Flowers& - March 2018

Flowers& MARCH 2018 $6.50

www.MyTeleflora.com

Show Her the Love Design ideas reserved for special moms Pg 26

Prom flowers that make the most of the dress Pg 38

The latest chrysanthemums: fancy and affordable Pg 18

contents MARCH 2018

features 15

34th Annual Flowers& Design Contest Show us your artistic touch.

18

Year of the Chrysanthemum The humble, hardworking mum takes a turn at high fashion.

Text and photography by Bruce Wright

22

Aiming Higher

A maverick mum grower ups the odds.

Text and photography by Bruce Wright

26

Celebrating Mom

Design mechanics to make Mother’s Day even more special.

Floral design by Tom Bowling AIFD, PFCI Photography by Ron Derhacopian

38

Mix and Match

Prom-flower fashions tailored to the dress.

Floral design by Cindy Tole AIFD Photography by Ron Derhacopian

2 MARCH 2018

pg 35

ON THE COVER Balancing the strong vertical lines of tulip stems (still attached to their bulbs and supported by mitsumata), twin loops of lily grass, midollino, and beaded bullion arc into the middle tier of this design— a do-ahead accent that adds line value and decorative interest. For more Mother’s Day (and everyday!) ideas from Tom Bowling AIFD, PFCI, turn to pages 26-36 in this issue.

contents

departments

8

10

Focus on Design

By Rich Salvaggio AIFD, AAF, PFCI Spray Color Techniques

Making the Upgrade

By Vonda LaFever AIFD, PFCI

56

Meet the Designers

58

Shop Profile

Tara’s Floral Expressions, Mansfield, Ohio

By Marianne Cotter

63

What’s in Store

64

Where to Buy

66

Industry Events

67

Advertiser Links

68

Wholesale Connection

pg 41

Flowers& Volume 39, Number 3 (ISSN 0199-4751).

Published monthly by Teleflora, 11444 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064, 800-321-2665, fax 310-966-3610. Subscription rates: U.S., 1 year, $78.00.

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Copyright © 2016 by Teleflora. Printed in U.S.A.

4 MARCH 2018

pg 58

Flowers& Publisher

Rich Salvaggio AIFD, AAF, PFCI rsalvaggio@teleflora.com

Editor

Bruce Wright

Art Director

Kent Bancroft

National Advertising Director

Peter Lymbertos

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On the Internet

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ADVISORY BOARD Teleflora Education Specialists Susan Ayala

AIFD, PFCI,

Riverside, Calif., Tom Bowling

Fairfield, Ohio, Tim Farrell

AIFD, AAF, PFCI,

AIFD, PFCI,

Syndicate Sales,

Farrell’s Florist, Drexel Hill, Penn.,

Hitomi Gilliam AIFD, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, John Hosek AIFD, PFCI, CF, CAFA, Surroundings Events and Floral, Verona, Wisc., Alex Jackson Denver, Colo., Vonda LaFever AAF, PFCI, AzMF,

AIFD, PFCI,

AIFD, AAF, PFCI,

Happy Canyon Flowers,

Niceville, Fla., Joyce Mason-Monheim

AIFD,

Designer Destination, Tucson, Ariz., Helen Miller AIFD, CF, CAFA, Flowers and

Such, Adrian, Mich., Darla Pawlak AIFD, PFCI, Essexville, Mich., Julie Poeltler AIFD, PFCI, IMF, CAFA, Julie’s

Fountain of Flowers, Lone Tree, Iowa, David Powers AIFD, Potomac Wholesale,

Silver Spring, Md., Jerome Raska AIFD, AAF, PFCI, CF, Blumz by JR Designs, Ferndale, Mich.,

Tom Simmons Gerard Toh

AIFD, CCF,

AIFD, CCF,

Three Bunch Palms Productions, Palm Springs, Calif.,

Garden Trade Services, Natchez, Miss., Cindy Tole

Flowers & Gifts, Greensboro, N.C., Jenny Thomasson

AIFD, PFCI, EMC,

AIFD,

Botanica

Stems, Florissant,

Mo., Kevin Ylvisaker AIFD, PFCI, CAFA, Mukwonago, Wisc.

