Canadian Florist May 2017

May/June 2017

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RETURN of the Cascade Bouquet

Canadian Designers Flex Their

CREATIVE MUSCLES Staging the Consultation Room

inside

A No-Nonsense Sales Strategy Humorous Social Media Posts Delivery Pricing Demystified

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• Our best-in-class technologies, including our award-winning POS and web-hosting solutions, are built to run your business efficiently – connecting you with consumers and the largest network of florists.

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06

Vol. 112 No. 3 • May/June 2017

18 COVER PHOTO BY MERRI JAMES, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY, FTD COMPANIES, INC.

features 08 Displays of Grandeur 12

What a customer is willing to pay has nothing to do with your costs and everything to do with the way they perceive the value they are receiving.

14 22 26

departments

Behind the scenes at Fleurs de Villes Cascade Craze A study of dramatic, flowing bouquets Setting the Stage Anatomy of an effective consultation room Canadian Flowers for Canadian Brides Meet some domestic flower farmers To Charge or Not to Charge: Making Decisions on Deliveries Strategies that respect your profit margin

online Network with florists online

-Mark Anderson

22

Have Your Say - Visit us online at CanadianFloristMag.com to share your comments on our articles, and be a part of the conversation.

6

Bloomin’ Biz/ Coast to Coast

10

Florist Spotlight

16

The Social Florist

18

By Design

24

Rising to the Occasion

25

Care and Handling

30

Life at Work

32

Ask the SEO

34

On the Level with Neville

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by Katie Hendrick

FROM THE

EDITOR

In the last decade (ages 22-32), I’ve gone to something like 25 weddings. Compared to many people in my social circle, this number is nothing spectacular. I have plenty of friends who went to one or two weddings a month during their twenties. In fact, one accepted so many invitations that she had to subsist on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to afford the massive amount of plane tickets and gifts! Yes, I got off easy.

Nonetheless, I started to find the ritual a bit repetitive: the entourage of attendants in knee-length J. Crew dresses in matching colours (always pink or green) but individual styles; a predictable playlist revolving around Beyoncé, the Black Eyed Peas, and Taylor Swift; and the ubiquitous hand-tied bouquet of roses and hydrangeas. I’m sure anyone who came of age in the 1980s equates that era’s nuptials with puffy sleeves, baby’s breath, and Madonna and Michael Jackson songs.

As I’ve grown up, so have wedding styles—or so it seems. Brides today are inclined to show a little personality and experiment with different styles, be it a dress with an intriguing neckline, an unexpected venue, or dramatic floral pieces. It’s truly exciting for the industry to see the winds of change afoot.

In these pages, we’ve delved into the style shift, namely the newfound appreciation for large, intricate bouquets (literally) fit for a queen. Contributing writer Michelle Brisebois interviewed internationally renowned trends guru Michael Skaff, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, to learn what’s driving this interest and how it manifests in four different types of weddings. Check it out in “Cascade Craze” (p. 12). Another request you may start hearing more frequently: domestically grown flowers. In “Canadian Flowers for Canadian Brides” (p. 22), guest author Christine March digs into this preference and introduces several Canadian flower farmers. You’ll also find advice on how to woo prospective clients with your consultation room in “Setting the Stage” (p. 14), protocol for prepping flowers for the big day (p.

25), and levity from the inimitable Neville MacKay, when wedding season has worn down your sense of humour (p. 34).

Weddings aren’t the only events highlighted in this issue. It’s been a remarkably busy spring for Canadian floral artists with major shows and competitions, such as Fleurs de Villes, Canada Blooms, and the Maple Leaf Design Cup. You’ll find coverage of all three.

We’ve rounded out this information with strategies to improve various segments of your business, including social media marketing (p. 16), sales (p. 24), delivery pricing (p. 26), work-life balance (p. 30), and search engine optimization (p. 32).

Vol. 112, No. 3 Editor Katie Hendrick khendrick@CanadianFloristMag.com 800-314-8895 ext 106 Advertising Manager advertising@CanadianFloristMag.com Publisher Ryan Freeman ryan@CanadianFloristMag.com Media Designer Ruby Coles Publication Mail Agreement #42919543 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO Strider Media, 6-6150 Highway 7, Suite 400, Woodbridge, ON L4H 0R6 distribution@CanadianFloristMag.com Printed in Canada ISSN 1700-5043

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No part of the editorial content of this publication may be reprinted without the publisher’s written permission. ©2015 Strider Media. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the editor or the publisher. No liability is assumed for errors or omissions.

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Dedicated to the memory of Bill Martin, and all those who gave of their time and resources to build up our industry.

www.canadianfloristmag.com

But the learning doesn’t stop there. For even more education be sure to join us May 29th in Vaughan for our annual business forum.

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©2017 Smithers-Oasis Company. All rights reserved. OASIS® and VERTICAL BAR DESIGN® are registered trademarks of Smithers-Oasis Company.

Matrimonial Evolution

©2017 Smithers-Oasis Company. All rights reserved. OASIS® and VERTICAL BAR DESIGN® are registered trademarks of Smithers-Oasis Company.

an unconventional bouquet.

A modern bride needs a unique bouquet to make her wedding day her own, and guests are sure to be buzzing over this atypical look. My out-of-the-box floral design gives me the opportunity to showcase my creativity and deliver a brilliant bouquet any bride would want to have and to hold.

Let our featured designers inspire you at oasisfloralproducts.com/inspire

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DEBBIE STRAND AIFD DEBORAH STRAND DESIGNS Cary, Illinois MOST INSPIRATIONAL FLORAL DESIGN: Cascade Wedding Bouquet

You too can be featured in the Inspire Design Showcase!

Follow us on Facebook for the upcoming themes.

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bloomin’

biz

Maple Leaf Cup ’17: For the Love of Floral Design

SAVE THE DATE: The 2017 Canadian Florist Business Forum will be May 29 at Universal EventSpace in Woodbridge, Ontario. This one-day event will feature some of the industry’s most sought after speakers.

Come for tech, sales, marketing, and design advice to improve your efficiency and profitability.

The panel includes: Derrick Myers, PFCI, CPA, CFP

Vice President of Crockett, Myers & Associates “Hidden Treasure”

Derrick Myers will share strategies to help you make more money, pay fewer taxes, and keep your financial plans on track. Crockett Myers, an accounting firm in Glen Burnie, Maryland, has focused on serving the financial needs of florists for more than 30 years.

Ryan O’Neil

Co-Owner of Twisted Willow Design; Founder of Stemcounter.com “Markup, and Profits, and Revenues, Oh My!”

Ryan and Rachael O’Neil own Twisted Willow Design in St. Louis, Missouri. They started the company from scratch and, in the process, learned how to price and work efficiently. In 2015, Ryan launched Stemcounter.com, a site that takes the work out of creating a wedding quote. Additionally, his blog has become a goto source for floral business advice.

Horace Clark Yelp

“The Mind of the Local Consumer” Yelp is the industry leader at connecting people with local businesses. With millions of business listings and more than 115 million reviews, Yelp has accumulated an incredible amount of data on how people search for and interact with local businesses.

Laura Daluga, AIFD

Department of Floristry, Ann Arbor, Michigan “Flower Options Designed for Millennials”

A fourth-generation florist, Daluga grew up in her parents’ flower shop and honed her design style for 10 years in the highly competitive Chicago event market before opening the Department of Floristry in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She specializes in one-off special events and corporate designs, floral sculpture and “fleur couture” (clothing made of flowers).

To register, visit https://canadianfloristmag.com/business-forum/

By Stephanie Dubois and Jamie Birdwell-Branson For florist Lea Romanowski, it all started with the late Hollywood actress and fashion icon Audrey Hepburn.

With Hepburn in mind, Romanowski created a detailed dress made primarily of flowers as part of the second annual Maple Leaf Cup Floral Design Competition held late March in Edmonton, Alberta.

“I usually do much more wild, crazy work but I thought I was going to do something beautiful, haute couture from the 1960s and put my spin on it,” said Romanowski. It earned the Calgary designer the coveted title. She’s worked in the industry for 34 years and entered numerous competitions—“but none as difficult as the Maple Leaf Cup,” she said.

The Maple Leaf Cup drew contestants from across Canada.

Heather de Kok, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, founded the event and chose the theme, “Hort Couture,” a play on “haute couture.” It required them to design a dress for a mannequin in just three hours. All the entrants worked with the same flowers and materials, which included 50 stems of roses and two metres of black fabric, as well as $100 to buy extra materials of their choice. They also received a “surprise box” the morning of the event, which included a purse to decorate.

“The creativity for each and every single mannequin was through-the-roof fantastic,” DeKok said. “My favourite

thing is watching not just the seasoned designers, but the first-time competitors coming out of their shell and watching them flourish.” DeKok started the competition because she wanted florist to stretch their imaginations.

Additionally, she wanted to make the public aware of what florists can do.

DeKok estimated that about 10,000 turned out for the competition.

The sentiment she overheard repeatedly: “I never thought about using a florist before. I will definitely use a professional now for all my floral needs!”

Educating consumers is essentially, DeKok explained: “This shows them that whatever the occasion—a new baby, sympathy, or a birthday— they’ll end up with something spectacular.”

As winner of the event, Romanowski received a $1,000 prize and will be traveling and competing in the Sylvia Cup Design Competition in September at the Society of American Florists’ annual convention in Palm Beach, Florida. Competitor Margaret-Ann Hinkley from Edmonton came in second place and walked away with a $500 prize for her detailed long dress design. DeKok described the competition as fierce.

“Every single person brought their ‘A game’. Win or lose, they put something out there that they might not have thought they could. I hope they all have more confidence in themselves.”

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coast to

COAST

Oh! Canada Copy and photos by Lindsay Ulrichaa

Canada’s largest garden and flower show, Canada Blooms, was held at the Canadian National Exhibition grounds March 10-19 in Toronto. The theme, “Oh! Canada,” celebrated the country’s 150th anniversary. Many of the vendors, designers, and special guests used this milestone as inspiration for their creations on display.

