Florabundance provided us with the most beautiful flowers. We had the pleasure of designing with gorgeous poppies, anemones, lisianthus and garden roses! Plus, textures galore – pieris japonica, Chocolate lace, and privet berries to name a few.

Thought I’d share some photos of the event and all the fun that was had! (I will be refraining from posting the final installations for now as those have been submitted for publication.)

Arriving at Santa Barbara’s Airport

Joe, Francoise and Holly

Joost, Nancy, Alicia (me) and Katie

Holly doing her thing!

Holly discussing bouquet making while Susan helps wire roses.

Holly discussing bouquets while Julia and Susan help wire flowers

Evan takes his proper place

One of the lovely bouquets

Erin, Kimberly and Becky

Julia added a flower flourish to her hat

Photobomb!

Best ever Lisianthus!!

So many lovely ribbons provided by Midori Ribbons

Lisa tried to get a picture of me before I got one of her, I have a fast clicking finger missy!

Nancy giving me the big *wink, wink*

Nicole, Susan and Faye

Holly of Sweet Pea Floral Design

Susanne of The Blue Carrot

Katie Noonan

Jessica Jones! Finally got to meet Jessica after years of emailing each other!!

Susan of Three Sisters Flowers

Holly, Joost and Joseph

Holly of Sweet Pea Floral Design

Sheri of Blumen Meisters

Francoise trying on her own design

Amy & Ria working on their head pieces

Amy & Ria – ‘The Colorado Girls!”

Holly sharing her hair piece design

Courtenay Lambert

Joost and Francoise

Shannon and Kristi

Laurie & Jessica

The gang shows off their head pieces!

Blending moss, of course!

Oh, the poppies, I couldn’t get enough!

The King Of Poppies! We all were impressed that Joost matched his poppies!

Poppies!

possibly my favorite photo of Francoise .. ever! #WhatFloristsReallyDo

Sheri, Katie and Becky

Kristi of The Posh Posey fills water tubes with the help of a sports bottle, clever!

Lori of Blossom Alliance

One of the lovely floral creations

Alicia (me), Eatherly and Dana

Joe & I

self portrait, how I appeared throughout most of the conference – camera in hand!

Holly’s bridal bouquet of peonies, garden roses and hellebores

After three glorious, and flower filled days with the Florabundance Inspirational Design Days & Chapel Designers Conference – a group of us gathered and visited Lotusland in Montecito, California.
A special thank you to Laura Cogan of Passionflower for organizing the outing. Lotusland is closed for tours until February 19th, but Laura spoke with them and organized a special trip for us flower lovers!
I’ve visited a good amount of Botanic Gardens, and have to say that I was absolutely blown away by Lotusland – it is now my favorite garden! It’s huge and the story behind it is tantalizing and fascinating. Better yet, the lady behind it is fascinating – married 6 times by the age of 59. Last divorce was in 1946 and she lived at Lotusland until her passing in 1984 at the age of 96. Seems she traded in the husbands for plants! Well, she really did trade in jewels so she’d have the funds to expand one of the gardens. You can read more about Ganna here and here.
Lotusland sits on 37 acres in the heart of Montecito, California. 26 of those 37 acres are under cultivation, with 14 gardens featured. I kept thinking I’d pick a favorite garden until I rounded the next corner and had my breath taken away again.
I’d highly suggest visiting Lotusland next time you are in the area, a visit lasts about 2 hours and you will feel like you’ve been transported to a Utopia.

Ganna Walska

Metal tree with airplants

Margaret, Alicia B, Madeleine, Laura, Laurie, Diane, Julia, Sylvia and Rebecca

Lemon Arbor

the ladies under the lemon arbor

Laura is a tree hugger .. literally!!

Tending to the topiaries

Bromeliads gardens

Bromeliads gardens

The Blue Garden

Hair flowers in the gardens

(please note, we did have permission to place flowers on the statues)

Plum calla lilies, burgundy dahlias, dark purple hellebores, fern fronds and dancing clematis .. oh so dramatic!

Designed by Sophisticated Floral Designs

Designed by Max Gill

Designed by A Garden Party

Designed by Blush Designs

Designed by Coco Rosie

Designed by Fleurs De Fallon

Designed by Gertie Maes Floral Studio

Designed by Blossom and Branch

Designed by Martha Stewart

Designed by Martha Stewart

Designed by Mimosa Floral

Designed by Sullivan Owen

Designed by Tic Tock Flowers

Designed by Flora Nova

Designed by Florali

Designed by Floret

Karen Wise Photography

Photographed by Sutherland Kovach

Designed by Twisted Willow Flowers

I had the idea for this installation immediately after my last major floral art show in November of 2012. I am a huge fan of both science and art and thought it’d be neat to combine the two. I’m also really interested in how light affects flowers from a viewpoint perspective, and also exposing people to different forms of beauty and fostering a sense of wonder about the world around them. This particular piece is a wall of white flowers displaying a rainbow created from refracted light. The “wall” was constructed with a rectangular piece of chicken wire- white flowers on one side and water tubes on the other to anchor the flowers in place. The prism used to refract the light was propped on a table level to the “wall of white” and a light was aimed directly at the prism.