EDITORIAL COUNCIL Carol J. Caggiano AIFD, PFCI, A. Caggiano, Inc., Jeffersonton, Va., Bert Ford AIFD, PFCI, Ford Flower Co., Salem, N.H., Bob Hampton AIFD, AAF, PFCI, FSMD, AIFD,

AIFD, AAF, PFCI,

Pompano Beach, Fla., Wilton Hardy

JWH Design and Consultant, West Palm Beach, Fla., Elizabeth Seiji

Edelweiss Flower Boutique, Santa Monica, Calif.

Customer service: For service on your magazine subscription, including change of address, please write to Flowers&, P.O. Box 16029, No. Hollywood, CA 91615-9871, enclosing a recent address label. For faster service, call 818-286-3128; Teleflora members call 800-421-2815.

6 www.flowersandmagazine.com

focus on design

Airbrushing For a delicate and very natural effect, hold the flower 20 inches away from the spray nozzle. Give a white hydrangea the look of an “antique” hydrangea by airbrushing with Design Master Just for Flowers spray: first pale blue, then violet and green, all hues fairly close to each other on the color wheel, for an analogous color harmony.

•j

Floral design by Rich Salvaggio AIFD, AAF, PFCI

•

Photography by Ron Derhacopian

Learn to achieve different effects with floral spray color using different techniques.

Some general tips apply when using color sprays: Always shake the can thoroughly (this keeps the paint flowing evenly).

Line up the spray nozzle with the black dot on the can.

Keep some distance from the flower for the best even coverage and to avoid freezing the flower with the propellant.

Misting For an effect with greater contrast, hold the flower 15 to 18 inches away. Here, a yellow-green hydrangea is misted with red-violet (opposite each other on the color wheel) for a complementary color harmony.

Toning To highlight the edges of a flower with a darker or brighter version of the base color, hold the flowers 15 inches away. Cup your hand around the carnation, pressing the petals together so the paint will only color the outer edge of the flower.

Here, a pink carnation gets highlights of fuschia.

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In a finished design, color enhancements can help to blend and brighten flower hues, boosting both color contrasts and color harmony.

s

•

For product information, see Where to Buy, page 64.

MARCH 2018 9

making the upgrade •

j Floral design by Vonda LaFever AIFD, PFCI

•

Photography by Ron Derhacopian

A TOUCH OF RAZZLE-DAZZLE NEVER GOES AMISS. Since in many areas Mother’s Day and prom

stretchy iridescent bracelet onto the cinched

In the bouquet itself, the branching stems

season fall together, it’s likely that you have

base of the Couture Vase is that it can serve to

of hydrangea become a design grid to con-

costume jewelry in stock as you design and

secure a simple accent of three looped blades

trol placements of larkspur, Israeli ruscus,

sell flowers for Mom. Ladies of all ages ap-

of lily grass. The lily grass, in turn, acts like

aralia leaves, and Blueberry roses. The flow-

preciate a bit of sparkle—whether to wear,

a pointer, drawing attention to the bracelet.

ers make a beautiful gift all by themselves,

glittering enhancement to a bouquet.

One of the extra benefits when you slip a

10 www.flowersandmagazine.com

Of course, for this purpose, you would remove

but the bracelet provides a memento and

the Design Disk from the Rock Candy Iridescent

conversation piece that distinguishes the gift

bracelet, or any similar item of prom jewelry.

at minimal added cost.

t

when the flowers are gone, or simply as a

For product information, see Where to Buy, page 64.

GQ2-CLR

• 4.75” cube with 4” opening 12/$2.29 ea.

GR346

• 3” x 4” x 6” 12/$1.79 ea.

2110-WW

Rectangular Wooden Container • White wash • 10” x 4.5” x 3.75” • Plastic liner included 6/$4.49 ea.

GV80-CLR

Clear Glass Ginger Jar • 3.5” opening x 6” tall 12/$2.29 ea.

GV42-COBALT

Regency Glass Vase • 3.25” opening x 7” tall 12/$1.99 ea.

GV80-SM

Silver Mercury Ginger Jar • 3.5” opening x 6” tall 12/$3.59 ea.