The event was buzzing, jam packed with workshops, tours, and expert speakers. Floral workshops included design demonstrations such as creative corsages, fresh floral “cakes,” and Easter centrepieces.

Flower farmer Jessica Gale shared ecological production methods for cut flower gardens. At an “open flower bar,” attendees could pay $5 and receive crown-making lessons.

Canada Blooms officially unveiled a new rose variety, ‘Canadian Shield’, commemorating the country’s birthday. Vineland Research and Innovation Centre’s rose breeding program developed the resilient, bright red rose that has a mild fragrance and blooms throughout the entire gardening season.

The Garden Club of Toronto organized The Toronto Flower Show, which showcased creations from amateur floral designers and included design competitions. The floral artists’ display presented the best professional floral designs from Ontario, and Canada Blooms encouraged attendees to vote on their favourite garden and floral designs throughout the show. Many of the displays wove Canadian iconography into their designs, highlighting Canadian artists, cultural leaders, ecology, and our diverse landscape.

COMING

EVENTS

MAY

29: Canadian Florist Business Forum Toronto, Ontario

canadianfloristmag.com

JUNE

6: FloralStrategies Webinar: Advanced Sales Skills floralstrategies.com 13: International Floriculture Expo Chicago, Illinois floriexpo.com

JULY

1-5: AIFD Symposium Seattle, Washington Aifd.org 15-18: Cultivate 17 Columbus, Ohio http://cultivate17.org 25: FloralStrategies Webinar: Advanced Sympathy Sales floralstrategies.com

AUGUST

13-16: Toronto Gift Fair Toronto, Ontario cangift.org/toronto-gift-fair/en/home/ 27-30: Alberta Gift Fair Edmonton, Alberta cangift.org/alberta-gift-fair/en/home/

Organizing an upcoming event readers should know about?

EMAIL khendrick@canadianfloristmag.com

VISIT

canadianfloristmag.com

TO SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THE MAPLE LEAF CUP AND CANADA BLOOMS

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of grandeur

Together, fashion and flowers have stitched the fabrics of culture and humanity. Floral motifs and appliques routinely adorn the runways of Milan, Paris, and New York from designers like Alexander McQueen, Dior, and Dolce & Gabbana. Fashionistas throughout history have incorporated flowers into their getups (think: Julius Caesar and his laurel leaf wreath). Billie Holiday tucked gardenias behind her ear while Frida Kahlo embraced vibrant, multi-coloured blooms to accentuate her updos. Lana Del Rey is known for her flower crowns; Loras Tyrell, the Knight of Flowers from Game of Thrones, carries a shield embellished with an intricate floral design; and Nucky Thompson, of Boardwalk Empire fame, often dons a carnation on his lapel.

Flowers also are integral to cultures. Japanese fabrics pay homage to the chrysanthemum, while the peony and the lotus have long been depicted on silks from China. Such prints have inspired Chinoiserie styles, European replicas of intricate Asian prints. Flowers spot the cotton garb popular in India, which spurred another cross-cultural tradition — chintz fabrics. Carnations and daisies appear in brocades, Persian fashions incorporate tulips and persimmons, and the hibiscus is the quintessential star of Hawaiian fashion.

The application of flowers in fashion is as diverse as the cultures that have inspired such fashions.

As the floral fashion trend continues to bloom across genders, generations, and cultures, the Fleurs de Villes Mannequin Series inspires the use of flowers as fabrics. Attendees can stroll

along the stationary runways to get closeup views of mannequins dressed in floral bouquets. These displays depict intricate and elaborate fashions, from gowns to swimwear to accessories, constructed entirely out of foliage and flowers. Tina Barkley and Karen Marshall Ducommun, lifestyle experts with backgrounds in the publishing world, created the event, which pops up in various cities throughout the country to “…work with top local florists, designers, growers and nurseries, to showcase that city’s world-class talent and create stunning displays of art.”

By Tina Miller

PHOTOS BY KATIE ELLIOT

Displays “This event is sweeping Canada, and is a Canadian initiative that celebrates and showcases our industry and creative talents,” said Natasha Crawford, owner of Brown’s the Florist in Victoria, a two-year participant in the series. Crawford, her cohort Andrea Strachan, EMC, their team, and other participants have pushed the floral fashion envelope through Fleurs de Villes.

Traveling to various cities and towns, this event unites communities and their florists.

Each team works with sponsors who help fund the vision. Brown’s the Florist’s sponsors have included The Victoria Symphony, The Victoria Chamber of Commerce, and The Empress Hotel. Fleurs de Villes brings together the participants as a cohesive group of business owners, design and floral enthusiasts, and creative experts. “This show provided a great opportunity for us to say ‘hello’ and the VIP event on opening night allowed us to celebrate our industry,” Crawford said. “As a collective, the display is absolutely magical.” Other florists who put

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together the Victoria display included Jennings Florist, Mayfair Flowers, Foxgloves Flowers, Fine Floral Designs, Petals Plus Florist, Platinum Floral Designs, FLEURtacious by Lynda Marie, and A Sea of Bloom.

PHOTOS BY KATIE ELLIOT

While fashion designers manipulate fabrics and textiles, designers for the mannequin series manipulate fresh products. They consider water sources, foundations, and types of flowers to use. They study magazines for inspiration. The endeavour is rigorous. Designers must manage space and materials and determine logistics. But participants say the benefits are vast: they get a chance to market their shops and businesses, they win awards, and they showcase their talents and creativity.

The intrinsic rewards, however, are the most important. “Our combined talents allow the public to ‘see’ and ‘feel’ our creativity. The diversity is imaginative, inventive, and inspiring,” said Crawford. “It is a strong feeling you get when you can look at your work five days later and the flowers are still lovely. It’s what I would imagine the Rose Bowl Parade to be like. Each float alone is awe-inspiring, but viewed together, it’s this amazing event worth talking about!”

As we continue to see the imprints of flowers on fabrics, cultures, and communities, events like the Fleurs de Villes Mannequin Series will continue to inspire florists to create and to collaborate. It will further merge fashions and flowers. It will challenge designers to push their creative limits.

Most important, it will remind us of the connections we have with other people and the world around us. That, after all, has always been the role of flowers in fashion.

Crossing the Threshold What’s it like to design floral costumes for mannequins? Natasha Crawford and Andrea Strachen, of Brown’s the Florist, gave us the inside scoop.

To begin, the overall objective for businesses is to come up with a good design, often inspired by trends, fashion magazine images, or designs from past shows. Each team has a sponsor who provides $1,000 to use for materials. Participants just donate their time and labour.

Designers may only use fresh materials. Strachen suggests making an oasis, and entwining it with chicken wire and ti, cordyline, and aspidistra leaves.

Along with the water supply, teams must consider the foundation for their display and overall daily maintenance.

With a design and logistics figured out, designers consider the specific tools they will need. “I love to prowl the aisles of hardware stores looking at plumbing and building supplies with designer eyes,” Strachen said. “This usually provides lots of entertainment for the team.” On Brown’s the Florist’s shopping list: Saran wrap, chicken wire, oasis, glue, moss, glue dots, twine, strapping tape, wire, duct tape, zip ties, wire cutters, metal scissors, gloves, a ladder, bags to transport the materials, plumbing strap, and plywood.

Participants must also contend with transportation issues. Unloading and moving the mannequins adds pressure to the installation. The trick is to work carefully and slowly, though some designers opt to work on site.

Tina D. Miller is a writer, teacher, evaluator, puppy mother, fabric manipulator, and football enthusiast living in Philadelphia. In 2008, she earned her MFA in creative writing and has since written and published several flash fiction stories, blog posts, and novels.

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From Competitions to All-Nighters, FLORIST Alberta Florist Does It All SPOTLIGHT

By Christy O’Farrell

Deniss Barahona is so dedicated to her Grower Direct flower shop in Edmonton, Alberta, that she slept there the night before Valentine’s Day. She worked past midnight filling orders, made a makeshift bed with an aisle runner, crashed for six hours, and then turned on the “open” sign.

Barahona is glad to be busy, and attributes it to her design and customer service philosophy: “The way I see things, if an extra flower will make a difference, I put it in, even if the value’s there.” She has learned that approach leads to repeat business.

“It’s very important for me to keep the sender happy and the recipient happy,” she said, because often recipients will call to request the same arrangement they received to send to someone else.

While Barahona always goes the extra mile to please local customers and those from as far away as Toronto, and occasionally works nights and weekends, her overnight stay in her shop was an exception to a rule she usually strives to follow: balancing work and family. With three young children, she prefers to spend as much time with them as possible.

She used to bring her youngest daughter, now 3, to work until she started “knocking vases all over the place” and breaking flowers. Now Barahona’s parents care for her little girl. She and her husband also have two sons, 10 and 8.

she met Deborah De La Flor, AIFD, PFCI, and other well-known designers. De Kok has advocated professionalism in the industry for years, and spearheaded several efforts to boost awareness of the power of flowers (see p. 6).

“With [De Kok], I saw the big window of opportunities to become more knowledgeable,” Barahona said. “It gave me confidence that the Grower Direct head office has supported and believed in me always, even if I myself sometimes don’t. I’m very grateful to Heather and her family. They have encouraged me to go for it.”

“Deniss is one of the nicest people who happens to be a very talented florist,” De Kok said. “I look forward to all the great things she is going to do!”

De Kok has already witnessed one of those positive things — Barahona won the Maple Leaf Cup in March 2016. The competition, which showcases Canadian floral designers’ versatility to tens of thousands of visitors at the Edmonton Home & Garden Show, was one of De Kok’s projects. She modeled the Maple Leaf Cup after the Society of American Florists’ Sylvia Cup, a live annual event at which designers complete a challenge using the same flowers and supplies.

