Florist Business November 2017

Flair Care Deliver

SELL LIKE A START-UP

Actionable advice on using technology to help you sell

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OPINIONS ON SUPERMARKETS

Are they the enemy that many believe them to be?

Q&A WITH PAULA ROONEY he l o

r wedd flor t w th or the t re o flor tr

NOVEMBER 2017

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MEMORABLE MARKETING

Add personality to your rod t d oo t ro t

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WHEN ONLY THE BEST WILL DO

It is our relationships that help us grow. Something we pride ourselves on with both our customers and suppliers.

Wholesale Flowers, Plants & Sundries | Nationwide

Receive 10% Off Your First Order T&C’s apply. Contact hello@floradirect.co.uk for more details

Wholesale Cut Flowers, Plants and Sundries

www.floradirect.co.uk | hello@floradirect.co.uk | 0800 998 9686 FB_Nov.indd 1

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WELCOME Amanda Randell sent us this photo which illustrates the season beautifully. The model’s cloak was made using autumn leaves glued to a velvet base, and her hood was lined with pampas grass. Her crown is made of berries and seeds, created using a Gregor Lersch method, with plant material threaded onto copper wire spokes

MEET THE TEAM

Hannah Dunne d tor hannah.dunne@eljays44.com

Olivia Eden-Brown d tor l t t olivia.edenbrown@eljays44.com

Perri Turner o t er perri.turner@eljays44.com

Tina Savelle le er tina.savelle@eljays44.com

Emily Maltby r l to t emily.maltby@eljays44.com

Jim & Lisa Wilkinson re tor lisa.wilkinson@eljays44.com jim.wilkinson@eljays44.com

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e might be waking up in the dark and wrapping up warm to leave the house, but I know that autumn is the favourite season or flor t e t to l h t there re ll oth l e t r r d re h e tr o flower d th e r we re lo e rl ret r or l e re l o e o o lt or ho e ter o tr de e e t dde l we re ll oo ed w th flower how ll o er the l e he o t o r re d ro e to ee wh t we t o t eed tle e t l o lower wh le d th l lo re ort or ro the le r o r e t l el the t e th e l d o door te we ll h e t rr ed ho e ro the le r how r h d oo we ll e he d to the etherl d or the d o l lor oll d tr de r where h dred o reeder rower d l er et to ether to h re wh t ew e ll e re d the word o t o r ew e o d tr r e d ro ro the world d ho e to r ho e dle o re h ew de d rod t to h re w th o o re o we d lo e to hello o dro e e to let ow h o th we e ter ewed l r wedd flor t l oo e he the t le ted de er eh d o r o er hoto d e wo w th re re h o or t ll ro t he el e e o e ot to e to h oo e to e th e dh e t l to hel e oo t to ellow flor t h e we re re ort ro e e t w th oo le where we le r ed r r o to e el t o le d e or ro o l e le e re l o h to the o e t o e or le r et r el e h wr tte r ol o the to wh le o r tre d re ort l de flor t who do t d ere t w ee o e t o th d do t or et to o e d hello o o r o l ed l t or d t the how

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS EDITORIAL Editor – Hannah Dunne hannah.dunne@eljays44.com Editorial Assistant – Olivia Eden-Brown olivia.edenbrown@eljays44.com ADVERTISING Business Development Manager – Jamie Wilkinson jamie.wilkinson@eljays44.com Account Manager – Perri Turner perri.turner@eljays44.com Sales Manager – Tina Savelle tina.savelle@eljays44.com

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PRODUCTION Production Editor – Charlie Cook charlotte.cook@eljays44.com

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Subeditor – Kate Bennett kate.bennett@eljays44.com Design: Mandy Armstrong CIRCULATION AND DATA Emily Maltby emily.maltby@eljays44.com MANAGEMENT Managing Director – Jim Wilkinson jim.wilkinson@eljays44.com Editorial Director – Lisa Wilkinson lisa.wilkinson@eljays44.com

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18 Eljays44 Ltd

3 Churchill Court, 112 The Street, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 2DA Tel: 01903 777 570 Published by ©Eljays44 Ltd – Connecting Horticulture Printed by Pensord Press Ltd, Gwent, UK The 2017 subscription price for Florist Business is £95.

Subscription records are maintained at Eljays44 Ltd, 3 Churchill Court, 112 The Street, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 3DA, UK. Articles and information contained in this publication are the copyright of Eljays44 Ltd and may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publishers. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for loss of, or damage to, uncommissioned photographs or manuscripts.

Whilst every effort has been made to maintain the integrity of our advertisers, we accept no responsibility for any problem, complaints, or subsequent litigation arising from readers’ responses to advertisements in the magazine. We also wish to emphasise that views expressed by editorial contributors are not necessarily those of the publishers. Reproduction of any part of this magazine is strictly forbidden.

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FLORIST BUSINESS

ContentsNov.indd 4

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NEWS

Our monthly roundup of industry news keeps you informed

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STYLE PROFILES Laura Leong Flower Design and Cyrill Tronchet Florist

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BFA NEWS

Stay in the loop with the latest updates from your association

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TRENDS

Balloons and personal touches are trending this month

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FEEDBACK

Featuring some of your fantastic comments on our magazine

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OUT & ABOUT

Reporting back from Leeds Castle Festival of Flowers and Fleuramour

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MATHS MAGIC

Examining the formulae behind successful flor l rr e e t

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COLOMBIA

How Colombian blooms brightened up Leeds Castle Festival of Flowers

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CONTENTS

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OPINION

DIGITAL MARKETING

Are supermarkets a genuine competitor to de e de t flor t

Everything you need to know to upgrade your online presence

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SEASON SETLIST

PRODUCTS

All the standout stems from Leeds Castle Festival of Flowers

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Add edge to your projects with geometric and glitter products

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SELF-PROMOTION It’s time to stop just selling flower t rt ell yourself

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PEOPLE

e ro le the o t le t and unsung heroes that keep our industry going

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MONTHLY MARKUP How to turn the trend for potted l t to ro t

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LITTLE INTERVIEWS re e t o to the people who make up our industry

Q&A

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We speak to r flor l de er Paula Rooney

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#FLORISTPROBLEMS Letting off some steam about those little niggles that e er flor t e

FLORIST BUSINESS

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NEWS

NEWS ll the latest ro

around the flower industr

FLORAL FUNDAMENTALS EAGER TO INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION FLAMINGO HORTICULTURE ACQUIRES BUTTERS GROUP LTD

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lamingo Horticulture Group, a major supplier of re h flower d rod e to oth the d o t e t l ro e h l ed the to o tter ro td tter ro he d rtered ld ol h re t r o er e r dh ore th t wor ro t flower l t d r er d o

WRITTLE UNIVERSITY LAUNCHES FIRST THREE-YEAR FLORISTRY DEGREE IN THE UK

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r ttle ro e de ree to d rt t ll re l o h hl ht o the ro ter t o

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NewsNov.indd 6

er t olle e o o l lor tr d lor l e e t de t the ro e o l to et the el e rt et t e d d er e d tr e ew o r e w ll e de o tr t o l flor l de er rle o t ll

e re e tre el e ted th to l o d re tor d row e e t o le e t r t to o r e t lt re e d w ll llow to t e orw rd row the l o ort lt re whole tter h o er ted h hl e ll oth the ret l d ho e del er r et de elo tro rt er h w th or h h treet er r et d o tlet h r e er r tro e l o d www.butters.co.uk d el e hort te ro

who w ll e tr ell to r ttle ro r elo to how h de ll d re ew h ew oo o o e er o re er l de to l flor tr d e o tr tor to the ro e o l lor t l d de ellow o the t t te o ro e o l lor t d r ttle er t olle e well re e ted the d tr w th ore th e r o del er flor tr o r e t r e o le el he e t te or the l ht o e w rded er t olle e t t w to del er o r e th t re o d to the d er t d de d w th the d tr he three e r de ree o r e o e o de elo t de t rt t d re t e ll to the h he t ro e o l t d rd d h the t t te o ro e o l lor t red t t o e edded w th t tho e who dert e t ro e o l re o t o www.writtle.ac.uk

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lor l d e t l l t or o er rower d l er d re t o t o w th flor t h ee or hoto hoot to re flor t ro d the world to wor w th h h l t flower ol e d l t t l o o er t ter t o l te o flor tr dor the o ort t to h re the r owled e w th the e t e er t o he l te t lor l d e t l hoto hoot w the d hter o the r rt er o de er r d o wor old l ho e where he re ted de or t e t o t e e t e de th t wo ld e er e t or or or te e e t o old l ottle w th te t t e o woode o rd o t o o l l e ro the o r l ro ol e ro do e d ll d ro or l t r howed th t t o le to re te e t l de th t how e flower d ol e wh le t ll e o er l www.floralfundamentals.com

BUSINESSMAN OPENS CASH AND CARRY CHAIN

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er e o flower h d rr o tlet ro the ott ew h e r e er e e r lt ll o o d hort lt r l e e l o e o the et er r et h ew re o l the o ow er o flower e wh h he rew ro t r o er o to t r o er o t e r lower l t re t ted held o l l h eter oro h o to er d h et t r et o ell te t r t e r he tore to e r e t re old tor e l t re t e ew o ed tel d rther three l ter th e r ro d o the o to o r ed ro the w th other flower d ol e o ro the olo dor e d r el www.flowersandplantsdirect.uk

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POINSETTIA BREEDERS IMPROVE STRENGTH OF PLANTS

NEWS IN BRIEF

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oinsettia breeders in Germany and Holland are ro l t lt d d r lt loo at ways in which these seasonal hybrid heroes can be strengthened to better withstand transportation.

Hybrid poinsettia seedlings have been bred to w th t d the te er t re fl t t o th t o r between shops and homes, ensuring that the plant is able to remain attractive and healthy right through to the end of the Christmas holidays. l t re te ted l ted tr ort conditions, which include reduced light levels and te er t re fl t t o or e er l d the re boxed in darkness and kept at lower temperatures;

the packaging is then removed and the plant is placed on a shelf in standard light levels, with the best plants shortlisted accorded to their performance in these tests. h e r t r or ro e the r et t t e o ded ro e o ett reeder – is also promoting the beauty and longevity of o ett t flower www.starsuniteeurope.eu

THIRD EDITION OF BESTSELLING CUT FLOWER BOOK RELEASED

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e o e ded le d flor tr ro e o l t lower r t l de to the r ele t o and Care’ by Su Whale NDSF FBFA contains straightforward information on how to care for and o d t o re h t flower oth t the flor t ho d the ho e r t l hed th o l r practical book has now been fully revised and expanded for its third reprint. lled w th e to ollow re tr t o flower l l t olo r r e d e l e there re l o t o le rr well or t o o flower t l t or wedd wor he flower re rr ed in the alphabetical order of their botanical names, and the book also features an index of common names d flor l ell o wedd er r e t o l flower d ro e e www.jagopublishing.co.uk

MCQUEENS COLLABORATES WITH MILLER HARRIS LONDON

© Rona Wheeldon, Flowerona

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cQueens created e t d e rde or the launch of Miller Harris London’s two new r r e her o d Tender. The perfumes, which w ll e l hed r were red ott t erl d o el e der the ht d re re h er er Mathieu Nardin and Bertrand Duchaufour’s individual interpretation of the passage: “…She walked on, between kaleidoscopic peonies massed in pink clouds, black and brown tulips and fragile mauve stemmed roses, transparent l e r flower o e t o er w dow tl the her o o olo r o ld re h o rther intensity, it broke off suddenly in mid-air.” www.mcqueens.co.uk

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HOLLY CHAPPLE LAUNCHES NEW PRODUCT RANGE

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r ed flor t oll h le o der o the Chapel Designers collective, has announced the l h o her ow r e o flor t rod t For three years she has been designing and t tor flor t to re te r d l o et d centrepieces using a home-made contraption with a traditional chicken-wire method, which she nicknamed the ‘egg’ or ‘pillow’.