It was important for me to select only white flowers to capture the essence of the rainbow, and there was a black sheet draped behind the white wall to create a dramatic contrast.

Flowers used (all white):
Dinnerplate dahlias
Ball dahlias
Scabiosa
Lavatera
“Wendy” spray roses
Phlox
Lisianthus
Hydrangea
Calla lilies
**all flowers were sourced from the Pacific Northwest region of the US (specifically the states of Oregon and Washington)

The photos were taken by myself and my friend, Heather Stadler. She is a local artist (painter) and floral designer.

I have a small floral design business in Seattle, WA where I specialize in floral art installations and special events. My main intent is to use locally grown flowers. I’ve been designing with flowers since 2001 and feel very lucky to have discovered my passion for art installations. I like the idea of bringing a feeling or an experience to an individual using flowers and botanical products as a medium.

Contact Information:
Nicole Cordier
Moderne Classic Designs
Seattle, WA

Designed by Christian Tortu

Valentine’s Day is Feb. 14th and you should buy flowers.

Whether we’re talking about weddings or holidays, flowers sometimes get a bad rap simply because they don’t “last forever”.

I personally think we have enough stuff in our lives that will last forever and the fact that flowers die should not make them worthless.

I hear slogans that refer to “gifts that won’t wilt” and it feels like flowers get picked on (pardon the flower pun). Food gets consumed & wine gets drunk…and perhaps so do you!, chocolates get devoured, but flowers light up your life for a few days reminding you of the thoughtful friend or lover who brought them to you and THEN, they are compostable.

Flowers say I love you without the need for perfect words or too much planning.

You can instantly be transformed from thoughtless to thoughtful with a bouquet in hand. In my experience, flowers are a perfect gift and are usually very much appreciated. I should know…I have delivered flowers for years and people are always happy to see me! I like to think it is my winning smile, but the warm welcomes I receive are attributed to the fresh flowers in my arms.

While I took a different route with my business than the traditional flower shop, it is where I grew my roots so I have a level of respect & sentimentality for the importance of the retail florist. As is true with any business that caters to you and your Valentine, florists will have higher prices around the holiday, but keep in mind that your prix fixe dinner menu probably follows the same trend.

Florists raise their prices not simply in an effort to gouge you, but because their costs also increase.

A single rose will cost your florist nearly twice as much the week before Valentine’s Day than they will the rest of the year. That is why they double the cost of their roses to the customer.

Not only are the roses more expensive during this time, but because of the high volume of cutting that is done in anticipation of the Valentine’s rush they are not as easy to get from flower growers during the upcoming weeks which keeps the price a bit higher than normal (that whole supply and demand thing!), but you will find that the price for you, the customer, will promptly return to pre-holiday pricing. The additional staff and overtime hours required to fill all the special orders from design to delivery is also a big factor in the cost of doing business on V-day.

If you want to get the most for your money, then skip the “dozen roses delivered” and choose flowers from the cooler for a fresh cut bouquet—the most economical way to buy flowers! Because a wrapped bouquet is not considered an “arrangement” and does not require a designer’s time to arrange it you will get more flowers per dollar as compared to a vase arrangement (which also includes the cost of the vase, of course). I always think your best value is to select what looks fresh and if you are unsure, ask for help to get the best results.

Keep it real. Keep it local. Keep it fresh.

Small flower shops often struggle to keep their doors open and in an economy where grocery stores sell stems for less than florists pay for their product (yes, they charge less than wholesale in some cases!) and the internet satisfies all of our shopping needs, the brick and mortar flower shop could use a little back-up this year. So if you haven’t already you should order flowers for delivery to your sweetheart or swing by a local shop to pick up a fresh bouquet to deliver in person.

If you know what you want, try to order it in advance and schedule a time for pick-up so the florist is sure to have it ready for you. You don’t have to spend $100…or even $50. Pick up a bunch of Dutch tulips or gerbera daisies or go for a half dozen roses if you are an old-school romantic. Whatever you choose you are sure to warm someone’s heart.

Flower Care Tips:

Fresh bouquets will require the recipient to trim at least ½” from the bottom of the stems with a sharp knife or garden clipper—not a scissor—before arranging in a vessel filled ¾ of the way with clean water.
No foliage should fall below the water line and the water should be changed daily or every other day at which time the flowers should also receive a fresh cut.
If the temperature outside is 34o F or less you should be sure that the flowers are wrapped in plastic bag or heavy paper to protect them from freezing…something that the grocery store often will not do properly for you!
If you will have the flowers out-of-water for 2 hours or more you should ask your florist to put water tubes on the end of each stem…and Yes, you will still have to re-cut them before you put them in water!
So make someone’s day and buy flowers this Valentine’s Day!

Contact Information:
Alison Ellis
Floral Artistry
Vermont

Thank you, Alison, for sharing this article on why people should buy flowers for Valentine’s Day, and every day – we couldn’t agree more!
~Alicia