Barahona bought her Grower Direct franchise eight years ago from Heather De Kok, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, whose parents founded the company. Barahona had been managing one of De Kok’s other locations for five years. “I jumped into the opportunity of having my own flower shop,” Barahona said. “It has been great. It’s been challenging at times.”

Barahona and other competitors designed three arrangements — a centerpiece, wearable flowers, and a wedding bouquet — in two hours. Barahona said she never expected to win. “When Heather called my name, I thought it was not real,” she said. “I couldn’t believe it.” Her strong mechanics, or covering and hiding the internal structural support, impressed the judges. Her designs were not the biggest, but her work was “very clean,” she said.

She employs one full-time employee and one part-timer at the business, which does a lot of weddings. Her brother makes deliveries. Once her children are older, she might take on more of the work herself, which would allow her to earn more money.

As the winner, Barahona represented Canada at the Gateway to the Americas International Floral Design Competition in Vancouver, British Columbia last September, with all expenses paid. She said it was a thrill to participate in an international competition.

Barahona found her way into the floral field in 1995 while in high school. A work experience program placed her at a wholesale florist operation, where she worked for eight years. That’s where she learned about flower and plant varieties, where they come from, when they’re in season, and how to care for them. “That’s where I realized that this is what I wanted to do,” she said. “As time progressed, I found my passion. I wanted to succeed in it and I worked hard.” She also took floral design classes at Metro College in 1998.

Barahona entered Maple Leaf Cup again this year, on March 24, but alas, did not defend her title. Nonetheless, she found in an enjoyable and educational experience.

De Kok mentored Barahona, taking her to her first AIFD symposium where

Christy O’Farrell is a freelance writer in Alexandria, Va.

V R R  l

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Cascade The

By Michelle Brisebois

After years of tightly bound hand-tied bouquets reigning supreme, cascading wedding bouquets are hot again. Cascades have traditionally been favoured among the royal family; Queens Victoria and Elizabeth II both carried one, and Princess Diana’s 42-inch bouquet remains one of the most memorable in history. (Of course, a tall woman wearing a dress that puffy with a 25-foot train would look silly with a tiny nosegay!)

Craze

Long, flowing, cascading blooms are having a renaissance and it’s an exciting development for our industry. More technically challenging than hand-tied bouquets, cascades provide an opportunity for those florists who have the design skills—but also a threat for those who don’t.

Martha Stewart, Vera Wang, and Pinterest wield a significant amount of influence on wedding design trends. Stewart’s “Do it Yourself” message connected well with the popularity of handtied bouquets. Even if the bride didn’t pick a few blooms out of the garden and personally tie them with a ribbon, the bouquet’s simplicity made it look as though she could have. The style was good for the floral industry in terms of efficiency.

“The hand-tied look was popular with florists because the design was easy to make ahead of the event, so the industry promoted the aesthetic and contributed to its staying power,” said freelance designer Michael Skaff AIFD, AAF, PFCI, of Savannah, Georgia, who curated four distinct décor themes for the 2017 Flower Trends Forecast for the International Floral Distributors. In his research for IFD, he detected one common denominator over and over again: cascades, which he attributes to brides’ desire to break away from the round, tight mold they’ve seen for so long.

“Today’s brides want their personality to be expressed in all aspects of the wedding,” he said. “They don’t want anything contrived.

They want movement and motion as they walk down the aisle … something more natural.”

PHOTOS BY MERRI JAMES, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY, FTD

Cascades have evolved over time, from the Victorian era, the roaring 20’s, 50’s, and 70’s, he explained, “and now we see a more natural, casual cascade bouquet.” This could be a result of the number of flowers now available and grown throughout the world, he said. Cascades vary in style and include: natural (freeform) cascades, traditional cascades, teardrop shapes, crescent shapes, and arm bouquets.

Here, Skaff discusses the most popular wedding design themes today and how cascading bouquets fit in each.

FRENCH CONNECTION

The Style: This look is about beauty, romance, and history.

Picture sparkling wine, an elegant pastry table, soft pink accented with black (very Coco Chanel), and other soft pastels. Invitations often use parchment paper and lavender often shows up as table décor.

The Bride: The French Connection bride typically wears a dress with a lace overlay or vintage details in an off-white tone, Skaff said.

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ECTOR

Additionally, a woman attracted to this style is likely a bit of a fashionista and will arrive for the consultation looking trendy and put together.

The Flowers: “The blooms for this cascade are big and luxurious,” Skaff said.

Think: peonies, hydrangeas, and dahlias.

While the French Connection style may include soft and faded colours, it would be a mistake to think neutrals are the only way to express it. “Brides love colour and 90 percent of them want colour in their flowers,” Skaff said.

FORCES OF NATURE

The Style: Forces of Nature is about connecting to the earth. If the wedding is held in a rustic setting (a barn or an orchard, for instance), it nods to the couple’s desire to celebrate all things natural. Mason jars, burlap, and wood appear prominently in the table settings and décor. Reusable and recyclable materials also play a big part in the festivities.

The Bride: “Millennial brides are very aware of natural elements,” Skaff said.

“They probably garden and love going green.” This is your Earth Goddess bride who eschews a veil in favour of a flower crown and wears a simple gown possibly with ballet flats or bare feet. She may show up to the consultation in jeans and a t-shirt and natural hair and makeup, as though she’s just come from the farmer’s market.

The Flowers: “These cascades have a three-dimensional aesthetic,” Skaff said.

The Forces of Nature cascade is less fussy than the other styles, but it can still feature large blooms and greenery that make a big statement, such as garden roses, jasmine vines, grape vines, berries, succulents, and Maidenhair fern. Nature is big and dynamic, so the cascade needs to communicate that too.

INTO THE JUNGLE

The Style: This territory blends the fashion-forward qualities of French

Connection with the untamed primal vibe of Forces of Nature. This style often suits a destination wedding on a beach or an exotic locale. If the bride wants décor with a bold use of colour, this aesthetic may be a great fit.

The Bride: “Fashion is driving a lot of floral design trends and this one is no exception,” Skaff said. He points to the popularity of animal and jungle prints in clothing and accessories as indication of fashion’s influence on floral design. “This bride loves colour and she’s confident,” he said. “The value of the flower means something to her.” If the bride arrives for her consultation wearing vivid colours and a scarf with a leopard print, a tropicalthemed cascade may be perfect for her.

Her dress may feature an atypical cut or an exotic accent, as well.

The Flowers: “Tropical flowers are hardy and unique,” Skaff said, describing the current cascade as a hybrid of the handtied bouquet with flowing elements.

“The flowing material interrupts the roundness,” he said. Tiger lilies, callas, orchids, proteas, and anthuriums are excellent choices for these bouquets.

MODERN WONDER

The Style: “Modern style meshes with historic Asian elements and Art-Deco furnishings and accessories,” Skaff said. The venue may be a distillery or a reclaimed industrial space. The décor has clean lines, chrome, glass, black lacquer.

The Bride: “The chic and sophisticated bride knows what she wants,” Skaff said.

This bride will present herself fashionably but with classic rather than trendy pieces.

She may combine vintage pieces with modern elements (think: a Harrisville tweed jacket with an Apple watch).

Her dress will make a statement while remaining understated.

The Flowers: Crescent cascading bouquets work extremely well here and provide the bride with a modern style.

Orchids, Gloriosa lilies, lotus pods, astilbe, and callas go well with this style. Arm bouquets do as well. “A modern muff would look great,” Skaff said.

“Cascade bouquets can extend the length and height of a bride, whether the cascade is short or long,” Skaff said. The shape provides movement, “which brides love,” and assorted flowers, foliages, berries, and branches add texture.

Cascade bouquets test designers’ skills more than hand-tied bouquets, so investing in staff training will be important to capture a piece of this growing market. “A skilled florist can make all the difference in making the bride’s dream wedding come true,” Skaff said. “Artistry is required to create these extraordinary bouquets.”

Michelle Brisebois is a freelance writer in Niagara on the Lake, Ontario. She has strategic marketing expertise in retailing, ecommerce, and brand positioning.

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Setting the

By Mackenzie Nichols

A soon-to-be bride arrives for her appointment at Tiger Lily Florist in Charleston, South Carolina. As soon as she walks in the consultation room, she marvels at the table linens, and says that’s the desired palette for her upcoming fall wedding. She then gestures to the focal piece of the room: a homemade arch draped with champagne organza linen and adorned with silk greenery and wisteria blooms. She says that she wants this exact piece in her wedding.

PHOTOS BY GAYLA HARVEY

Stage This exchange is just what Gayla Harvey, Tiger Lily’s wedding designer and coordinator, dreams of—and carefully orchestrates—during a consultation. The room should inspire brides to develop and fine-tune their vision for their ceremony and reception, bringing their Pinterest pages to life. The experience is what is most important to Harvey: making sure brides are in a comfortable environment as they choose the florals for their wedding.

“It starts from the front door, where the staff greets them,” Harvey said. “They pass through the hallway, the ‘Tiger Lily Hall of Fame’ with framed articles and photos of past events.”

From there, clients see a room at the end of the hallway with an arch, a decorated a white couch, a small wooden table, and a square consultation table. They gaze around the room, admiring the textures, motion, and attention to detail.

To the left of the space, windows overlook the production room where designers make arrangements; to the right of the room, visitors can look out onto the streets of Charleston.

Harvey is methodical when making choices for the space.

The consultation table is the size of typical guest tables featured at events. Harvey places linens embroidered with “Bride” and “Groom” on the back of two chairs. They face the wall of hard goods and containers displayed so clients can easily see all of Tiger Lily’s inventory. Fishing and motorcycle magazines are hidden in the drawer of a brown

wooden coffee table, for the groom to peruse during the consultation.

The wall and linen colours remain neutral to help complement every bride’s colour preference.