Holly announced in an Instagram post that she will be collaborating with Syndicate Sales – an American sundries company – to launch her new range, which will include eggs, pillows and compote bowls.

She said: “This journey to Syndicate Sales was a lo w d d o et e d lt th t ro the moment I met them I knew I was home and that I had found my tribe. I want to thank Syndicate Sales for believing in me, for supporting small businesses like mine and for being a company I can believe in.”

The new product line will be available from r d o to re e e or t o about the partnership at holly.syndicatesales.com

FLORIST ON THE APPRENTICE With The Apprentice making a return to our ree were e r old flor t l eth e th two flor t e e l o l e ho o the w we re o de t th t she will withstand Lord Sugar’s sharp tongue.

THE FLOWER COUNCIL OF HOLLAND LAUNCHES NEW AD BLOCKER The Flower Council of Holland has released er e o flor l the ed d lo er collectively named ‘The Green Screen’.

The ad blockers are designed to create an online experience that is uplifting, inspiring d flower lled ARENA FLOWERS LAUNCHES LETTERBOX FLOWERS re lower o l e flower o h l hed ew letter o flower er e w th rod t de ed to t tr ht thro h letterboxes for easy delivery.

VALUE OF COLOMBIAN FLOWER EXPORTS TO INCREASE BY 8% le o olo flower o ld e worth $1.4bn this year, an increase of around 8% on last year; the United States is Colombia’s main r et ollowed ro e d RADIO 4 TALKS HOUSEPLANTS The BBC’s You and Yours consumer affairs programme that was broadcast on 7 September looked at millennials’ increasing interest in succulents and cacti.

WIM HAZELAAR TROPHY PARTICIPANTS ANNOUNCED The 12 participants in this e r el r competition will be arriving at the tr de r h e the Netherlands, from several different countries – including e r ro t d 71% OF CONSUMERS MORE LIKELY TO BUY FROM A NAME THEY RECOGNISE onbuy.com conducted a survey that revealed the importance of branding and consumer loyalty, as well as showing how consumers respond to a rebrand.

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THE BRITISH FLORIST A S S O C I AT I O N An update from your trade association

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The National Finals of the WorldSkills UK Floristry Competition, where the best of best compete at the highest level, will take place at the NEC Birmingham on 16-17 November 2017. The Skills Show is the largest skills apprenticeships and career event in the country, and the competitions give you the chance to witness the exceptional talent coming through. e w h ll o o r flor tr o et tor e er e the re te the r e de wh h w ll e the ed ro d h te o t re h o how he w ll e floor t d rr e e t or the o er o h o how flor l h to e wor odel o the tw l d w red r d l de to e rr ed odel t the le o h o how l two r r e te ot an easy task! ll the o et tor h e ee ted to ree tr wee e d to er w th r eo d d we ded the r t h lor t o to d o ored lor rt d flor to hel the re re or th e e t

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he e t e er h dred of pounds every year with discounted rates, and gets you networking at numerous e e t thro ho t the e r l d lor t et o ether hel e r to o r l r e tr de o ere e o d the tr de how le r

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@stockflorist We think you’re doing rett d r well flor t e dow t t et etter @snapdragonedinburgh t re d e ood re t rt le d lo e th t t r ted d ot t o l e h o Hannah achael th h o o h or r hte letter o w th o r lo r t o de d tho ht ro o rt le re ll h e e o ed e h e o r d t w t t l the e t o e rr e o t @ liviaWalker flor t ro le the d ed t o o otr e

JOIN THE C O N V E R S AT I O N han ou to wildandcoflowers, or our new a ourite hashtag floristsnew riend e lo e chatting with ou all online co e and sa hello o er on nstagra and witter lorist usiness, or on aceboo lorist usiness ag

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@theflowerhousenorwich rr ed tod th o lot o h t dt asmina okolanska h ood re d th

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@about.flowers.widness ot today having a great read

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am Garner ow rd th re t el wr tte or t e re d d er e tl ed ell do e e @mad lilies oo @michelleannefloristry t re ll re ed

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@missrubyloves he d he w t eet th o or e manda acready e h o

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@flowersby asmine h o flor t e or ree e t o o o r e @leafycouture h o flor t e or e t r wor d word other re t

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17/10/2017 11:51

EVENTS

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OUT ABOUT

LEEDS CASTLE FESTIVAL OF FLOWERS For one week in September, the huge historic grounds of Leeds Castle were transformed into an enchanted floral fairyland by more than florist companies flower schools and organisations hailing from across the globe

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ubbed ‘the loveliest castle in the world’, Leeds tle l flower e t l h row exponentially in recent years. The latest event was er th e er e ore o ored lor l rod t d lower o olo e er tr elled ro r w o o d er t d d t hed tor l ded tele o er o l t e d dor th the tle e t re roo r e floor d w ll were ede ed loo ro e r re t et h ll to the ee throo ed eed tle he d flor t o e oot the e e t how ed re l ro e t o o the flor t d tr Two prizes were awarded at a special preview e e the r t w t tled the o e w rd w th the w er ho e the tele o rde er o l t oe w t e d h r ter w th t t h d to e the o t e t l le d d d re t e d o ed t h de er e ee e the w er e dh rt er t e tr or ed the ro t l w d tle doorw re t re e tr t red t ll t o w th d eter o

30,000 te o flower 700 he o ol e d ere t e e o flower 68 d ere t t e o ol e ll flower d ol e were

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h e woode wre th w r ed ro the ro d tree t d to ed w th flor l o ol e d del h re t the ll o o flo t rde e o d w rd w o ed or the e t ter ret t o o the e t l e h ted tle the e w th th re e ted eed tle tr tee h rd h e e t how the e elle o flor tr d we ho e to e te e ore international,” he said. e e e l e t o to the dr w roo de or ted e d wle d the r l t r e wor ed o r de to he to ot we t to rt or re t tr l e h ted r t le e e the ee edroo d e o del h le t d h th wh h were o ored r r w ted to e t e r tho h the ee h t wo e r l dt r the whole roo to t rde told h roo h t ee tot ll lled w th flower e ore re o e r t h d t d lo e rr e e t o th t e w ted to ee flower e er where wo ld h e lo ed to e

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e e er tree d lo t we e ot to e re ll re l o t the d o ter l th t re ro ht to the tle o ett o e o r t e t lo ed flor t too rt th e r tr or the l r e t roo the tle e r et h ll to e t l r ett or t t d lo e e t th t wo ld e t the h el w rd w o o de er d flor l rt t olo o eo re ted he d d t le rr e e t the ee ller he ed ho d h dr e d to ed w th ed ewood or el tr e et etter olo o h d flow tr ht to the ro tr to h d t w h r t e er e e t eed tle h te l l e he d e l o told th t whe e er wor o er e he tr e to o r e l ter l th t re o l l le where he wor he e h e o r t h ho o e tor e t o ed wh flor t wo ld t e the t e to t e rt d or t l

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or the r t t e th e r the e t l ho ted e l o t de el e tr l wh h led e t tow rd the tle d w r ted the ewl re r ded lower o olo h h l t olo row flower flor t d whole le dor wor ed to ether to re te et o l flor l e wh h e e ro ted t ro olo dor e d o r ll e t re o e to d o t ore

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e t e o le ro e t e t l r h re ll e e t to do d hl o d he d flor t t he or he ter otel e e too ed the tle re t wee t r e l r loo or h d dr ed ro w the o ol e dotted w th to o e ll o ored e er o e e der who r e t ll lower e t d h re her e owled e o r o thl r o e h t e rt the e t l or e r h e r her te re ted e h ted ore t d woodl d thw w th wh te flower r wood o d woodl d ol e he e ed lo ll o or th e e t re l o ort t to how e t flor tr ll to the tho d o tor who tte d o er the wee e d o he ter ed flor t r d e to t h e o t o tho ht to her de wh h dor ed the tle r l t r e re ted w lo red ro e tholo to t the e h ted tle the e he e l ed tholo w were er e ed e e er ro the r world hr t der e l o wrote o t the o the er e ther e re ted were de o t o e ro h oo w lo e red e e ol lore d ree tholo d w the lo o or eed tle o there were lot o o e t o r e ow otto ro o tr et re ted e t re o tdoor de l flower wh le t de t ro dlow olle e de or ted the o rt rd w dow ll d d t tr or ed d ll e dre roo w th e

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to h o her ro t l h h e r hel e lor t o the e r r ell o et l lor t r te o ed the eed tle te to re te de th t w t tled e o e her t re t le t told tor w th le t o tr te det l l d word t l ro h e r t le oo dr w th t flower d h r eed tle h tor te t el the e t l o lower lo o or the flor t ol ed the h e to wor ro d w ll floor o rd d r t re th t worth tho d o o d o e o wh h o ld e e e ore th e r old e o tr t o de e t were held thro ho t the wee w th to de er re e t the r wor there were l o er o tr de e e d o ort t e or lo l flor t w th o or h ro ded lor l rod t d lower o olo

o e oot eed tle lor tr r e ow otto o tr et o ood ood loo hele r ht lower rt rt lor tr ll th o lor l e rol e ller lor tr dlow olle e r olo o eo olo o loe e o ett de o lor l rt

r de to d t lower r ell et l lor t e t ll lower e ee e r e der o er ow hl o d he or he ter otel e d wle e e el r er de o lor tr he e t re o

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17/10/2017 09/10/2017 11:09 10:26

EVENTS All images © Judith Blacklock

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OUT ABOUT FLEURAMOUR

Judith Blacklock reviews this year's Fleuramour in Belgium

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or over 20 years, the National Commandery of Alden Biesen at Bilzen, in Belgium, has played host to Fleuramour, which is now one of the most re t o d e t ow flor l e e t the world. In four days, the grounds of this imposing castle welcome more than 15,000 visitors from just about every country in the world.

Fleuramour is the brainchild of Jomi Hemschoote, who, in 1996, decided to create an event to help publicise a book about Belgian flor tr he h d re e tl l hed th th d he ted flor t ro d ere t rt o Belgium to Alden Biesen, where they would give demonstrations and design exhibits. Some 2,000 Belgians came to see what was happening. Shortly ter o t rted l flor l e or the general public entitled Fleur Créatif and at the next event, 12 months later, he launched his new title.

Every year, Fleuramour gets bigger and better. od o er flower de or te e er or er of the site, from the basement of the main part of the castle to the moat, the stables, the chapel and the grounds. Jomi still takes an active part in Fleuramour, but it is now his son Lieven who is responsible for the day-to-day management.