“We [at Tiger Lily] try to not be too trendy and instead are more of an institution,” Harvey said. “It is subtle and classic, and the colours of the room go with any bride: the pink bride, the purple bride, the yellow bride.”

When Harvey is away from her office, she provides walk-in clients folders, which include standardized pricings, brief descriptions of the services she offers, photos of past events, and a form for contact information. These folders open the dialogue with the client and help Harvey personalize the room pre-consultation.

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PHOTOS BY GAYLA HARVEY

ols When discussing the bride’s bouquet, Harvey makes sure she has silk models to represent sizing and proportion, and a standing mirror next to the wall of hard goods, so the bride can see herself with the bouquet. She also has hardcover books that exclusively feature Tiger Lily photos for clients to get inspired by the work of TL designers.

“When they size [the bouquet] up, that’s when they get excited and Mom takes a photo,” Harvey said. “The mirror is for them. I do it because I think they need it.”

Wedding planners also use the consultation room, which has helped Harvey build lasting business relationships. When planners ask to stay in the room after the meeting, Harvey agrees, and the room acts as a comfortable venue for clients and planners to finalize their vision.

It starts from the front door…

-Gayla Harvey

Harvey frequently changes the linens and focal piece in her consultation room to keep things fresh. Her latest idea is to get a French provincial style dresser to act as a photo backdrop for future wedding designs and to use as a possible rental item (just like the arch).

During this particular consultation, Harvey sits with her computer and finalizes a copy of the proposal on Excel. The bride says she wants rose gold votives, and Harvey immediately retrieves two from her wall of hard goods. The client wants simplicity for her centrepieces, and Harvey recommends small bud vases down the center of the head table and grabs them from a shelf.

Harvey displays fabric swatches from a binder just as her client suggests that she wants the same fabric that drapes from the arch.

“My goal is to create a proposal and have a deposit down that day,” Harvey said. “I want them to see it, touch it, and feel it.”

Mackenize Nichols is a floral designer at Tiger Lily Florist in Charleston, South Carolina.

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Humour and Social Media: A Guide

by Rachel Levy Sarfin

Laughter might be the best medicine, but what one person might find funny, another person won’t. The ability to navigate that very fine line is what distinguishes some brands’ marketing tactics. Of course, there have been some famous flubs, but that doesn’t mean that you should avoid going for a laugh. Read on to learn some dos and don’ts for injecting humour into social media posts.

Don’t…

Take Yourself Too Seriously Taco Bell is known for its funny social media posts. Thousands of people follow its social media accounts because they know they’ll always get at least a chuckle when the fast food chain pops up in their feeds.

What’s Taco Bell’s secret? It doesn’t take itself too seriously. One popular Facebook post featured a bunch of tacos, drinks, and packages of sauce. It was captioned “Family portrait.”

Taco Bell’s attempts at humour come across as spontaneous and almost effortless. You get the impression that the brand’s social media marketing team doesn’t stress in an effort to get laughs.

Do…

Stay True to Your Brand Identity Another popular brand to follow on social media is Old Spice, the men’s line of grooming products. Like Taco Bell, Old Spice’s social media posts generally get lots of giggles.

The brand doesn’t try to make jokes about deodorant or body wash.That’s because Old Spice developed an oversized, laughably macho online persona that, again, doesn’t take himself too seriously. And the company always posts content in that persona’s voice and style, even if the message is not related to anything Old Spice sells. Take, for example, a tweet from November 2015: “Every day is abs day when you’re a snake.” The lesson here is that once you’ve developed a brand identity, everything you post should be in line with it.

franchise of using frozen beef (when it claims not to). Wendy’s fired back with a not-so-subtle dig at the tweeter’s intelligence. The exchange of tweets was so out of character for the brand that Wendy’s had to reassure its followers it hadn’t been hacked.

Wendy’s snarky tweets changed the way people perceive the brand. As a result, it’s now seen as edgier and bolder. However, Wendy’s never crossed the line of being insulting or mean.

While it hinted that the Twitter user accusing the company of lying wasn’t the brightest, Wendy’s never came out and called him a name (stupid or worse)—as is so pervasive on Twitter these days.

The takeaway is that you shouldn’t be afraid to channel your inner comic, but there are a few best practices to keep in mind. If you’re not already using much humour online already, be prepared for a surprised reaction from followers. Don’t let that sway you from being funny. Stick with it, so long as you don’t engage in any cruel behavior.

During the last few days of 2016 and the beginning of 2017, the burger chain Wendy’s made waves on social media for breaking with its wholesome, noncontroversial, and safe image. A Twitter follower accused the

Don’t…

Try to Make Death or Tragedies Funny Actress Carrie Fisher passed away at the end of 2016. Her most famous role was Princess Leia in the “Star Wars” movies. In the first film of the franchise, Fisher wore her hair in two enormous buns on either side of her head. To mark Fisher’s passing, the cinnamon bun chain Cinnabon tweeted a picture of Princess Leia in profile, superimposed with cinnamon buns and this message: RIP Carrie Fisher, you’ll always have the best buns in the galaxy.

Do…

Stay Current In a February 2017 tweet to remind students to submit their federal financial aid forms, the US Federal Student Aid Office incorporated an animated .GIF of a triumphant Lady Many in the Twittersphere thought the post was in poor taste. They believed Cinnabon was trying to make money off of Fisher’s death. The company deleted the tweet, but not before attracting a great deal of ire and unwanted attention. Here’s the moral of the story: it might make sense to acknowledge a celebrity passing, but don’t try to get a laugh from it.

Don’t…

Be Afraid to Break out of Your Comfort Zone (But DO Keep It Appropriate)

This tweet played up an event that many people had just seen and it included a video, which is quite popular nowadays. Circling back on our aforementioned list of dos: the federal agency made sure the tweet wasn’t offensive, couldn’t be misinterpreted, and fit in with its core mission.

Gaga concluding her Super Bowl halftime performance above the following message: When you hit “Submit” on your FAFSA. #DropTheMic Hundreds of people liked the tweet and shared it.

Using humour can endear you to customers … when you utilize it correctly. Keep in mind the best practices mentioned above, and your followers will be laughing with you, not at you.

Rachel Levy Sarfin

is a Toronto-based freelancer who has written about technology for a variety of publications and blogs.

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Learn to grow

PROFITABLY

Join us May 29th for the Canadian Florist Business Forum FEATURING:

Derrick Myers, PFCI, CPA, CFP-VP

Ryan O’Neil, Founder of Twisted Willow Design and StemCounter.com The conference will be held at the lovely Universal EventSpace, 6250 Highway 7, Vaughan, ON L4H 4G3.

Register online at CanadianFloristMag.com/business-forum May/June 2017 | CANADIAN Florist 17

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Matrimonial Masterpieces

design

This issue’s designs come from Melissa Beer, owner of Something Blue Floral Design in Prince George, British Columbia

PHOTO BY NOVA MARKINA PHOTOGRAPHY

Beer grew up around flowers in her Nana’s garden and always kept a vase of fresh blooms in her room. In 2005, she graduated from the horticulture program at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario. After that, she honed her own style while freelancing at local shops. While planning her own wedding in 2011, her business — Something Blue Floral Design — got its start; four years later it flourished into a full-time wedding and event studio. Beer belongs to Chapel Designers, an international design collective that mentors, supports and educates. Her collaboration with other local wedding vendors has landed her work on several industry blogs.

Product: anemones, dahlias, scabiosa, spray roses, ‘Quicksand’ roses, lisianthus, stock, ruscus, eucalyptus, plumosa, hand-dyed silk ribbon from Stella & Wolfe

PHOTO BY NOVA MARKINA PHOTOGRAPHY

“This was for a small intimate wedding,” Beer said. “The bride wanted a romantic, showy bouquet. I used Holly Heider Chapple’s bouquet technique to create the shape and style.”

Product: spray roses, thyptomene, parvi eucalyptus, ‘Quicksand’ roses “For this fairytale wedding, the bride wanted her flower girl to feel like a princess, so we added lots of ribbon tails to a long stem rose to serve as her wand,” Beer said. “Her flower crown uses symmetrically wired spray rose blooms interchanged with thryptomene and parvi eucalyptus.”

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Product: anemones, ranunculus, lisianthus, skimmia, ‘Mondial’ roses, astrantia, leucadendron, ruscus, pittosporum tenuifolium, ruscus, dusty miller, handdyed silk ribbon from Stella & Wolfe “The bride requested an ‘organic’ look. Again, I used the Holly Heider Chapple design technique that I learned during a 2015 workshop,” Beer said.

PHOTO BY LIVE TO LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY

Product: hydrangea, ‘Mondial’ roses, spray roses, curly willow, ruscus, sprengeri, plumosa “This couple had a clear vision that included lots of greenery. The challenge was suspending the floral structure above the head table inside a pole tent,” Beer said. “I used an armature constructed of curly willow at the base for the design, which kept it lightweight.

We attached it to a secure tension wire before adding the hanging tea lights.”

PHOTO BY STARFISH AND COFFEE PHOTOGRAPHY

Product: monstera, aspidistra, calathea, dracaena, hypericum “This wedding was one of my favourites! We used OASIS raquettes along the table top and OASIS netted garland over the ends for this runner,” Beer said. “It added up to 175 feet of tropical foliage! We incorporated the gold accents by spraying the hypericum with Design Master 24KT Gold.”

PHOTO BY THE COMMON CREATIVE

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Product: ruscus, sprengeri, plumosa “We added greenery to the bride and groom’s chairs for a little extra interest,” Beer said. “These designs complemented the floral chandelier and garlands layered on the tables.”

PHOTO BY STARFISH AND COFFEE PHOTOGRAPHY

Product: spray roses, ‘Moon’ series PHOTO BY mini carnations, delphinium, caspia, NOVA MARKINA mixed ruscus, Oasis rustic wire PHOTOGRAPHY “This wedding was inspired by a watercolour painting. The bride wanted colours that blended together seamlessly,” Beer said.

“She envisioned each one of her 11 bridesmaids opening their individual flower crown as a gift.

The vision of the bohemian beauties is stunning!”

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Product: spray roses, ‘Finesse’ roses, ranunculus, stock, caspia, ivy, eucalyptus “This was another piece from the ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ themed wedding.

We brightened the reception space with a mix of retro tones,” Beer said.

“We used an OASIS raquette that fit inside the drawer of their sweet table for the base.”

PHOTO BY RAW FOOTAGE PHOTOGRAPHY

Product: assorted roses, stock, agonis, copper beech, baby’s breath “When the couple started the consultation by telling me their inspiration was the poster for the movie ‘Moonrise Kingdom,’ I was hooked!” Beer said. “We used a soft blush palette to give the ceremony a feminine feel, which we complemented with rich, copper beech leaves and filler sprayed with Design Master Rose Gold.”

PHOTO BY RAW FOOTAGE PHOTOGRAPHY

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Canadian Flowers for Canadian Brides

By Christine March

Are you ready for “the Season” — that crazy period between May and October when you’re inundated with happy (but somewhat frazzled) couples.

In all the discussions about designs, colours, and blooms, have the words “sustainable,” “local,” and “organic” entered the conversation? If not, be prepared; they soon will. The “seed to centrepiece” movement is on the rise and will surely shake up the way you do business.

We know Canadian florists depend on a few major sources for their blooms: imports from South America and Europe, and greenhouse growers. In Ontario, more than 250 greenhouse growers supply the Canadian market with locally grown cut flowers and potted plants throughout the year. Imports and greenhouse-grown flowers play a vital role in sustaining a vibrant retail floral design industry. They provide consumers access to a wide variety of stunning flowers, whatever the season.

In 2016, Adele Hinkley and her sister-in-law, Jen Laughlin, assumed management of Mary Clark Flowers, a retail institution since the 1950’s in British Columbia’s beautiful Fraser Valley. Hinkley and Laughlin quickly relocated the business from a Chilliwack mall to the farmlands of Rosedale, a short drive east. Moving deeper into farming territory helped them evolve their holistic approach to floristry. The ladies grow much of their own product, and what they don’t grow, they try to source from local farmers. Their design style is grounded in traditional techniques while drawing inspiration from farm life and nature's woodland beauty.

Sas Long is a farmer-florist in bucolic Prince Edward County, Ontario. About seven years ago, Long ditched life in the big city to pursue her dream of running a flower farm. Today that farm, FloraLora, is a leader in the farmer-florist movement. Visitors can purchase her flowers at the farm or online. She also sells at farmers’ markets, including the ever-popular Toronto Flower Market, as well as directly to retail florists who covet her high quality, sustainably grown flowers.

Long is a floral trailblazer who is disrupting the world of retail floristry. And she’s not alone.

There are dozens of farmer-florists across the country, and the number grows with each passing season.

HARRISFLOWERFARM

But nipping at their buds is an emerging sector: Canadian farmers with fieldgrown products appealing to customers who prize sustainability and local flowers.

Let’s meet a few of those growers.

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Janis Harris watches that growth very closely in her role as the Canadian representative for the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers, a U.S. organization that now boasts upwards of 60 Canadian members. Harris and her husband Mark were traditional farmers, and only started growing flowers on their St. Thomas, Ontario farm as a sideline about nine years ago.

Today cut flowers are their main crop. Like many growers, the Harrises also offer a design service to their clients. Harris says brides are looking for something different and appreciate the seasonality of locally grown blooms. They understand that peonies in September in Canada don’t make sense and prefer to work with the natural rhythms of the calendar. This philosophy aligns quite nicely with the flowing, slightly wild style currently dominating wedding flower trends.

Every movement needs a leader and many cut flower farmers look to Erin Benzakein of Floret Flower Farm in Washington for inspiration. In her beautiful new book, Floret Farm’s Cut Flower Garden, Benzakein equates the growing demand for local flowers with the local food movement. “Food lovers have eagerly embraced the practice of eating what’s in season, and many of the world’s most respected chefs base their menus on the freshest regional ingredients they can find, with the knowledge that produce flown in from thousands of miles away, at the wrong time of year, pales in comparison to perfectly ripe treasures picked nearby, at their peak,” she writes.

MARY-CLARKFLOWERS

HARRISFLOWERFARM

Many believe the local flower movement is where the local food movement was ten years ago. However you measure such trends, it seems we are on the crest of an exciting floral wave. Life is cyclical. And the cycle of sourcing beautiful blooms for weddings is looping back to where it all began: to local growers providing beautiful, seasonal flowers harvested at their peak, fresh from the farm.

Today’s savvy, environmentally aware couple is forcing designers to expand their floral worldview by bringing it closer to home. Clients will question the value of flying in flowers from thousands of miles away when local flowers are readily available. They will expect you to source and work within your local eco-system. There are many reasons to support the farmer-growers. Locally grown flowers are as beautiful as anything flown in from South America. Supporting local economies while reducing the environmental impacts that are unavoidable with imported flowers are two more excellent reasons. From a business owner perspective, maybe the best reason to support the farmer-florist movement is the positive impact on your bottom line. Local flowers are long lasting and cost-effective blooms that will appeal to value-conscious millennials. And winning the support and loyalty of millennials may be the secret to long term business success for retail florists. According to Esther de Waard of the Flower Council of Holland, millennials “want to connect with a brand and tend to bind themselves for the long term to a brand that conveys values that reflect their personal values.”

The shake-up is coming. Will you be ready?

Many believe the local flower movement is where the local food movement was ten years ago DAHLIA MAY CENTRE PIECE

Christine March, a wedding planner, Master Gardener and former florist, is the founder of The Canadian Flower Guild, an organization dedicated to celebrating the farmers who toil in the soil to bring Canadian field-grown blooms to market.

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IS YOUR SHOP RUNNING BACKWARDS?

By Tim Huckabee, FSC

That may seem like a weird question but your answer will have a HUGE impact on every sale, from servicing the customer who pops in for a quick bouquet to selling the most lavish wedding!

Most of the 5,000 shops I have visited over the past 20 years have been running their sales backward, meaning that they let sales drive design. That approach, dear readers, is almost a guarantee that you’re working harder and earning less than you deserve.

The correct approach, which I will explore below, is to have design drive sales. In other words: sell what you have!

In my webinars and workshops I draw parallels between the restaurant business and the floral industry to demonstrate the “right” way to sell. Think about what the two industries have in common: perishable product, impatient customers, and a handcrafted, customized presentation. But that’s where the similarities end because, when it comes to the sales process, restaurants do a fabulous job selling what they have in the kitchen. When was the last time your server said, “Don’t bother with that menu, we’ll make whatever you want!” Nope, doesn’t happen. They sell what they have available—and they push what they need to move out before the ingredients expire.

Picture this scenario. I’m in a restaurant and the waiter asks the backwards question, “What would like us to make?” I respond, “I’m really in the mood for a unicorn burger!” What would happen? After some probable chuckling, the server would have to say, “Sorry we can’t do that. Can I offer you something else?” And I would be disappointed. However, if the server started the conversation with, “Today we have this phenomenal Kobe beef burger topped with

bleu cheese,” I would probably jump at it and end up a happy customer. Are you starting to catch my drift on this?

Rethink the Big Question I make regular test calls to shops across Canada and almost without fail I am asked, “And what kind of flowers would you like in the arrangement?” To illustrate the nonsensical nature of this approach, I respond, “Lilly of the valley, please!” You can imagine the sales person’s flummoxed tone after hearing that!

“What flowers would you like?” is a dangerous question. Most customers—males in particular—will have no clue how to answer, but what if one says, “My wife really loves purple irises.” Guess how many purple irises are in the cooler. Exactly none! Now you have to call your wholesaler and pay a premium for that one bunch of flowers and potentially a delivery fee. It doesn’t stop there. You have to take time to process and hydrate the flowers and you will probably only use a few stems to fill that order, leaving the other blossoms to languish in the cooler.

Furthermore, you run the risk of holding up your other deliveries as you wait on those irises the next morning. You get it? You’re causing too much work. Instead, sell what you have. Let what’s in your cooler drive sales. Tell your customers what looks great or ask them about a favourite colour, not flower.

Sell Smarter Think about what restaurants do. Servers know about specials and out-of-stock items before they engage customers. Florists need to follow suit. I was taught a long time ago to keep an eye on what’s in the cooler and what’s going on in the design room over

the course of the day. That way, without checking, I could easily tell a customer, “We’re featuring garden flowers in bright spring colours” or “Many of our designs today include garden flowers such as roses, lilies and snapdragons.” Three was the magic number when it came to naming flowers: three flowers gave customers enough of a sample to satisfy their curiosity without offering a laundry list of every blossom and foliage.

Don’t sell backwards anymore. Let design drive sales and you’ll have easier orders, fewer complaints and bigger profits. I promise.

Therearelotsofeducationalopportunities available on floralstrategies.com.

Save 10% off any pre-recorded or future webinar workshop by using coupon code CF17 at checkout!

Tim Huckabee, AIFSE, was born, raised and educated in Connecticut and moved to New York City in 1993 to start working at a high-end flower shop called Surroundings, where he learned every aspect of the flower business such as handling telephone sales and customer service issues and dealing with walk-in customers. In his frequent conversations with florists, he realized there was a dire lack of sales and service education in the industry. That motivated him, in 1997, to launch, FloralStrategies, a company that trains florists in sales, customer service, and how to get the most out of their POS system.

He visits 250 shops annually, hosts a monthly webinar series, speaks at floral conventions, and writes a monthly column for the Society of American Florists.

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SAY ‘I DO’ TO PROPER PREP FOR WEDDING FLOWERS

cARE & HANDLING

By Gay Smith

I hear it time and again: wedding flowers only have to last one day, so why bother with all the care and handling processes? If this mindset applies to you, I implore you to reconsider!