For 2017 the theme behind the exhibits was ‘Culture’. The organisers were only too aware of the terrorism which affects so many regions of the world, spreading a feeling of great unease. But flower ow o o d r e r ther the te people of all cultures who share a mutual passion for the beauty and happiness they bring. Jomi and Lieven have a genuine desire to unite people under

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flor l rell o the wor to ether friendship. Flowers cross all boundaries and cultures.

Florists came from all over the world to take part, from America, China, Italy, Japan, Russia and, of course, Belgium. flor t how the t e rt Because over 80% of the designers want to return the following year, there are limited vacancies.

Usually 50% of the designers are invited and the remaining places are allocated after all the applications have been submitted. Designers take up to seven days to create their exhibits, with flower th t re o ored the or rower such as Anthura, DecoFresh Roses, Dümmen Orange, Holland Strelitzia and Zentoo. Fleuramour w ll t e l e ro e te er or ore det l t www fle r o r e e re to put these dates for 2018 in your diary, as this must e the o t e t l r t flower how o e rth www.judithblacklock.com

TRENDS AT FLEURAMOUR • • • •

The use of vegetables, such as peas, onions and leeks, to give colour, form, texture and rhythm The introduction of pampas grass as a design element The use of multiple glass or perspex tubes, left unadorned or covered with leaves, wool or cloth The use of huge branches tied together to create impressive structures d er rde flower d olo r l e r le d ore do t th the oranges and yellows of autumn e o er o r w re e h d el l ed etel t d or • The use of other organic material, such as coal and wool he re ter e o ed flower de r ther th tho e o o e r et

FLORIST BUSINESS

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OPINION re su er ar ets a genuine co

etitor to inde endent florists

Helen Chambers NDSF, tutor and consultant, Evolve Flowers Ltd Supermarkets have created increased l t o flower and plants, raised w re e o eth l o r d r l r ed the e e t t o o o er w th the trod t o o r tee th o et t o h r ther de e d o the t e o flor t o re ll o the e positive points and more can be achieved easily by rt de e de t e e lor t who h e tr ded or o e t e w ll e owled e le o te d d l w th fl r or de th r rel o d er r et o tlet re the er r et re o et t o or the lower r ed t o et t or d er to er w t e o e wedd er l and event décor, the supermarkets don’t stand a

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h e he de e de t flor t wor ore tell e tl to re te o t t d er e d re l r h e er e e d lt tel er e w ll w the d ot o ed t w t h the tre o o ort le e er r et tr to de de wh h o et to or the r le t e t l ood flor t o ld w the o er w th o e re r e d to er er e d ro l l o re e the le le o d dow t er e t ore er e r h e flower rt ll where the e d re rdle o whether we re the wee l ro er e t the et e th the r e o l ed h el do l e e r h sites such as Good Florist Guide and Florist Up My treet t ett e er or flor t to t he d d e the o er r t ho e er r et re here to t d w ll o t e to ell flower t the e er re l e the er o l er e d e e o t le ted flor t do t t

Jo Munson, owner, Smith & Munson do t re e er e er ee flower the er r et whe w o d do t remember my mum e er flower e ther he o l flower we h d the ho e h d ee t ro the rde here e lot o o l o t er r et t wh t e o e to re l e th t supermarkets haven’t stolen that sector of the r et the h e re ted t er r et h e de flower wee l o od t l ttle l r th t we w th o r re d d l le th the wer to tr to o th t o h e to t o r flower where eo le w ll ee the d w t to the he e er ee flor t do o ho o t r the ee to do red l well ell o t lower re o l the e or re t d l d w ll fl o the hel e h e ee o e e do the e o l tel d r e o t re d ow lo o to e t ew o t eel thre te ed the supermarkets: enjoy the competition, be creative, e lo d l d hoo e re t ood l t flower

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OPINION

Supermarkets are convenient, and we all love convenience – it is what we all expect now. Can you make yourself more accessible? There are some re t flor t o t there tr h rd d d er into lots of new things. Competition is healthy, rr de w h o ll lot o h flower selling times and a great future. Supermarkets o ete w th ll e tor ot t flower t interesting subject and something that we could discuss for hours, even days! ip ensley owner ip ensley lowers I don’t think this is as worrying a situation as most people make it out to be; supermarkets are strong in some ways, but weak in others. Yes, they cream off some of the e le o flower or rthd d e l events. I think we could all learn a lesson from this, tho h ed h o flower ro supermarket is easy, parking is free, bouquets are ready made and quick to buy, and most budgets are catered for.

I can only speak from my experience in my re d th t flor t r r l intimidating thing to do. Going through the door

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feels like you are making a commitment to buy – it is not a place to browse and leave without buying anything. Even if you do want to buy, pricing is really vague – there are no instructions or guides on how to order a bouquet and how much it might cost to buy one. Parking is often a nightmare, and getting a bouquet made up takes valuable time.

Supermarkets also tap into two markets that de e de t flor t do t er e o well he r t of these is the shopper who wants a simple bunch o flower ll o o e r et to o to e and give a room a sense of wellbeing. Interestingly, tho h o t l flower re e to te l th market – perhaps customers get tired of having to choose every week? Maybe we could offer a similar er e o re t l e e o l flower del ered direct with no frills, or perhaps even posted? he other r et l d e who do flower he e r e ro eo le o to flower l wor ho or flower rr le o to flower demonstrators and ladies who do weddings for friends. Yes, they can feel like competition – but if you don’t supply them, the supermarkets will. They could provide good business and help move stock through in greater volumes, giving you better prices.

You only have to look at the hugely successful e odel o the flor t t o re rde Centre in Windlesham, Surrey, to see just how much business is out there waiting to be taken.

On the plus side, the supermarkets can’t compete in terms of service and really highend products. It is down to us to make sure our customers know where to come when they want lo flower d er o l er e whe t really matters. That is why great relationships with local media make all the difference; this can really help to get that message out there, but we need to make time to plan that side of the business.

Our other huge advantage is our ability to react quickly. I’ve been a buyer in a group situation and I know that supermarket buying teams are cumbersome; they are great at planning ahead, but weak at responding fast to new trends. We can run rings around them on this!

Supermarkets are not going to go away, they are not going to become less good value, and their lt d o o r t h flower ot o to change. We have to steal the ideas that are good and reinvent them, as well as focusing on what we can do that they can’t.

Carole tir aker owner The lower and the Glory It is about 30 years since supermarkets e ell flower so this is not a new situation. Yes, they have seriously dented our trade in the purchase of cut flower t we re ll ree to ro where er we like according to the price and convenience that suits us. Some people want cheap supermarket flower d th t to the e o lo er operate in the same market.

We are part of the resurgence in demand for a more bespoke, artisan product. We can’t compete on price, but we can beat them when it comes to personal service and truly bespoke design.

I seek out unusual varieties, especially of common flower wh h re ot l le er r et so that customers see they are getting something different. We care for our product and keep our customers informed.

Two years ago, we had a complaint in the week of Christmas that our long-stemmed Freedom ro e were ore e e e th dl he put a post on our Facebook page which went viral, and I stand by what I said: ro dl o et h o hort low r de flower e led h eo o e er elt From The Flower and the Glory you get top quality h h r de flower h d re red d ele ted or lo e l e o h e the e e t o flor t l ed to the h he t le el oth de d product knowledge. We have invested heavily in ro e o l e e t to ee o r flower t the optimum temperature and condition using the best l t flower ol t o e wor h rd to e re th t o r flower w ll t the o o or wh h o need them and will go the extra mile to give you full satisfaction.

Yes, it is more expensive but when you consider the above we hope you think it’s worth the difference.”

Next month’s question will be: What challenges do you think the flower sector will face in Got an opinion? Get in touch at floristbusinesseditor@el ays .com

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BUSINESS

DIGITAL MARKETING

SELL LI K E A STA RT- U P Is your business’s digital presence cutting it? It’s the age of the internet; a homespun website and the occasional round-robin sent to your mailing list just aren’t enough any more. Florist Business spoke to representatives from Google and Adtrak, who told us how florists can ull harness the ower o the internet to boost website hits and, conse uentl , ro ts

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o ht flower o l e

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re h d r ed to d e the t h lre d row to h re e r h o rte o o l lor oll d l o how th t rt ro terflor the e t l er o l e flower re re lower loo ld d oo he e t row r d re o tl t rt e e wor o t o w reho e w th r et d et w rd w we te d he le el o r te e t e t world w ro o r t l tr d t o l h h treet flor t owe er tod d t l world t e o e er or e e o ll d to o ete ro ll ho to t d o flor t oo le d dtr e lor t e the lowdow o how o o t e o r o l e re e e to dr e te t d oo t ro t

SPEED AHEAD ter r e we er oo le d o ered th t w t or low we e to lo d wh t eo le d l ed o t o t the r o l e e er e e t the r e howed th t ore th h l o o er wo ld do we te t t e lo er th three e o d to lo d eo le re r le t e t o l e th re l l e o o r we te eed o ld e or re o ro l e e o t e de e ed o r o ter e or tore d t o the e t t e o lo o t w ll h e ed ll o o r we te or t o d wo t

e r o 1.8bn eo le ed the ter et od re h re hed 3.4bn d oo le e e t the to re e to 5bn 16

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BUSINESS

need to reload in the same way that a new user would. This means your website might seem speedy to you, while taking far longer to load for your future customers.

You can test the speed of your mobile site with a simple service provided by Google: testmysite. withgoogle.com. It ranks your website speed from ‘poor’ to ‘strong’, and even allows you to compare different sites within industries and download reports with tips for improvement.

USABILITY IS KEY o r rt e we o e to r o ro website company FloristPro, who stressed the importance of thinking about your customer journey. This means taking a look at your website with fresh eyes, as though you’re visiting it for the r t t e d re e er e the o r e ro r t l thro h to hed r h e It’s a point echoed by the team at Google and dtr who e l th t lt e h e your website navigation must be easy, speedy, and mobile friendly. It should also feature good imagery, state all of the services you offer, and include all your contact details.

When building anything online, Adtrak advises that you think about what concerns and questions people might have, and answer them on your site. or e le l de e lo w th e studies and testimonials.

Google stats show that more than half of global we tr o e ro rt ho e d the future, not only will there be far more people online, they’ll also be using smaller devices. This is already in evidence in developing countries, where people might own a smartphone but not a computer. It’s essential to upgrade your website wth this in mind; when thinking about your customer’s online journey, take the trip with both your computer and your smartphone.

SO WHAT, SEO Search engine optimisation (SEO) dicatates where your website falls in search rankings. Your website’s SEO can be improved using a number of simple techniques. Firstly, sign up for a Google My Business account; it will give your site a completely free boost. Make sure your address and phone number are listed on it, along with any links that direct people to different pages on your website.

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2.5m search queries are made through Google, and 75k purchases are made online every minute Keywords have a huge part to play in your website’s SEO. Think about how your site will appear in the search listings, and include any relevant words and locations in your website’s word d he dl e l d the e o ll of your delivery areas.

Use content to boost your site up the rankings. or e le o were to lo d lo o t to your website with a title such as ‘Top 10 London flor t oo le wo ld ll o r te h her the l t whe eo le e r h or flor t o do MARKETING MATTERS In the future of digital marketing, video will be king.

YouTube is owned by Google, and both Google and Adtrak sing its praises as an effective form of selling yourself and your business.