Every shop owner and wholesaler has at least one horror story with wedding bloopers.

Was it watching the foam base break apart when you set up the altar flowers? Or the time a bug crawled out of blooms topping the cake as the happy couple leaned in for a photo? Maybe it was when an unexpected temperature spike caused hydrangeas bouquets to flop before the ceremony even began.

Wedding work is not for sissies. Profits depend on all systems working in sync.

Before the season revs into full steam, take time to polish your handling protocols, check equipment, and train employees.

Efficiency matters.

When it comes to flower quality, there’s nothing more basic than temperature. Are both the back stock and tropical coolers in good operating condition? Temperature, humidity, and airflow are critical factors in maintaining freshness and longevity of flowers. When your orders arrive, move boxes directly into the cooler. Stack product on pallets rather than the floor so cold air can flow under and around them. Get deliveries from FedEx? Pop the box lids to get heat out quickly.

Check cooler efficiency by verifying that the actual temperature matches what’s indicated on the wall thermometer. Using a simple needle kitchen thermometer that measures as cold as 0C, take the temperature of a cooler bucket first thing daily. Record results on a simple chart and look for unusual fluctuations. Schedule regular compressor cleanings to remove dust from units. Ask the technician to check relative humidity, too.

The humidity range for flowers is between 85 to 95 percent, with low airflow velocity.

Set point for back stock coolers is 1.5 to 4C. Tropical cooler set point is 10C. Temperature is only one consideration affecting flower quality. There’s also “sneaky Pete” a.k.a. ethylene: the odourless, colourless, naturally occurring gas that is deadly, even in minute amounts, to some flowers, blooming plants and cut foliage. It is a by-product of auto exhaust, smoke, rotting

trash, fruits, and some veggies. Always keep flowers separate from food. Work clean, prohibit smoking in delivery vans, and maintain active air movement in loading areas. Some highly sensitive flowers include orchids, aconitum, sweet peas, delphinium, and wax flower. Herbs are sensitive, too.

Marjoram, mint, parsley, and oregano suffer leaf yellowing and abscission when exposed to ethylene. Ethylene causes blooms on kalanchoe, begonia and Christmas cactus to fall off.

No article on flower handling is complete without mentioning sanitation. Remember: our product is highly perishable. Clean and sharp knives are a given, but what about tables, choppers, cutters, mops, and brooms? Prepare a spray bottle of readyto-use floral cleaner for tables and chopper blades. Spray surfaces at least two to three times daily to prevent cross-contamination.

If using a floral cleaner, there’s no need to wipe surfaces dry—just spray and go. A dip jar of ready-to-use cleaner for knives and cutters reduces the spread of bacteria.

This is key because, once bacteria enters a stem, it stays there, plugging up the delicate plumbing system. On bucket washing day, let mops soak for 10 minutes before tossing the cleaning solution. Keep in mind that Botrytis fungal spores are air borne. Sweep floors and empty trashcans throughout the day to get rid of rotting green bits (a source of ethylene) and to prevent spores from floating around the room. Don’t neglect your drains—another haven for germs and disease to develop. Clean them regularly and attach hose nozzles up off the drain floor.

Implement game rules on solution use to eliminate confusion and ensure consistency.

Using proven manufactured solutions makes good business sense since consumers equate quality with longevity. (For all you know, the bride’s friends and family may intend to take flowers home after the reception!) Prepare solutions in clean buckets with cold water (1 to 2C) and measure to get the dosage right. Guessing wastes time and money and gives less than optimal results. Never pour old bucket solutions together when consolidating products. Never add ice; it dilutes the solution. Illustrations are worth a thousand words, so mark each bucket with the correct fill level and amount of floral concentrate needed. Print and post this info all over the design room to eliminate confusion.

running dry at crunch time. Include hydration products, bulb flower food, holding solutions, gerbera pills, bud-opening solutions, finishing sprays and leaf shine on the list. Wondering when to order wedding flowers? Any wholesaler will tell you that it is impossible to do it too far in advance. Expect Murphy’s Law when it comes to product availability, as all kinds of events—weather, natural disasters, and political standoffs—can mess up production and transportation.

(Remember Eyjafjallajökull, the volcano that erupted in Iceland and its lingering ash grounded eastbound flights from Europe for several days during prom season? Who would have seen THAT coming?)

Giving your suppliers ample notice greatly increases your chance for successful procurement. How about selecting a delivery date?

That depends on flower type. Plan accordingly. Lilies and blooming branches are slow opening, so they require four to six days at room temperature before buds will start to crack.

With planning and good systems in place, a profitable wedding season awaits. Ready, set, go!

Gay Smith is technical consulting manager for Chrysal USA.

FLOWER SPECIFIC STRATEGIES Hydrangeas

Gardenias

Always cut above old (brown) wood; only green stem wood can draw water.

Keep hands wet (use bottled water) while handling gardenias. Carefully remove blooms from the box, give stems a fresh cut. and float in flower food (also made with bottled water) so blooms are fully hydrated before designs begin. Bottled water prevents petal yellowing.

Hydrangeas love aluminum, so a hydration solution containing aluminum sulfate like Chrysal Professional 1 gives great results.

Roses Allow ample time (12 hours) for blooms to fully hydrate.

After stems are fully hydrated, transfer blooms into a flower food solution to introduce nutrients and sugars. The glucose element in the formula keeps flower balls turgid.

Stephanotis At least 1 hour before using these blooms in design, remove florets from the box, carefully cut the tiny stems, and float in a container containing flower food. To prevent pepper spots on petals, mist the florets with bottled water.

If they arrived dry-packed, give them a first drink of a cold hydration solution.

If your wholesaler already hydrated them, give them a fresh cut and place in a holding solution.

Zinnias Process in water with Chrysal Professional Gerbera pill. Keep in tropical cooler, as zinnias don’t tolerate temperatures colder than 10C. Sweet Peas These blooms are extremely ethylene sensitive and fall apart quickly if not pretreated in the postharvest period.

Ask your supplier for care and handling tips to avoid disappointment.

Lisianthus, Protea and Tuberoses

Peonies Chill the water (1 to 2C) and flower food before placing stems in buckets. This allows stems to fill without blowing open too quickly.

These flowers love sugar and fare best when treated in full load flower foods, the same kind we use to fill vases.

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To Charge or Not to Charge: Making Decisions on Deliveries

By Mark Anderson

Over the last thirty years, most florists have evolved in how they handle delivery charges.

The old mindset believed that delivery was part of what makes the flower buying process so attractive to the customer. Ketchup, salt, vinegar: these condiments make French fries much tastier, and restaurants don’t charge for them. Likewise, for decades flower delivery was free because it added so much value to our core product.

Over the years, we went from that to subsidizing delivery (charging a fee, albeit one less than it cost to provide the service), to charging enough to break even, to turning a profit. And now we’re told that delivery should be very profitable. The argument goes likes this: delivery is a valuable service, one that is expensive to provide, and customers don’t mind it. Rather, they appreciate the value of the service and will cheerfully pay for it.

But the truth is that many people hate delivery charges. Amazon Prime exists (and is so wildly popular) primarily for this very reason.

Amazon recognized that many customers abandoned the checkout process because they did not want to pay a small delivery charge. These customers hated delivery fees so much that they would rather pay a $79 membership fee upfront than a much smaller delivery fee on each purchase. There are many Prime members who spend far more on the membership than they save on delivery fees.

And they do so happily because they’re not confronted by those hated delivery charges.

One size does not fit all. Sure, some customers highly value delivery service and will pay accordingly for it, but others despise

delivery charges and will do anything to avoid them. Pretending everyone falls into the former category is very dangerous. It enables deceptive order gatherers to lure these delivery charge haters with false promises of free delivery and then under fill the arrangement (to make the numbers work), which leaves customers disenchanted with our industry.

So what is the right approach?

INFORMING THE CUSTOMER Some florists believe it is as simple as an explanation. Delivery is a valuable service and providing it is expensive. Just point that out to the customer and everything will be fine, right?

Consider air travel. Between 1995 (well after deregulation had any impact) and 2016, the inflation adjusted cost of flying fell substantially, even after factoring in all of the additional charges (checked bags, headphones, snacks, etc.) introduced over the last decade. In many cases, airfares are cheaper now than they were twenty years ago.

So everyone must love the airlines, right?

Of course not! We resent every single one of those fees, even though the total cost is still lower than it used to be, and we hate the airlines for charging them.

Here’s what happens: When something is free, or heavily subsidized, it becomes an entitlement, and some people will always resent when they have to start paying for it. And as long as there are free delivery options out there, whether it’s from order gatherers or the local pizzeria, there will be people who don’t value delivery.

Telling the customer they’re wrong won't help. Customers are like spouses. They feel what they feel and they know what they know. Telling them they’re wrong rarely changes their mind, and it’s almost always bad for the relationship.

The answer is to use a variable pricing strategy. Customers who don’t mind paying higher fees will have the opportunity to do just that. Those who hate delivery charges won’t have to see them. And in between, there will be options for everyone else.

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CAUSATION, CORRELATION OR COINCIDENCE? Those who have been in the business a while likely remember when they did away with free delivery. They might also recall this roughly coincides with what many believe to be the end of the golden era, as flower sales started to drop.

Can some of that decline be traced back to higher delivery fees? There were certainly other factors: rebates, which ultimately enabled order gatherers; the rise of the call centre; the Internet and online shopping.

But it’s not hard to see some correlation between increased delivery prices and stagnant or declining sales. Maybe, by taking away some of the value of our product and alienating customers who hate delivery charges, we helped things along.

RAISING DELIVERY PRICES So far, we’ve focussed on the customers who resist delivery fees. Now let’s take a look at the ones at the other end of the spectrum. We want to give these customers the option to pay more.

delivery confirmations with all orders, we add value for everyone and people are less likely to complain about the delivery charge.”

Maybe, but there is another way customers can look at that. If they don’t like delivery charges, and/or don’t care about a confirmation, they feel like they’re paying for something they don’t want. This hurts even more.

WEARING DOWN RESISTANCE TO DELIVERY CHARGES Now back to the delivery charge haters.

How do we keep them happy?

You could do the opposite of what is described above and offer less expensive delivery options. People who are serious about saving money will be willing to jump over a hurdle (like placing an order a day or two in advance) to do just that.

Another option is bundling. Fast food restaurants love bundling complementary

The easiest way to do this is by offering premium delivery options (timed delivery, same day delivery, express delivery, etc.).

If the customer wants one of these options, he or she has to pay a premium.

Some florists think “but by including free

It’s the same idea with a bundle that includes delivery. It doesn’t confront customers with a charge they don’t like. Instead, they see just one price that includes everything they need to make a loved one happy.

It’s easy to introduce bundles early in the sale. Casually say, “Would you be interested in one of our weekly specials that includes delivery?” The people who like bundles will ask for details; the people who prefer to shop line-by-line won’t. Another big advantage is that it lowers your “ordering cost,” as your sales person can process the single item very efficiently.

Another option: delivery confirmation.

Charging for these can seem strange to florists, who have typically been brought up in a cost-plus mindset. Delivery confirmations cost you nothing to provide, so why would you charge for them?

Consider the more contemporary (and profitable) “value-based” approach to pricing. Delivery confirmations might not add to your costs, but they do add to the value of your service—and you should charge accordingly. What a customer is willing to pay has nothing to do with your costs and everything to do with the way they perceive the value they are receiving.

no trouble stomaching them as part of the bundle because they aren’t confronted with the fries’ individual price; they really want the burger and soda, and the fries just come with them.

products into “combos” because it is so effective. Study after study shows that, when bundles are available, people buy extra products even when there is no real savings.

The magic of the combo is that it lets customers assign value the way they like. The person who wouldn’t buy fries separately has

You can also go one step further and offer “value” and “premium” bundles. These could include nicer arrangements, a greeting card instead of the standard enclosure card, a coupon for another local business, or delivery confirmation. Note: describing these bundles with words like “value,” “premium,” and “exclusive” gets customers to self-stream according to their true nature.

The loving son looking for a special gift will naturally gravitate to the more expensive (and more profitable) premium bundle.

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delivery” order gatherer, will go straight to the value bundle.

It’s important that you don’t mislead the customer. Don’t say that delivery is free: say it’s “included.”. Bundle savings are generally far less than customers assume: almost always less than 5%, usually closer to 2%. In fact, studies have shown that bundles are so magical that they sell even when they cost more than the sum of their component parts. But that is a very dangerous game to play: anyone who does the math will get upset. Play it safe and keep the price of the bundle lower than the total of included items.

That’s why inserting items that are not sold separately (like coupons and gift cards) is a good idea — it adds and obfuscates value.

But don’t be a slave to your cost-plus formula.

You don’t have to charge the same markup on every component. Use higher markups for things that differentiate premium products.

The markups on the components exclusive to a loaded Toyota Camry far exceed those on the base units. This is one of the most important pricing adjustments you can make.

THE HIGH-LOW MODEL Another way pricing can be used to overcome resistance to delivery fees is with a “high-low” model where the customer pays an up-front fee (the “high” part) to secure future discounts or savings (the “low” part).

One of the best-known examples is Costco, where an upfront annual membership fee secures access to low prices. More relevant is Amazon Prime, which was introduced specifically for people who don’t like paying for delivery. Prime Members pay an annual membership fee to get free shipping.

The upfront fee, in addition to generating revenue, increases loyalty as well as purchase size and frequency. Committed to making the most of their investment, the customer will spend more.

How would this look in the flower business?

Let’s say you have a customer who typically spends $75 on an order (this includes $15 for delivery) and shops four times a year. This comes to a total annual revenue of $300 from this customer.

A high-low package could offer free delivery on any order over $75, if the customer pays an annual fee of $99. Customers who like this kind of deal typically overestimate how much they will take advantage of it. (Health clubs make most of their money from people who would be much better off purchasing day passes.) There is a good chance that the customer won’t actually purchase flowers any more frequently.

In that case, you have still increased revenue by at least 33% – four orders of $75 (flowers only) plus the $99 membership fee. Even if it really costs you $15 to make the delivery, you were able to clear $39 on the membership fee ($99 minus four $15 delivery fees). Your profit is higher, and you were able to fill four larger orders.

If the customer orders 50 percent more arrangements with this plan, you almost double revenue with sales of $549 (six orders of $75 + $99 membership fee).

You are still $9 ahead on your delivery fees ($99 minus six $15 delivery fees), meaning both margin and profit are still up.

If the customer orders more frequently than that, you will start to lose revenue on delivery, but it is likely a good tradeoff. If the customer orders eight times a year, you would increase total revenue by more than 130%, generating sales of $699 (eight orders of $75 each + $99 membership fee) while losing

only $21 in delivery revenue. You have more than doubled sales by providing an effective discount of just under 3%.

POINTS OF CONSIDERATION: This kind of offer should be targeted only to customers with spending patterns, or predicted spending patterns, that will benefit your store.

Florists are typically very kind and generous people, and that can be a problem. If for example a store starts offering free local delivery in exchange for a $99 annual membership fee the temptation is to contact the customers this most benefits: “Mrs. Smith orders flowers every other week – I can’t wait to tell her about this.

She’ll save a fortune!” Helping your customers save money is not your goal. Any money your customers save is money you lose. This offer should be aimed at people who send flowers relatively infrequently.

You also need to be careful that you don’t open up any loopholes that could cost you a fortune. For example, you don’t want a customer who purchases a package for free delivery then sends his girlfriend a single rose every day for a month. Order minimums work well with this model.

Avoid the temptation to offer long-term or “lifetime” deals. Abuse of lifetime memberships in the health club industry led to the introduction of legislation that can apply to such deals and cause more trouble than they’re worth.

The high-low model is very powerful. It plays on the same psychology that makes people spend more on an all you can-eat-buffet or an all-inclusive resort than they would if they paid based on consumption. They’re willing to pay a little extra to not have to think about every drink they order. At the same time, the highlow model won’t appeal to everyone. Don’t expect massive participation for an offer like this.

Mark Anderson is a software developer, small business owner, creator of FloristWare, and an enthusiastic supporter of the floral industry.

3

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LIFE at

WORK

A Case for Vacation

- and Other Tips for Mental Wellness

When is the last time you took a break?

In the floral industry, I am not sure the word break even exists. I admire the drive of florists, their dedication and ability to fulfill the seemingly impossible request at the last minute. It’s magical to watch.

But the whirlwind of excitement, anxiety, frustration, and pride does not come without a price. You may think taking one day off is enough to recharge your batteries and go back to business, but I have a statistic that may make you reconsider.

In Canada, billions of dollars (yes, billions) are spent on dealing with mental health problems in the workplace. Burnouts and breakdowns account for more than 75% of short-term disability claims. To my fellow employers and employees: what is happening here? That is one expensive epidemic! In my own experience, I have witnessed people burn out in the workplace. In fact, I was one of those people.

When a team member waves the white flag, it creates stress for all involved, especially in a small business. Imagine wedding season with one or two fewer on your staff. (Made you cringe, didn’t I?) Whether you’re an owner, manager, designer, sales person, or customer service rep, your role is critical to make the shop function—and your personal wellbeing is a big part of the equation.

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to take stress prevention seriously.

On that note, I would like to share some tips to protect your mental health, as well as your employees’.

MAKE VACATION MANDATORY We all need a break. Believe it or not, for some, the idea of scheduling time away from work is overwhelming. Their bodies and minds are used to being filled with obligations and deadlines. It’s go, go, go day in and day out. But believe me, burnout is always just around the corner when you choose to forego downtime. By making vacation mandatory in your workplace, you set a standard not only for yourself but for your team. It sends a message that yes, mental health is important here and will be enforced.

HAVE AN OPEN-DOOR POLICY As an employer, your door should always be open to your employees. You may feel you have too much on your plate to sit there and listen to seemingly irrelevant information, but it’s important to appreciate that people have a life outside of work. Did you know many of those same people are struggling to keep their work and home life separate? Did you know many of them fail to achieve balance simply because they felt like they couldn’t talk to their boss?

If you don’t have an open-door policy, you’re showing that you don’t care about the wellbeing of your employees. And guess what? Your team will leave you alone, but not in the way you wished they would. They will simply leave you. How do you plan to recover from that kind of turnover? Is it worth not lending an ear? Your employees are investments and you want to get a good return.

So if that means Sally has to let out some tears in your office, let her do that so she can move forward and be productive.

PEACE OF MIND EQUALS PRODUCTIVITY When you nurture an environment that makes the team’s wellbeing a top priority, you will start to notice an improvement in performance and morale. Many of you work in shops that keep you in close quarters. In a lot of cases, you spend more time around the people you work with than your own families. If you don’t want to be part of the aforementioned statistic, be there for your team like you would your own family. Never make someone feel like the need to recharge is some sort of excuse to get out of doing work. If you carry a “suck it up” attitude, I can assure you there will come a time when you will be the one in need of a break and it will be you who needs your team’s compassion.

In closing, there is nothing better than being able to go to work and trust your team. When you have that kind of bond, it makes the everyday challenges of work seem less overwhelming. It makes you excited to come back the next day and do it all over again. It requires a commitment to monitoring your own mental health and supporting your colleagues. That is the kind of work environment I hope alla businesses, big or small, can enjoy.

Cavelle Martin

is a former CSR in the wholesale floral industry who once helped renowned designer Kristine Kratt, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, during a design show. Cavelle is the creator of “Mental Break – In Progress,” a blog she started in 2014 after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, to help fight the stigma against mental illness.