Google has produced a YouTube Director app, currently only available for iPhones, which provides shot-by-shot guidance so that you can create professional, high-quality video adverts and upload them directly to YouTube, with no editing e er e e re red You can also use technology to improve your remarketing, which means targeting people who look at your website once but then leave without placing an order. Your site places cookies on eo le o ter the er r t t e the t and Google’s remarketing service allows you to t r et the e eo le e ll w th ro ot o l t e r h oo le re r et to d out more about the service.

If you’re looking to do some paid promotion, you can also use Google AdWords to target customers.

This is a form of ‘conversion advertising’, because it looks at behavioural data. If you do give it a shot,

remember that the AdWords service is all about keywords and relevance, so make the words on the landing page of your site as relevant to your business as possible.

You can drive new visitors by promoting your website with YouTube videos, adverts and er o l ed d o te t re te o r ow tere t r ded o te t e t customers to build case studies; you could even the to e l ed to wr te re ew or to contribute to your site and socials.

Keep hold of your current customers by using email marketing and social media. You could set up a database of their email addresses and contact details and use it to prove you’re helpful and friendly, offering them follow-up communications and offers.

Review sites can make or break a business. Got d re ew o t worr th e t even be a positive thing, giving you the opportunity to le r ro to er e t e e er e e so you can improve your business. Additionally, by communicating with the reviewer, you can show that you care about customer service.

Finally, don’t do it all blind. Use Google Analytics to tr e tl how eo le re o r website; it provides all sorts of data, including where they’re from and what time they visited. Use it to see when your marketing works, and to compare with your phone ll d ho t this will show you where conversions are coming from, and how to increase those made online.

More than 50% of the lo e we tr o e from smartphones FLORIST BUSINESS

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STOP SELLING FLOW MARCEL JANSEN, STRØM CREATIVE MARKETING

n an age o austerit , it s harder than e er or florist businesses to entice eo le to bu their wares oda s success ul florists are those who ocus on selling the sel es, sa s arcel ansen not those who ust sell their flowers ere are his ti s or catching eo le s attention and turning browsers into a ing custo ers

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or flor t t ot e t e to e o r e to er to flower d e tr l e wh le other re flo r h d r t w th o t e e er he e re the flor t who do t l e er r et or o l e flor t or the r ro le e e the der t d th t there re t ll to er who w t to flower re l flower ho ro re l flor t t o l the re o ered o t e eel e e er e e or ood tor t e to de t the e flor t e e the re o lo er t ell flower the re d r to ell the el e he e re the flor t who re ro d o the r ho t re t t d r t h he re ol ed the r lo l o t d h e ood

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Business Marcel.indd 18

der t d o to er eed he d re to r r e d e eed e e t t o te d o t eet the he h e tro tore de t t or t re t le he d re to e er e t d or or te o t e t to the r o et o ore h d t ht he e r e l o to d refle t tre d the r de he re the lo l de t t o to flower

h t o t o re o the l e to flower d l t o r re o re h the t t o lo l flor l hero t o lo er ood e o h to o er ood l t rod t d er e w th re t t o e ho d o l e re e e od t l o o t re t o r ow t le h r o r o d owled e d r to tr o eth d ere t ell tor e d re t

“SURPRISE CUSTOMERS WITH DELIGHTFUL, UNEXPECTED COMBINATIONS” www flor t

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1 Apple creates a shop environment with an inviting atmosphere and is an example of how to succeed 2 Marcel is inspired by market stalls and high-end brands that tell a story. This is the stand at DG Wholesale Flowers at New Covent Garden Market, 3 Marcel is behind the Bouquet Tales campaign, which provides out of the ordinary bouquet ins iration or florists isit bou uettales nl, and join in at www.facebook.com/bouquettales

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OWERS

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1 o t e e er e e or to er t ll o t ho t l t d eo le eel wel o e o w t to t d o t ro the rowd d e re o r e t re roo to ell flower to orrow or t rt ell yourself. to t h the e flower d l t the ew loo t the l ll t t e rower d reeder o tede h d eth o th t e o r e flor t to th o t de the o d h re the other de o the ll re te ho e ro e t w th t t o here d tre t to er l e et re t r t or hotel t le tore or ew r et tore d o ll der t d wh t e

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“NO MORE ‘HAND-TIGHTS’!” to t e re o e d re to re te ew e e t to h lle e o r to er to tr o eth d ere t the w ll lo e t r r e the w th del ht l e e ted o t o o flower olo r d h e ed r r d ere t d tr he o t the o et le wh h e o r e flor t to d o er the r t le d l w th olo r h e te t re d flower th t el re t t d t t www o ett le l d o t www e oo o o ett le et o t o o r o ort o e d how o o r ll d do t or et to h re t ll o l ed ll t t l to e re t r t re o w th o r tore ro t w dow d l d tro l tore er h d t o t re t

ret l the tre l e the re e w dow d l t el r d e t l o lo e the tte t o r t ll t oro h r et he oth ow how to thr ll d how to dr w e to ood t rted r et reer t d ert e l ther d w ll e er or et ote ro d l th t w d l ed o the w ll o the o e o t ore eo le to Marcel Jansen is founder of Strøm Creative r et e o er flower ood and retail. www tro r et l www e oo o tro r et

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MONTHLY MARKUP: INDOOR PLANTS

PLANTING PROFITS NIKKI MEADER, WEST MALLING FLOWERS

It’s easy to worry about whether you’re charging the right price, and it’s a tricky subject to broach with others, so each month we’re sharing an outline – but remember, every business and location is different, so this is only meant to act as a guide.

About Nikki Meader Nikki is the owner of West ll lower oted two t e et l lor t ho o the e r t the w rd She has a background in accounting, building her e o o d to o e le o t

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ast month’s magazine included a full feature on the growing trend for houseplants, as more and more customers of all ages are ett ree ered door he tre d l o ro de re l le o ort t e or flor t who can corner a new client base of shoppers that do t or ll t rde e tre or tho e to er who do t l e the t th t t flower

don’t last, houseplants make a great alternative, and o ted ro erl the ro de de e t ro t because some customers are more comfortable or o eth er e t we re ow o ll e ter the e t e e o th o thl mark-up we’ve costed a gift-wrapped potted o ett t the re t d e or e r ro d l t rod t

Plants/sundries

Cost per product (£)

Poinsettia

3

Pot

2

Decorative pick/cinnamon sticks Cellophane and ribbon gift wrap

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Skill charge (10 mins of hourly rate) Business charge (10 mins of hourly rate to cover rent, electricity, tax) Total Customer pays

Images ©Stars for Europe

ro t er rod t You’ve sold 20 decorative poinsettias this November… ot l ro t th

o th

You’ve sold 240 similar plant products all year (20 each month)... ro

te door l t ro t th

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NEXT MONTH WE’RE COSTING: A N A R R A N G E M E N T I N F O A M

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Q&A INTERVIEW

PAU L A RO O N EY AWARD-WINNING FLORAL DESIGNER

u ur wedding florist aula oone is one o the ew floral stars to ad it she has a assion or ro t oda , she designs florals or ootballer s weddings and anish estas but when she started out she was scrubbing buc ets, lugging a bab in a sling to hotoshoots and loughing through tough ti es b ocusing on wor and nding another world in flowers e t ear, she s launching a er s ecial ro ect to celebrate ears in flowers, which she ho es will hel her industr grow both creati el and co erciall

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ow did you begin working in the flower industry As a child I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I was creative at school. I used to love planting and I’d make perfume with ro e et l ro the rde t rted flor tr o re t h rd olle e d e o ed t o much I went on to complete Levels 2 and 3, and l ter o hed e el re e er t d or o r d t olle e do o e d o wor placement and having another part time job at the weekend to fund it all. t olle e re ll th we e e ted ro h r e o d ere t te her o e h d re ll tr te t le d t ht ll o t w r o e w re ll o tre d d r d other w er old hool he otted w re o the floor he d ho t here e o the floor he t r ed w ted to tr el o we t to sell designer fashion on world cruise ships, where le r ed th t l e the l r d tr he de ded t w t e to o to e o ow w o t t the t e o ht o e flower ho d l ed the le e o e o d t e ded ow o h o e dh d h er o h flow ro le th t o ld t o t e do t e er ee th t e e e t w le r r e t th d w ro l too e d o d el ll o t o lo e w th the flower d tr In 2005, I gave it all up. I decided I wanted to become a hairdresser, so I sent a cheque for £7,500 to tr w th drew oll e t he e t t There wasn’t enough space on the course, and for me, that was fate. It stopped me from giving up on flower d e tro er Can you tell us about the background of your current business o ed dow o th w th h d when I started freelancing at the Real Flower o do rod t de or t o l e bouquets and working in its Selfridges boutique. he h d rt o et ow wedding business from home.

I thought I’d start off small, just working at weekends in between being a mother. I will admit I w o e o tho e flor t who wor ed ro ho e d d d t h r e e o h t the h d l ht l o e t th t h ed e er th w wor o a wedding and the bride had told me she couldn’t

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ord to or the le r o o ered to do t for free. On the morning after the wedding, I saw her as I was packing up and she told me she was o t the fl to rt t tho ht o te o ord to o to r t wh o earth am I here doing this for free, when I could be t ho e h re t w th ew e the e ee o te o t ro t w t to row e d row te t ot ee e re ll el e e o e ot to e to h oo e to e th d tr er the e r e h d er o tro le w th re e d I just had to get up, go out and work through it. This re l l e o o do wh t o eed to do to h that job, no matter what else is going on. I think o t flor t re tro eo le I knew I wanted to do more than just weddings t the t he t le o r t re ted h container to work from. Then I rented a barn, and ow re t e e er r l l t e r we wo the o tr t to e o e the he d flor t t o r e o otel t r t re o do e e e ow lt l r r d lot o eo le th th t flor tr ll o t the e h e ll o e e e flower t r e er e e ro ro the whole d tr e done retail shops, funeral shops, Christmas work, terflor wor r e h e e t l order o et d e e el r d e o ow re ll excited to bring all of this knowledge to our next e t re flower hool

“ I T ’ S NO T B E E N E A SY. I R E A L LY BELIEVE YO U ’ V E G O T TO BE A TOUGH COOKIE TO BE IN THIS I N D U S T RY ”

What role have you had since the business has grown he e d re t e d re tor l o h e he d flor t lo w th te t the o e d I work with about 20 freelancers. When doing a wedding, I’ll go a little bit more dressed up, and I’ll h t to eo le d er o ll del er the o et to the bride. If I’m up a ladder, I can’t be on hand to help. I need to make sure the bride, venue, wedding l er d l w t to wor w th e o h e to e re e er o e h How would you describe your style I once met a cake maker who was impressed that o ld loo t hoto d tell wh h flor t h d de de w tho t ee e he told e th t t le ll o t olo r lette ll e about seven different shades of pink in one design, d re ll re o t l d d ere t to e

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o r flower hool o r e we ll loo t the tre d d h tor o flower o d o flor t h th t t le d th th t ot o r t old d h o e ro d th we le r ro th t d d e l ll tr ed e o o d t o to o ew tre d d d o er wh t wor or o What inspires you? tw l the e o ter or ho e l ttle ll e te t re d to e lw loo or d ere t to e l o d the to e olo r h e t oto wedd h e ee wh te d ree th e r What’s the best thing about being in the floristry business e le to t e o r el to other world w th flower t o ld e the ddle o w ter d ro t o t de t o t rt re t d or et ll o t t he e te e t o flower t r et t tr ort o t l e e d d ho o or et th t o e do e ho r o wor d h d e ho r lee nd the worst part e o d rt ll w ter l h o r e lo the e o the e d the re re o re o o r l er d t o t re t e do t l e re 4o e flor t do t e e l d et or te o t t we h e to le r to e r e the h t d o et e h e r d whe ll order lo d o e e r e tr flower or th t wee e d wedd d the wo der wh o you stick to any rules when you re buying and costing? ro to re t lower o d ew o e t rde r et d ll order o o d or th t wee e d e e t t l er re ood o o te h t to ed e d or

wedd lw ote the h he t r e d ow e tl wh t the r wh h llow or e e ted h e ll ro e or d h r e o t or o do e th t te there l ttle t le t to e d o l e t et the l e dded el ewhere What piece of advice would you give to a new florist starting out o d wor or o eo e o d re d e o e t e er th What changes have you seen take place during your time in the industry? or e t ot h to w e e rl ore e e o l e d e le to order ro where the world w th d or e t d del er ow o e flor t e lo d o d ere t l er to o r e he er flower t do t th t he er o re e d o h t e do t How do you see competition in the industry do t l e the word o et t o tr to t o ed o ow e te d we e ot flower r e d t th th t e l th o t the flower d tr we wor to e h other t the to er ho e t the e d o the d Can you name the most important thing you’ve learned? ow to th o o flor t ee w ll to rel h o trol the th the re the o l er o who do t ll w ll to do e er th r et t d o t de w th e old ho e e t ow e ot to e the re t e d re tor wh h e th o to te tr t h t e l o re wr t to h t o et o re to e e le r ed th e row o t e e t llow e to o e tr te o ew th d o e the e orw rd

“ T H E E XC I T E M E N T O F P I C K I N G F L OW E R S AT M A R K E T J U S T T R A N S P O RT S YO U – I T ’ S L I K E B E I N G A K I D I N A C A N DY S H O P ” 24

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What are your future plans for the business? re ll e ted o t o r ew flower hool e ot h o or the d tr d or row ro t w th t or tro er t re we re l h o r r t o r e ro e te er whe ll e ele r t e r the flower d tr er t e do wedd e re le r ro t we e e h e ollow eet e h t e to d wh t we do etter l o th t ort t to o o ow el de elo e t h e e o h d tr el to ter t o l o ere e o th t owled e o to other e ll e r whole r e o o r e ro t o r e or t o flor t to he rt e d e er e e d w th lo l o ll hel e er d where the h e d ro de o e h r e ro e t w th ort etwor terw rd w t to e the e e t e o le ow h e t ed to e th t flor t l l to hoto hoot d do e er th el o ow wh t t l e e ted to hel flor t who eel t l e dd e r o d to hel eo le re o e t w th the d tr e d d l o lo e to wr te oo o t the re l l e o flor t ot t the e t o t t lo l l e d wor d re to h thro h t ll What challenges do you see facing the flower industry in the future?

9 e tre el o te o t the d tr d worr ed o t where we ll e e r t e o eo le o t e to der l e the el e flor t who do t ow wh t the re do d do t re o t e t the el e d der t other o r e th t e to et o r e ro ho e t o do t h e ho o re ot tr d o do t re o t de elo o r el the o re lt the d tr or ro ho e e lo o re l o r el d d ere e to the d tr ho e th t tho e who do w ll o e d de de the w t to row re te o d e ore ro t therw e we ll e t re where o o e w t to tr flor t e e there w ll e o o e t t ll e d d tr rowth o o e d l h the hool t how l o ter e r d tr lo e

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INTERVIEW

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STYLE FEATURE

CYRILL TRONCHET

CYRILL TRONCHET FLORIST

Name Cyrill Tronchet Business name Cyrill Tronchet Florist www.cyrilltronchet.com r llflor t Location London Age of business One year

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What inspires you?

Everything around me, I am very curious about new trends in fashion, design and art.

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© Djimi Williams

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How would you describe your style?

Modern, with a French touch.

Favourite kind of design to make? flower dre the e t o e t whe the t or the r t t e

© Arron Dunworth

rench florist li ing in ondon, rill was trained a ong to designers and re iousl wor ed at c ueens, where he hel ed to create floral arrange ents or rece tions, weddings and galas nfluenced b usic, which la s a big role in his e er da li e, he co bines art with floral st le through i ager and hotogra h

odel we r

Can you name one or more florists who inspire you Mark Colle, Azuma Makoto, Timo Bolte, Duy Anh Nhan Duc, Gregor Lersch, Dmitry Turcan, Stein Are Hansen and many more.

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© Jakub Koziels

Three favourite flowers I’ll have to keep thinking...I love them all!

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© Darren Black

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© Arron Dunworth

© Djimi Williams

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1 Maisie Jane Daniels wears an oversized hat with Colombian hydrangea and dahlias; image

by Arron Dunworth 2 Yannick Lebrun in Asparagus plumosus and hydrangea scarf; image by Darren Black 3 Maggie Alva wears a cape of fresh rose petals; image by Djimi Williams 4 Charlotte Atkinson in a coat made from thyme, asparagus, lichen, Gypsophila and Eryngium; image by Derren Brown 5 Lucas Loyal wears necklace of silk olives, delphinium and hyacinths; image by Smiggi 6 Jessica Forester in a cardboard necklace with rose petals; image by Djimi Williams 7 Cyrill Tronchet; image by Jakub Koziels

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1 1 A textured autumn wreath 2 A brown bouquet with sunflowers, autu n lea es and orchid heads 3 swirling green bou uet design with c bidiu orchid etals 4 aura holding aura eong carnations, na ed a ter her b edia erdi 5 floral orte design which won helsea lorist o the Year 2013

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STYLE FEATURE

LAURA LEONG

LAURA LEONG FLOWER DESIGN ward winning florist, teacher and de onstrator aura eong has ta en art in se eral co etitions both here and abroad, and has earned the restigious title o helsea lorist o the ear not once but twice in and ith a bac ground in ne art and an ears e erience in retail floristr , she airs conte orar , creati e techni ues with co ercial design erce industr su orter, she s s ent an hours training oung florists and teaching all o er the world Name Laura Leong Business name Laura Leong Flower Design, @ljleong1 Location Kingswinford, West Midlands – but I am mostly on the road!

How would you describe your style?

My style is always evolving, but there are common themes.

What inspires you?

I have an ongoing interest in texture, form, blending, pattern and detail. Craftsmanship is important to me.

Favourite kind of design to make?

Bridal work – it allows for my interest in worn and carried designs.

Three favourite flowers er d lt d h e de elo ed o t e or l work by focusing on it, and Cymore orchids have used my pictures.

Dianthus for the colour range, texture and lasting qualities, and because Dutch grower Mediaverdi named one after me. I am a Floral Fundamentals ambassador, and have worked with amazing growers.

Finally, sweet peas, because the scent is fantastic, the luminosity is amazing and the form is very evocative of a British summer.

Can you name one more florists who inspire you or e there hol tr t o flor l de re or er h h do e the o t or flor tr ed t o ter t o ll h le w ll l e or lo t e o e e the d dd o ll r d l flor t and Stein Are Hansen is just an actual genius.

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TRENDS

BA L L O O N S A R E BLOWING UP 4

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alloons are becoming cool again – honestly. Proof was provided at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, where the tunnel connecting Main Avenue and Ranelagh Gardens was bedecked in balloons, paired with another of this year’s e t flor l h o ree ol e ot l artist Catherine Chenery collaborated with Fiona we re t e d re tor o ot lloo to create an ‘immersive jungle dreamscape’, with a canopy of exotic leaves and colourful balloons.

The balloon revival wasn’t only seen at Chelsea, tho h th e te er o te or r rde magazine Rakes Progress shared a photo of a minimalist balloon installation by Dutch landscape de er odew l o re ted or ool landscape’ theme to transform Italy’s Piazza e h e wh le orth t r lloo h ee aware of balloons’ new cool-factor for some time – it targets the millennial market with fun, quirky styles including a full range of emojis (yes, including the ‘poop’), along with stylish skinny script and tassels. The company has even coined the hashtag #changingtheballoongame to try and rehabilitate balloons’ slightly uncool reputation among the wider public.

Scroll through the Instagram feed of Vancouver flor t h t t o et lor l d o ll see clean lines, elegant shapes, plenty of light and an abundance of stylish ideas. Nestled among her stunning selection of professional photos is a design she created with Canadian television personality and interior designer Jillian Harris. It features a huge pink pastel balloon garland behind loo th t o w th olo r le anthurium, monstera leaves, pink ginger and roses.

Not just weird and wonderful, these balloons are elegant and stylish, too. the le lloo o er h e d t le th t re r ro tr d t o l th kitsch watermelons and giant Halloween fangs.

It creates huge, jaw-dropping installations for big brands such as Givenchy and Christian Louboutin, and its creations have graced the covers of glossy magazines. It works closely with a number of flor t l d l r o do ed flor t o r lew d o t e flor l de er rl Hours, who work with some of the city’s biggest brands and are always looking for ways to surprise.

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WHO’S DOING IT Lizzie Powell, Early Hours Ltd lloo re re t dd t o to flower d l whe o w t to h e e old t re t o eth th t e d o te er ed e hoo e to te r te lloo to o r wor whe we re loo to e ol d t te e t o eed to d tle l e t whe o do the oll or t o wor er well to ether d loo red l e e t e

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Ellen Reed, Bubblegum Balloons t ee to e t r l t or flor t to t r to whe loo to or or te lloo to the r or eo flor l t ll t o ot o l t e d d ere t w to dre e t t lo e ore o t e e t e le t h l r e e to dre o the h e rr o olo r th t oth flower d lloo o er or eo w to e o r e e t t d o t to o r e t t l o dd to h o wh le re h he re o e o o r o r te e e t to de the re lt re lw re tht

1 he lloo ed or the hel e lower how t el 2 & 5 rl o r e le lloo to er e lloo wor w th flor l t ll t o 3 o do flor t o r lew wor w th le lloo 4 orth t r lloo or or lt 6 o e old h ee o l r tre d or orth t r lloo

Nikki Thompson, Northstar Balloons e r de o r el e o or l t we l e to o er rod t th t w ll e le o r to er to e the r ow to d the re lt e lt l o re ll ort t to ter o tre d h ee ro e old re t er o l r olo r t the o e t o we e l hed r e o ro e old letter d er l d er d d h ht he e h e ee ro re ll o l r e e ll whe t o e to wedd th w th l the e h o r er d d or t le h l o ee o tre d

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TRENDS

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MAKE IT MEMORABLE

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tod lt h el world the ower h h ted w th o er ett tre d r ther th t ollow the h ord to e d retail management software, means consumer fl e e d t t wh h r d r e to the to r ther th ret l er de d who hot d who ot h h t llow ll de e de t e e to thr e e e the re le d o e ted d l d t to t the r to er eed or de re flower ter th e t r e er or ret l flor t th t or h to e o the tre d or terr r ee r h ro the flower e tor d e o d how th t t the e ew l d e or le e er e e th t to er re ee h terr r d wre th wor ho fl t flower or to er to e o tt to ether t ho e d deo how to er the er o eh d the rod t d e re o re o er e er th w th er o l to h ll th ed o l ed d tore tor tell th t how e er te h tor dh ee re ted tr ed e ert flor t r el e tell h e t re o e er o l t ell d flor t h e t t the r ert ell e or e o e t r ll to flor t we e to three who re do t the r ow ew