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Intro to Google Analytics: Part 2— Understanding What You See

Ask The SEO

BY: Ryan Freeman

Now that you’ve established an understanding of Google Analytics, it’s time to implement your strategy and get the most out of your data. Easy, right? In truth, with large considerations such as KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and metrics to take into account, simply trying to determine whether your numbers are good or bad can overwhelm you. So, how do you evaluate these figures to know how your ecommerce site is performing?

KPIS: MEASURING SUCCESS Before you get started, you need to identify your website’s aims, and whether they can be classed as macro or micro. Macro objectives centre on general goals, such as getting as many business inquiries as possible, whereas micro objectives are more specific, such as getting visitors to view a gallery of your new line of bouquets. Once you know which angle you want/need to take first, it’s time to address your KPIs.

Choosing which KPIs you pay attention to depends on your goals. For example, if you have a new shop and your website has only been live for a few months, you may want to monitor trends in how people reach your website. The Channels report (under the Acquisitions menu) will let you view and compare traffic from important sources like Search, Social, Referrals, and Direct Traffic. It’s important to remember that your best benchmark is your own history, so worry more about your own growth than about what other websites are doing.

Another KPI that is key to evaluating your data: your page loading times.

You’ll find this under “Site Speed” in your Analytics overview. Intrinsically linked to bounce rate (which we will review more in more detail below),

long loading times turn off customers and likely impact a plethora of your other website stats, including your search engine ranking. You can assume that a slow load means fewer customers: when people are browsing ecommerce sites, they don’t like to wait and will likely turn to your competitors. With more and more people shopping on mobile devices, this becomes more important each day.

METRICS: STAYING ON TARGET

Let’s look at bounce rate as an example of an important metric.

When people click on your site, you want them to stay on your site and move through pages to reach a goal. If they decide not to stay—reasons for which typically include irrelevant content, poor design or slow loading times—then this will appear in your metrics as a “bounce”. The Bounce Rate is a representation of how often a user visits your site and bounces away without interacting with any elements or pages.

100%

100%

0%

0%

100%

100%

0%

0%

Assessing your page viewing numbers is an easy way to identify the good from the bad. While the site-wide bounce rate number is of little use, examining the bounce rate of specific pages can help identify which ones need improvement. You can also identify quality sources of traffic by examining the rate at which they bounce from the site. Sources that send more engaged traffic should be nurtured, while sources of low-quality traffic should receive less emphasis from your marketing work.

CONVERSION METRICS As an ecommerce site owner, you prioritize conversions as an instrumental metric to your business. In other words: more sales are good, declining sales are bad. This makes it all the more important to regularly assess your conversion rate, so you can then identify any problem areas that don’t result in your desired goal.

For example, Mother’s Day is coming up soon. Let’s assume you are offering a 10% off coupon for bouquets for moms that can only be obtained through an email subscription, and have set a goal of getting 100 people to subscribe over the next seven days. However, you notice that you have a fairly low conversion rate for customers subscribing: only 37 people out of 500 website visitors signed up despite your offer. How do you improve this figure?

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The simplest solution is to make minor changes and use metrics to assess how these changes affect your conversion rates. In this scenario, perhaps you look at where the subscription offer is placed on your landing page. Is it a pop-up? Is it noticeable? Is your phrasing clear and concise? Referring to your Analytics, you can monitor your progress as you tweak individual elements and evaluate what works for you. Conversion rates are one of the metrics you can swiftly improve: just keep those website goals at the forefront of your mind when implementing change.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT Knowing which stats you want to see high or low numbers for can be unclear. However, you can evaluate your site by checking Analytics for these statistics: content, traffic sources, visitors, unique visitors, page views, bounce rate (on key pages), and average time on site.

The only time you want to see a low figure within these key metrics is in bounce rate. The same tactic can be applied here as we did for conversion rates: make small changes while continually monitoring your metrics. Wins can be permanently implemented, while dips in percentages can be ruled out for further use.

In summary, while it’s important to assess how positive or negative your Analytics statistics are, keeping your site’s aims at the forefront of your mind is the most important thing to ensure e-commerce success. Tailor your intermediate metric and KPI goals around your primary focus—e.g. making new sales—and use Google Analytics as an accurate way to monitor your business growth.

Ryan Freeman is president of Strider Inc., founder of Florist 2.0, and publisher of Canadian Florist.

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on THE LEVEL with

NEVILLE

TIL DEATH DUE US PART (OR TIL I CAN’T STAND IT ANYMORE!)

by Neville MacKay

My goodness, how times have changed! When I first started in the floral industry and did wedding consultations, I usually got a call from the mother, who would “explain” the needs and wants of the bride, as well as her particular circumstances, should there be any. This included: previous marriages, if she’s had a child or if one was on the way, if she was marrying into a different culture, or if the couple already lived together! I was told these little nuggets so there would be no awkward moments. (Little did they know—as most of you do—that I LIVE for those moments!)

Now, pretty much anything goes and over the years I’ve seen the relaxation and personalization of weddings grow a lot. Gosh, I’ve done big weddings, small weddings, double weddings, same-sex weddings, underwater weddings, naked weddings (no boutonnieres there!), skydiving weddings, hospital weddings, and even a “hurry up, her water broke!” wedding. So not much surprises me anymore!

When having a wedding consultation, be prepared for anything. I’ve had as many as 15 people show up—and I of course sent them away.

Seriously, I’m not putting on a show! I remember a gal with a small baby who promptly started breast feeding said infant as we discussed her wedding. When she said that her 4-month-old would be a flower girl in six months, I asked if they were going to strap her on a skateboard and wheel her down the aisle? (I didn’t get that wedding.) I could tell countless tales of horror and disbelief, but I’m not in therapy or writing a book, so suffice it to say, I’ve seen a lot.

Brides can be a handful sometimes (well, straight ones mostly…lesbians are so great to deal with!), and now with so much information literally at their fingertips, weddings are more and more fussed up than ever for some. Bless them though, what do they know anyway, really? When I get a bride in who is wound up tighter than a $3 watch, I calmly remind her to relax a bit, enjoy the experience, let go of all that she cannot control anyway (like the weather and her dear mother-in-law) and remember that, although the wedding day is a beautiful thing, the next day she will just be a married woman—and there’s nothing special about that! (That smartens them up a bit.)

You are the expert and the person to whom they look for guidance, even when they HAVE to have a certain flower. I remember a dear petal

who wanted all her flowers locally sourced (“organic, if possible”), but she HAD to have peonies—it didn’t matter how they arrived or who had to die to get them. There’s always one (or ten!), right?

Here’s a news flash! People under the age of 30 DID NOT discover succulents, ranunculus, or baby’s breath…just sayin’. Oooooh, and when I hear the word “Pinterest” I get hives! Isn’t that the new “Martha”? I really enjoy looking at the 437 photos they pinned of every variety of anemone, dahlia, or 75 round white bouquets.

L

P

J C

F

Take a deep breath and let them know what will work, what won’t, what’s available, and what things cost. I worked with a lady years ago who took a wedding that needed a bouquet of about 200 lilies of the valley. Well, have any of you priced these little treasures? Even back then, they retailed for $5 each. The bride wound up with bouvardia after all.

Look, we all use buzzwords and expressions to paint a more appealing picture of what we are trying to offer, right? (“Loose and Airy,” “Elegant,” for instance.) What gets me are the words that come out of a bride’s mouth. (“Bespoke!”) Please girl, LOOK IT UP. This simply means “made to order,” so calm yourself with your big words. ALL our bouquets are bespoke. Oh, and so we are all clear on this, “Shabby Chic” is a) SO last season and b) can translate to “Shabby-Cheap”! Unless the wedding is at a cottage, outside, or in a barn, you should leave the mason jars for pickles.

But, hey, that’s just my opinion!

Huge bouquets were the thing ages ago and, unlike my belly, they got smaller over the years. Now, folks are getting back into a cascade style bouquet and even the bouquet holders are being used more than ever!

I’m so pleased about this, as the do-it-yourselfers can’t use these holders as easily as we can. Even tied bouquets are looser and less structured than ever. Some bouquets in magazines look as though you’d shut your eyes, grabbed all you could, and tied them up in a bunch, with whatever landing where it may. Now, THAT’S a shabby look.

T U V

All my best with the upcoming trauma, I mean season, and remember what you offer, so you don’t suggest the same thing the next time around!

Neville MacKay, CAFA, PFCI, WFC, is owner of My Mother’s Bloomers in Halifax, Novia Scotia and a design director with Smithers-Oasis North America. He designed flowers for the 1988 Winter Olympics, as well as a long list of celebrities including Glen Close, Sir Elton John, and members of the British Royal Family. MacKay appears regularly on Canadian TV and travels internationally, giving presentations about the impact of flowers.

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34 CANADIAN Florist | January/February 2017

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Learn to grow

PROFITABLY

Join us May 29th for the Canadian Florist Business Forum FEATURING:

Laura Daluaga, AIFD Exceeding the Design Demands of Today’s Gift Givers Horace Clark, Yelp Growing Business Through Local Customers The conference will be held at the lovely Universal EventSpace, 6250 Highway 7, Vaughan, ON L4H 4G3.

Register online at CanadianFloristMag.com/business-forum CanadianFlorist.indd 35

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Take your ™ business further.

Grow your business and your profits by partnering with the FTD network. Our average retail order values are the highest in the industry, at over $70 and growing.

By purchasing FTD Exclusive containers, quality shops, like yours, can enjoy the benefits of incremental orders.

This is just one of the many reasons why becoming an FTD member today will get you on a path for growth tomorrow.

Visit FTDi.com/ftdadvantage to keep up with the comprehensive ways our partnership takes your business further. If you need anything, call us at 800.788.9000. Š2017 CanadianFlorist.indd 36

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