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WHO’S DOING IT Rebecca Avery, Rebecca Avery Flowers Based in Essex, Rebecca offers bouquet delivery well wedd d e e t flower d he ded ted to re e er th he ell h er o l to h d e or le tw t e e h d d e l r o or wedd h r the ro e w th the world d t re to er thro h o l ed or e re t flower rr e e t doe t t to t the loo the det l d h to he re t ort t e e tl wor ed w th o le who e wedd e e w dor ed w th e t l r h d r dre t her wh h h d ee lo l h d de

the r de w ted the rr e e t to h e e t l r o tre er to t e w th the w ll h well to h hl ht the red le olo r lette d the r ht to e o r o o te e tr o or h e olo r lette l e to h d d e l to the e t olo r order to t e e er th to ether he l r o e re tr o r t o wh h re eth ll o r ed d e t ll t r l the r r w l or e ele t o o ee l d e wh h re te del te h e well r h dee olo r he ro e l ttle l o r te e d t e o t the re lt e or the el e o er tr l e d er o l to h

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FEATURE

© Rebecca Avery

3 Charlotte Wood, Wildwood London With years of working in fashion under her belt, Charlotte has brought her knowledge of trends and de to the world o flower o dd l memorable twist to her business, she’s been pairing up with businesses across other industries to enhance her customers’ experiences.

“I absolutely love hosting workshops at our studio in Wandsworth – our combined bouquet and modern calligraphy workshop is proving really popular. It is co-hosted with Pale Press London, an amazing calligraphy studio. Our other workshops l de hr t wre th flower row d terrarium making; they are super relaxed and always include a glass of bubbly for attendees.

“It’s a great way to meet clients in person, or connect with people I’ve started to build relationships with on Instagram. I also provide workshops for corporate clients, fashion brands and bridal parties, which I host at either the client’s choice of venue or at my studio. Our annual wreath making workshops are in their third year and I now have regular repeat clients who just love to come and channel their creativity.”

PERSONALISED POINSETTIAS

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5 1 Arrangements by Rebecca Avery for this wedding included hand dyed silk ribbons to match the colour palette 2 These silk ribbons are from yarnyarn.co.uk 3, 4 & 5 Charlotte Wood’s workshops at Wildwood London’s studio in Wandsworth 6 & 7 Stars for Europe provides inspiring design ideas for poinsettias

Tim Birks and Lisbeth Olesen, Birksen Flowers How many of your customers know that by cutting their bracts and searing the te o l w ter o ett e e l d l t flower er year, Stars for Europe releases a whole host of creative design ideas with poinsettias, including videos, images and marketing inspiration. This year it has published step-bystep instructions for making unique planters – a great way to add a personal touch to products, or as an alternative to wreath workshops.

Tim and Lisbeth of Birksen Flowers have been working with the Stars for Europe campaign to show that there’s a world of new ways to get creative with poinsettias. he o ett old t te e t flower t d t hed h e d l he o olo r e t er e t or e t e table centre or table runner,” they told us. “Make use of different colour hues to add texture and warmth to your e o ld l o r o r te re r e ted d wh te e e t re o t flower d otted l t to create a display in key focal areas, choosing pots and vases that complement the plant.” www.stars-for-europe.com

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17/10/2017 13:00

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M AT H S M A K E S M AG I C Tina ar es, rinci al at the cade

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lains the wh s and hows o using

7 Why every florist should study the theory of design e o re e er e ed o er l flor t w th t t e e e o de there re t le t o r re o wh o ho ld to t e the t e to e lore the r le o de r tl ow the theor eh d wh o e de wor d other doe t w ll e t e hel o t le the er e t e e ore l d o te tl th e o o e d re e ro t l t t l o llow o r e row d e ol e e ll e lo t or e e de elo ew tre d he t d o de theor e o the l e to o te e e t el w th t d ellow flor t t e le o to tr t d o te the de d the r de elo e t h e d the re o eh d the t red e t e d t e d t hel o to tr d o ld o r te ll th owled e ld er o l de elo e t d re o de e o r l t e hro h h lle o r el d d ew le o w ll lt tel ee o r el d o r le t e ed o r re t e wor

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MathsTechnique.indd 34

The secret formulae o e ee wowed the l te t o t o ro ter t o l de er or dro de d or eo o et o ore loo e t r l t t le t r r e o to ow th t th e l wh o lo ed t e e t e r to e tt ed e t le th t re ll the r le he ed o e e e d the olde to re two the t l or l e th t re o o l o d t re whe ed de the e er te or d t r l loo o o t o th t re e thet ll le to the e e he lo er o r de to the e or l e the ore h r o o eo le r w ll er e e t to e flor tr th e l ed to ele e t h the l e e t ro d er o flower de o e the e or l e or e le to deter e how t ll rr e e t ho ld e rel t o to o t er or ld t lo o e h d whe de d o the ol e o olo r the l e e t o flower the de t d er o ro or the e l e e t o o l flower d l e w th de

aths in floral design

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6 rinciples and elements he l de r le flor tr re l e o tr t o e r o le ro ort o d h th wh h re the l ed to the de ele e t o olo r or e e d e t re e ter flor t o o l e the ele e t r t e e ll olo r to fl e e d le d the r flor l de wh le ter o tr e d lt re hoo e or or ol the dr or e eh d the r de he t rt o t flor t e the r le retro e t el tool to he th t de wor well or to ro e o t de ot wor o r e e the o thro h he l t o de r le hel o to de t wh t o o de e d e er e e the r le or the de e ore o t rt to re te d e er e ed de er o o to e the r le to re the de o r e o r t o re l o er tere t t rt o t or de d de t ed re or er h the e l de o er e lt re ot o ethodolo d e h e r t

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4 Personalising the principles Design is an extremely personal process, and there is no reason to fear that design theory will turn you into a robotic designer. There are hundreds of processes to be explored, discarded, implemented and individualised to create your own personalised design style. These choices are like building your own ending to a story: when you get to a turning point, you look at the options and choose one that ultimately changes the direction, the ending, and even the way you tell the story.

The learning process allows new design to evolve and the designer to grow both personally and professionally – just like the great masters of art, who would explore a style, technique, colour palette or theme for a while, master it, and then move on to create something new.

Practising the principles th re t le de de principal and tutor Julie Collins, she has taken her inspiration from autumn, the season in which leaves e o e ore do t th flower Julie has explored Proportion using 3, 5 and 8 o thro h the ele e t o e t re w th h err e ll ro o t flower et l d h l hell ed ro d ro h le e l r e ro h e e e l o re e t le Colour choices – 3 greens, 5 oranges and golds in the flower d row the le e ote l o the placement of 3, 5 and 8 when it comes to the ro o flower the de In terms of Contrast, Julie has again used autumn her r t o w th the r t o o ol e to flower re t e tler de rther Contrast in Form, the structural geometric outline contrasts with the organic interior forms.

“ D E S I G N T H E O RY WO N ’ T M A K E YO U A R O B O T I C D E S I G N E R ” www flor t MathsTechnique.indd 35

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H E A RT O F D E S I G N C O U R S E W I T H T H E AC A D E M Y O F F L O R A L A RT Design theory is such a valuable and worthwh le re or flor t to e lore th t the de o lor l rt h de ed e l module to explain the fundamentals and re the r r t l e flor tr he o r e ot d o e to flor t o ll le el te o e er r tol or r eter 1 Autumn Square by Julie Collins 2 Charlotte Murrent sketching bouquet 3 Charlotte Murrent recreating a textural shower bouquet 4 Autumn balance 5 Amanda Cole-Quarrel and Nicola Strange creating a floral crown 6 Autumn Square by Julie Collins 7 Tina Parkes

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FLOWERS OF COLOMBIA UK campaign launches at Leeds Castle

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e flor t e o h ol e to ll l r e o e d h dred o lo o o dd wo l l dder hoto r her d er e w th o e dor e er l e o r ther e tle d flower d th t t rt o wh t de the l h o the olo flower d tr o t l h whe t re ted how to oll or t o w th the we r eed tle e t l o lower he re h ew r d lower o olo to e o r e ew er o ll e to re te the e t lt red le l e d d er t o olo row loo o o de w th the r d l h the olo lor t dor re ted the r t e er el e tr l t the e e t e t r r l e hoto o ort t e to t the e h ted tle the e well ho t er e o de o tr t o w th olo tw t ALL KINDS OF AMBASSADOR der the d re t o o o olflore d w th d ro the olo tr o r lt re the ew oord ted rol e r h ll o ter who t her flor l dor thro h to h t t o ro e er l er e l e e ore he told e wh t t w o t w r lled rr e o wh t tho ht o olo flower e e ee the or e r ro whole ler eter w e e the re h ood l e d lt t w e to the were t whe he the ed e to o the te w o er the oo t w o e o the o t red le e er e e o l e he wh h l he th o th w th ew r et led we te lower o the o th ro r e to h hl ht the e t olo h to o er d ho t o r t l de de lo e o r e flower whole ler to et ol ed e h e lre d ed to t e rt whole ler who d re t ro olo r ther th oll d d who e el re o t

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THE SELFIE TRAIL re ted or th o ld lor t d re ro hol e o l e ell ol the olo el e tr l w de o o r d ere t flor l t ll t o wh h ded tor ro the r ee thro h to the tle e tr e or to the e h ted tle the e e h o e w de ed w th r e r l e hoto o ort t e d he tr l e w th t l tree o lete w th r t flor l r d dre t her to dr w the e e tor the o ed to et o l hoto r e w th tw ted w llow wh h e red to r e ro the tle t o t e tw e o r r h e e th wh h tor ed to e ter the tle ro d d ll there w er e t tel flower w ll w th l r o loo le d l eh e e te r l t le e e ted o t le d t to h o r the te w te he d o hed le o t r t d o et d o er e t ll w th the e o lo t l lt d re t t th t o l flor t h h er o o l r wo l l dder r l w th er h flower d e er o l r te l or r t whe w ter h e flower w ll t t w t t the l who ell lo e w th olo flower the flor t who tte ded were t re ed ot le t e e the flower l ted o r ll tl e e ter e the ele e t or d o or o h lor t he erto o ed the de te or the wee e d d o ld t el e e the lt h olo ool ter

YOUR NEW FAVOURITE BRAND o olflore ho e the ew loo o t re h ew r d lower o olo w ll re h w der d e e d hel to h re w re e o the lt d r et o olo row loo to ol o o o olflore e l e e h lle e ter o ld lo ter rel t o h w th o er tr de er d the o er e er t o he world h d wh le o r d tr well ow th to t e tre re e r h d o t o we t lo e

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ADVERTORIAL FEATURE

“ OU R C OU N T RY HAS THE G R E AT E S T BIODIVERSITY I N T H E WO R L D ” at the forefront in terms of the strategy and the message we want to deliver.

“Flowers of Colombia is based on the fact that our country has the greatest biodiversity in the world, never mind the 1,400 different varieties we grow commercially. Our strapline, ‘Diversity that inspires’, takes seriously the challenge of competing abroad with a real and powerful message, as the e o d l r e t flower e orter the world Here in the UK, the brand will be used to show that the diversity of products available doesn’t just mean longer, stronger and brighter blooms, but also consistent prices all year round – making olo flower flor t ho e that can make a real difference to business.

Pictured clockwise: Simon Lycett, Caroline MarshallFoster and His Excellency Nestor Osario; succulents and flowers are mounted onto the protruding brickwork of the Gate House; the ‘Wall’ of Colombian Flowers made onto the new OASIS Floral Tile; Morgan and Karen’s team of helpers, who made sure the vision happened: Jo Hornsby, Alison Ellis, Daisy Hudson, Sarah Tracey and Abby Mills; the mystical tree, complete with FLOBS and dream catchers; room for all the family in the triple height selfie frame

THE AMBASSADORS FLORISTS – PICTURED LEFT Louise Roots, Leeds Castle, Kent Karen Broxholme, Bluebells, Lincoln Ian Lloyd, Ian Lloyd Events, Wilmslow Morgan Nuth, Old Oak Floral Designers, Ascot and Ealing Keri Walker, Keri the Florist, Wallingford, Helmer Cuartas, Cymbidium, London Caroline Pecorelli, Fleurs, Horsham

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WHOLESALERS Fleurametz, London, Glasgow and Dublin Southeast Flowers, Ashford Clog Wholesale, Manchester New Covent Garden Flower Market, London RM Flowers, Nottingham Peter J Hawking, Bristol

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NOVEMBER

S E AS O N S E T L I S T

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his month we’re sharing a special e e t etl t th t e t re flower varieties spotted at Leeds Castle Festival of Flowers. Designers from all over the world gathered at the historic Kent venue, where they each transformed a different part of the ro d w th flower o the t lower l ed ll 30,000 stems used for the festival, and has provided

us with this month’s setlist information. Led by hr ol e o the t lower de e de t wholesaler that is recognised for its care and quality, d ded ted to o r the e t flower ro both the UK and abroad.

This year’s theme was ‘An Enchanted Castle’, and designers accordingly adorned rooms with whimsical fairytale blooms; outside, the team from

the olo lower re ted flor l el e tr l th t led e t to the tle e tr e through fairy-like frames and dreamcatching trees. e e ed e e l te ed flor t t the event.

LEYCESTERIA FORMOSA Availability r to t Grower Grown in Tina Parkes’ garden – a personal favourite Leeds Castle Used by the Academy of Floral Art and Academy of Floristry

DAVID AUSTIN ROSES Availability Year-round, different varieties Grower Alexandra Farms, Colombia Leeds Castle Used by Old Oak Floral Designers and Bluebells Lincoln for the Colombian Flowers campaign

MINERVA CARNATION Availability Year-round Grower Various, Colombia Leeds Castle Used by Old Oak Floral Designers and Bluebells Lincoln for the Colombian Flowers campaign

S T E M E N V Y. . . ncredible cut flowers onl a ailable elsewhere WARATAH cientific name Telopea speciosissima Availability in Australia e te er o e er Size Length 40-70cm Vase life One to two weeks

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h e ol or e e t e o er t the Australian Flower Association, tells us about th d t t e d e t l r flower r t h the flor l e le or the t te o ew o th le h l r e e t is incredibly popular for its colour and size, despite its relatively short vase life. Available in rich red through yellow to bright white, th flower er e t or l r e rr e e t wreaths, table runners and large and corporate installations.” australianflowerindustry.com.au

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PRODUCTS

HYDRANGEA (NICKNAMED ‘POPCORN’) Availability Spring to autumn Grower Various, Netherlands Leeds Castle Used by Yasmin Reilly and Angela Turner

PEARL AVALANCHE ROSE Availability Year-round Grower Meijer Roses Leeds Castle Used by Philip Hammond of The Dorchester

HOPS Availability Preserved year-round, fresh in September Grower Various English available Leeds Castle Used by Simon Lycett and Solomon Leong

DELPHINIUMS (VARIOUS, INCLUDING DEWI IMPRESSIVE AND DEWI JEWEL) Availability Summer Grower Various, with Amy’s all Marginpar Leeds Castle Used by Amy Curtis and Dennis Kneepkens

COOL WATER ROSE Availability Year-round Grower Various, Colombia Leeds Castle Used by Old Oak Floral Designers and Bluebells Lincoln for the Colombian Flowers campaign

RED MAGNA CHRYSANTHEMUM Availability Autumn Grower Various, Colombia Leeds Castle Used by Old Oak Floral Designers and Bluebells Lincoln for the Colombian Flowers campaign

Photos courtesy of the Australian Flower Association d ldflower d tr etwor

Fallen head over heels for a particular flower et ow t floristbusinesseditor@ eljays44.com and together we can make sure it continues to grow.

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Japanese Flower Scissors Incredibly sharp. Beautifully balanced.

All you need to do is choose the colour...

ne of the s largest stockists of wholesale supplies for florists, gift shops and interior designers. www.excelsiorwholesale.co.uk sales@excelsiorwholesale.co.uk 0121 308 1329 Quote ‘FLORIST’ for FREE DELIVERY

www.ChantryGreenGardenShop.com Or call us on: 01903 745 572

CJ LOVE Massive range of best quality flowers and plants Huge choice of sundries Quick & easy ordering via our web shop for direct delivery Cash & carry facility Next-day delivery available 6 days a week FREE mobile app available for Android or Apple Cash & carry: 57 North Cray Road, Sidcup, Kent, DA14 5EU t: 020 8300 8422 e: paul@cjlove.co.uk

www.cjlove.co.uk

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PRODUCTS

GET THE LOOK

Geometric metal Christmas wreath o r t www.hobbycraft.co.uk Trade price £8

GEOMETRIC SHAPES It’s impossible to ignore the trend for geometric patterns, and – as shown by the surge in the popularity of terrariums – it’s a trend that has reached the floral world, with interior designers writing about the craze in Vogue, House Beautiful and The Independent, to name just a few publications.

Hexagon terrarium – available from February 2018 o do rde r d londongardentrading.com Trade price

Eden spire terrarium dr e issundries.com Trade price e h old o two or

Geometric white wire shelves oro h tw re www.gainsboroughgiftware.com Trade price er et o two r e order o three Copper geometric hanging planter o do rde r d londongardentrading.com Trade price

Cement pot aeris flor www.opiflor.co.uk Trade price From £7.98 l le three e two or

Eden cube terrarium dr e issundries.com Trade price e h old o two or

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l Glass ruboid vase – gold tint OASIS Floral Products oasisfloral.co.uk Trade price £4.12

White ceramic vase hole le lor t t ew o e t rde r et bloomfieldflowers@hotmail.co.uk Trade price r e ll loo

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FleuraMetz is expanding in the UK Do you have what it takes to join our team?

Are you an experienced flower wholesaler, looking for a new challenge?

Is your customer your Number 1 priority?

Then FleuraMetz would like to talk to you!

t i s i V

Contact uk@FleuraMetz.com for further details

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FOLLOW US!

@FloristBusiness

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Use code FLORIST17 at checkout for 10% off on all orders!

@FloristBusiness

Daily updates from around the ower world

@FloristBusinessMag

17/10/2017 12:23

PRODUCTS

THE SHORTLIST

GLITTER It’s in your hair, in your handbag, in your bed and on your face. Welcome to the festive season!

Chunky glitter fabric, felt and iron-on glitter Creative Craft Supplies creativecraftsupplies.co.uk Trade price Various styles & sizes – example £3 each (A4 fabric sheet)

Glitter velvet ribbon Creative Craft Supplies creativecraftsupplies.co.uk Trade price 70p each

Glitter peacock, fern and berberis spray Excelsior Wholesale excelsiorwholesale.co.uk Trade price From 99p each

Glitter balls on wire Excelsior Wholesale excelsiorwholesale.co.uk Trade price £8.45 for 100pcs

Glitter cards Oakwood Archer wholesale-craftsupplies.co.uk Trade price 15p per sheet

Flower glitter (assorted colours – use with OASIS flower glitter glue OASIS Floral Products oasisfloral.co.uk Trade price From £3.06

Glitter spray paint – available in gold, silver, copper, red, blue, lilac, multicolour, iridescent Florist Supplies UK floristsuppliesuk.com Trade price From £3.35 for 400ml

Glitter letters and numbers Corsage Creations corsagecreations.co.uk Trade price £3.50 for a pack of e rd

Wired edge gold glitter ribbon Oakwood Archer wholesale-craftsupplies.co.uk Trade price £3.49

C flower glue Easy Florist Supplies easyfloristsupplies.co.uk Trade price £1.49 for 160ml

Premium silver 5mm glitter curling tie also available in gold I.S. Sundries isgroupltd.com Trade price £4.95 for 100m reel

Metallic gold and silver glitter tulle Oakwood Archer wholesale-craftsupplies.co.uk Trade price £3.98 (6in x 25 yards)

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PEOPLE

R I S I N G S TA R S ach onth we ro le oung florists who deser e industr recognition o no inate so eone s ecial the ust be under ears old, can be ro an where in the and can be training at college or alread in the wor lace e ail floristbusinesseditor el a s co

oreton orrell College and egency lowers eamington pa rom Coventry ge 26 What do you love about floristry I have always been interested in specialist creative outlets – I have a degree in Contour Fashion, which consisted of lingerie and swimwear design. Floristry is an underappreciated art form that allows you to create beautiful designs with nature. I love the array of options it offers you; you o ld e two flor t the e ter l d the can create completely opposite designs.

What are you most proud of Taking the risk of changing my career and retraining flor tr t w o e o e t de o d I love what I do. Next year I will be doing some

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l d r e d wedd flower w ed whe h d rel t rted t d flor tr d t ow the h d th t o de e e e ore I really had it in myself was a huge moment for me.

Who inspires you I get inspired from so many designers, plus Instagram and everyday life. It is amazing to be le r ll e t o flor tr der e e e eld at college. Her guidance and nurturing has been invaluable to my journey. It is such an opportunity to be working alongside and learning under Clare Stokes at Regency Flowers. I feel lucky in feeling like I have landed my dream job. Every day is different d le to wor ll e t o flor tr from weddings and events to funerals and contract work. Clare has such a talent and she helps me to e etter e er d de elo o de e d improving my work.

What are your hopes for the future o l e r to flor tr o r e dh e so much more to learn and experience. I want to o t e to de elo t le o de e what I can do and to push myself to create great works. I am excited about the future! e e e eld who t tor hr t t oreto orrell olle e hr t le re to teach and we have seen her skills develop as she completed her City and Guilds Level 2. She has a particular skill in colour choice and always carefully selects materials. oreto orrell olle e h e elle t results in employability skills and we work hard to ensure that students gain employment. I was delighted that Christina found a job and is also continuing to build on her skills by continuing her flor tr ed t o

“ E V E RY DAY I S D I F F E R E N T ”

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ll iddulph lower hop rom Stoke on Trent Age

What do you love about floristry The creative challenges. I like how each design is as unique as the client, and I love using my to d fl r to eet or e eed e e t t o h e e de or r o e whether t rthd wedd er l or le th o he er o l to h re ted thro h flower dh the reedo to e re t e e tot l o t to What are you most proud of o t re e t ro d o e t w whe de the flower or o e o e t r e d wedd he loo ed h e h d ew thro h the e r tho h ht t the e o reer w w rded t de t o the e r t e ehe th olle e wh h where t d ed flor tr d h d t t t tor there th l r e who o e o the nicest women I have ever met. ro de t o e t o ll w ll the tr te or de r er l he o t er o l o e t lw le e the et re o Who or what inspires you r t o h lw o e ro rro d re t t o e ro w th er o d d eo le e o olo r

re wh t re refle t o o

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What are your hopes for the future I would love nothing more than to have my own e to t e ew e t le e th t flor t under my wing and to share my knowledge with the d ho e ll re the o e he who e lo err e t dd l h lower ho h e wor ed lo de err e or e r ro d o e err e t r lfl r d talent was obvious. She has turned a small business into a booming success. eh e e t l d e wor rel t o h we ort d e o r e e h other to lw re h o r h he t ote t l er e e Kerrie creates is unique to her own outstanding t le her old de re tr e refle t o o her h r ter d er o l t he t re loo er r ht or o r ow r t r err e w o ted o l e ro lor t edd d r t l e who e ee the flower d tr e d e er time I see her work, it really does stand out. I would he o e o the e t flor t t ord h re

Do you know a rising star? To nominate o eo e e l the t e der e r old e ro where the UK and can be training at college or lre d the wor l e e l floristbusinesseditor@el ays .com

d

“ M Y I N S P I R AT I O N H A S A LWAYS COME FROM MY SURROUNDINGS”

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UNSUNG HEROES With a legacy spanning many decades, Chrysal is a household name among most eo le who wor in the flower sector t s the ar et leader in flower ood, and an expert in the science behind those little sachets handed out with every bouquet, as well as ost har est and conditioning solutions in our buc ets and ases e s o e to ngrid eent es, one o technical consultants wor ing or hr sal worldwide, ro iding ad ice and su ort to co anies throughout the flower chain Name r d ee t e te h l o Company hr l ter t o l

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the e el

I got my job…

M

y whole family wor the flower industry; my father and brother both used to wor flower er d nowadays we have our own farm that specialises in summer varieties. Two of my uncles also have their own company selling flower to flor t d ed to wor w th the d r the hool hol d o t w e er d lt or e to de de wh t to do rew w th flower d ter hool tr ed flor t wor ed or e er l flor t to e er e e t w ted to le r ore o t the flower tr de o o ed or e ort o where designed bouquets to be produced in large volume and delivered worldwide. This raised my awareness o the ort e o flower l t le r t wh t t re ll e t d wh t e do e to e re the highest levels so that every part of the chain has t ed to er ter e e e r o ed to e o e lt er t the e o wh h e t he the l t o e er flower e ore ell the o d et l t roto ol or ll the flower th t we o ht ter e r eeded ew h lle e o t rted wor or o that imports large volumes of roses and a few other r et e ro e er l r r w

re o

re o le or e r the l t o flower ro the whole h ro h r e t thro h to whe the reach our customers. the t rted ow ll o lt e te h other o t flower lt t d ere t rt o the flower h d w regularly encouraging my clients to use Chrysal rod t t d d t o ot ed d o t e e e r o hr l te h l er o ered e o ort t to h re e er e e w th the o to er d o t e to e te d the l t o flower w th rod t th t ort t irst things first d ll t rt t t e er d e d ere t e re ed lot o d ere t lo t o ro d the etherl d o r o e rde o t ro ho e o et e t to er tr ht w wh le o other d ll o to the o e or eet o wor d are spent all over the Netherlands and sometimes in Belgium.

My average day at work… he ed t the o e h eet writing reports and answering emails and telephone ll d er e d ll e d t ro d t or e the o t rt o to the eld whe t r or d t d te t flower d l t w th hr l rod t do do

“ I ’ M G R AT E F U L T O H AV E A N E T WO R K O F K N OW L E D G E A B L E C O L L E AG U E S AROUND ME WHO ARE WILLING TO HELP”

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checks so that I know our products are being used properly, and I give presentations to share information and provide recommendations. Every day is different, so I never get bored. It’s all about Chrysal ensuring the best possible care and treatments are given to cut flower thro ho t the h o th t lt tel the have a longer life and give great enjoyment to the end customer.

My most memorable moment… do t h e o e e o e t t o eth e l and memorable can happen every week. Most people the flower d tr re o te o t the flower and plants that they grow, so every day I’m able to learn from them, and they want to learn from me.

The hardest part of the job…

For me, it’s when I have to say no to people. I want to help as much as I can, but sometimes their requests are too complicated or impossible to realise immediately and on the spot. I’ll always do what I can, but when I can’t, I’m grateful to have such a great network of knowledgeable colleagues around me who are always willing to help.

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In my spare time…

I like to go out with friends, cooking and enjoying food w th r e d d l o ee t e o h l and yoga.

I love my job because…

For me, working for and with other people is the most important part, and I love to help others. The diversity makes it challenging and far from monotonous. Every day I learn from people around me, and working with the team strengthens my own knowledge.

In the future…

I hope that Chrysal will continue to develop great products to support the market, helping consumers e o flower d l t e e ore th the already do.

If I wasn’t in this job I’d… e tel e o where o ld wor w th d meet other people. It would also have to be as olo r l the flower d tr flower ee me smiling!

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PEOPLE

THE LITTLE I N T E RV I E W earn a little bit about ellow flower eo le o be eatured in a little inter iew email floristbusinesseditor el a s co

KAREN WOODHAMS Cream & Browns Florist, Middlesbrough

ANNIE MILNER Rosa Rugosa, Oxenhope, Yorkshire What time does your alarm go off?

5am. ame one person in the flower industry you d love to meet Carl Wilde.

Tell us something that would surprise people about you I’m a fell runner who loves running up mountains.

Name a guilty pleasure Don’t tell my husband how much my expensive dle o t f you weren t a florist what would you do Be a mountain guide.

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ame the flower you like the least Rainbow roses. ainbow roses yes or yuck Yuck yuck yuck.

What trends do you see facing the industry Natural, handpicked bridal hand-tieds. ame a trend you think is best left in the past olo red w ter est moment of your career so far After going on a TV show I became Bruce Forsyth’s er o l flor t d del ered flower to tr

What time does your alarm go off?

6am. ame one person in the flower industry you d love to meet Kally Ellis of McQueens.

Tell us something that would surprise people about you I’m 47 with three kids, a 29-year-old, a 20-year-old and a seven-year-old.

Name a guilty pleasure I watch The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. f you weren t a florist what would you do Interior designer or window dresser. ame the flower you like the least Asters. ainbow roses yes or yuck Yuck.

What trends do you see facing the industry ort tel o h l flower row ame a trend you think is best left in the past o h l flower row est moment of your career so far I did a massive Indian wedding with reins for the horse and a four-poster bed that had a curtain de o t o flower

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ROXANNE JONES Lily Blossom Florist, West Yorkshire What time does your alarm go off?

Depending on the day – usually about 8, but as early as 5.30 on a wedding day. ame one person in the flower industry you d love to meet Anyone – working on my own can be quite lonely o et e o oo eet ellow flor t t non-stop chat!

Tell us something that would surprise people about you e er h e re h flower the ho e we l e above the shop but they rarely make it upstairs!

Name a guilty pleasure Having my nails painted – I’m so used to having shabby hands that I take great pleasure in them when they’ve got a bit of polish on! f you weren t a florist what would you do I’d love to be a window dresser. ame the flower you like the least I’m not a massive fan of Lisianthus. ainbow roses yes or yuck Yuck!

What trends do you see facing the industry I think people are starting to go over to more

modern arrangements again, instead of the DIY ‘vintage’ look. ame a trend you think is best left in the past I love the ‘vintage’ look but I’m losing sight of what it means, it’s used for so many different looks. I’d love to stop using foam, purely for environmental reasons, but that just ain’t going to happen! est moment of your career so far Every time a couple contacts me after their wedding to say thank you.

KIRSTY LAWSON Pinks Florists, Northamptonshire What time does your alarm go off?

4.45ish. ame one person in the flower industry you d love to meet Howard Franklin.

Tell us something that would surprise people about you My cousin is an actor and is married to Twiggy (I’ve never met either of them though, unfortunately).

Name a guilty pleasure The pub. f you weren t a florist what would you do Run a bar. ame the flower you like the least There isn’t one. ainbow roses yes or yuck Not for me.

What trends do you see facing the industry Foliage/all green.

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TRACEY DIPLOCK Inspired Flower Design, Norfolk What time does your alarm go off?

5am. Big mug of tea and get ready for the day! ame one person in the flower industry you d love to meet Kally Ellis, owner of McQueens – I admire her ambition and story as she followed her dreams.

Tell us something that would surprise people about you eo le te d to th th t re t e fl r ro e into the kitchen too, but that certainly isn’t the case.

Name a guilty pleasure Drum & bass music, but I don’t feel guilty when I listen to it! f you weren t a florist what would you do I would probably still be in my old job – managing a magazine in the healthcare sector. ame the flower you like the least If I had to pick one it would be Gerbera. ainbow roses yes or yuck Yuck I’m afraid.

What trends do you see facing the industry The all foliage/green wedding. ame a trend you think is best left in the past Pomanders. est moment of your career so far Taking the plunge to go it alone.

ame a trend you think is best left in the past Tin foil around buttonholes. est moment of your career so far Recognition.

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Skipping gym day because you’ve got aching biceps after a day of making extra-large hand-tieds, and having spent the day wishing you had bigger hands.

#F L O R I S T PROBLEMS

Share yours with us and you could see your name in print – just post it on Instagram or Twitter, tagging #FloristProblems and @FloristBusiness

2

The searing pain of foam dust in your eyes. Never, ever keep those boxes on the top shelf!

3

“Oh, I’ll just w re t the answer to most problems in life.

5

4

he w re wo t do o ll lw h e loo e r o or r o r handbag and pockets. You’re regularly coming to the aid of broken bags, shoes, clothes, furniture – just about anything, really.

When some terrifyingly huge and unusual insect seems to crawl out from a wrap of orted flower d o wo der whether you’ve just a released a swarm of deadly new bugs onto the people of the UK.

6

All those thorn scratches, and getting used to h er o t tl wrapped in plasters. Then realising one of those plasters has fallen off, and praying it won’t drop out of a customer’s bouquet once unwrapped.

7

Feeling a little bit guilty that your work experience student is spending so much time squashing cardboard boxes. But there are so many boxes!

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Special offer for new customers using our new app £69 off first 3 orders placed using the app Email us for your login code uk@fleurametz.com Quote APP69 for your discount

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Download the free App in the App Store (iPhone & Android).

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Log in with your current web shop account.

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Not registered for a web shop account yet? Register in the app or contact your FleuraMetz contact person.

• 4

Successfully logged in? Now you can search, filter and order!

Please note: the app is only available for Android and iPhone devices.

T&C: Min order £200 Offer valid until end Dec 2017

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Share your experience with the #FleuraMetzApp Contact details: For more information please go to our website www.fleurametz.com or contact us directly on 0031 174 747 430 or at uk@fleurametz.com

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