3.25” x 7”

3” x 4” x 6”

GV3A-SM

Three Assorted Style Silver Mercury Glass Vases 12/$2.99 ea.

3.25” x 6.25”

GQ2-RED

• 4.5” x 4.75” tall 12/$2.69 ea.

4008-ST

• 7.5” x 6.5” x 4.375” 12/$2.49 ea.

4008-WW • White wash • 7.5” x 6.5” x 4.375” 12/$2.49 ea.

Plastic liner included

GV77-PM

Pink Mercury Glass Vase • 4” opening x 8.75” tall 12/$3.99 ea.

FREE FREIGHT for credit card orders of $575+ Call for a free catalog: 800-641-8348 www.Longhornimports.com

Flowers&

DESIGN CONTEST

your

ouch T

TOP PRIZE $1,000

Why do customers come to you, rather than to the florist across town or the supermarket down the street? Flower freshness and great customer service count for a lot—but in the end, it’s all about the message your flowers send and the emotions they express, thanks to your creativity and artistic skill. What’s the something extra you add to flowers that helps their beauty to speak and shine?

Give us an example of your artistic touch, in a design no bigger than 2’ wide, 3’ high, and 18” deep, using fresh materials that would cost you no more than US $50.

To find out how to enter the contest, just turn the page!

MARCH 2018 15

3 simple

create a floral design with your own artistic touch

t

1

t

2

t

3

steps

Flowers& to enter the

Design

take a picture

of your design on a plain background

Contest

email the photo

Flowers&

of your design to us at

contest@flowersand magazine.com

DESIGN CONTEST

your

Touch

TOP PRIZE $1,000

1st, 2nd & 3rd place trophies also awarded

we will email you to let you know we’ve received your entry

deadline for entries 04/03/18 judged 05/30/18

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DESIGN AN ARRANGEMENT THAT SHOWS THE POWER OF FLORAL ARTISTRY See the previous page for guidelines on materials and dimensions. Have fun!

TAKE A HIGHRESOLUTION DIGITAL PHOTO Shoot it on a nondistracting background using highest-resolution camera settings.

EMAIL US THE PHOTO Include your name and phone number. Send your entry from the email address associated with your Flowers& subscription (one entry per subscriber). Need to give us that address, or purchase a subscription (as low as $24.95)? It’s easy! Write, call or hit the subscribe link on our website (see page 6 for contact info). Email address for entries and for all inquiries: contest@ flowersandmagazine. com. Deadline for entries: April 3, 2018.

WE WILL EMAIL YOU ONCE WE RECEIVE YOUR ENTRY A panel of expert judges selects 10 finalists, notified by May 30. The finalists’ entries are featured in the August 2018 issue. Flowers& readers vote to pick the top 3 winners!

LAVENDER GREEN Cushion mums (also known as decorative mums) have a lavish, petal-rich look that is enhanced when color contrasts increase the impression of depth, as in these varieties shown at Proflora 2017: clockwise from above, Rossano Charlotte, from breeder Deliflor; purple-striped SoufflĂŠ, from breeder Danziger; and Zembla Lime, as grown

by Galleria Farms.

DAISY DO Combining old-fashioned appeal with spanking new colors, daisy mums seen at Proflora included a stripey, as-yetunnamed variety from Danziger and, at the Galleria Farms exhibit, Danziger’s classic white Atlantis paired with a lime-green daisy called Castropol (a fashionable neighborhood in Medellin, the capital of the mum-growing region of Antioquia) and the round, bright green Santini mum WhatsApp.

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SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL Mini and even micromini mums have been on the rise for some time: sturdy, cute as a button, and bred to grow in a top-flowering spray so that a whole stem can be added to a loose bouquet, with all or most of the flowers showing. These (including Frenzy Pink, white and black Yin Yang, and gold-and-rust Lexy) were shown at Proflora by Flores Katama.

WITH FRONDS LIKE THESE, WHO NEEDS ANEMONES? Anemone mums are also known as duet mums, for their two-part form: a puffy center made up of numerous short petals, surrounded by larger flat ray petals—which can even be tubular, ending in spoon-shaped ovals, as in Roma Festa (at right), a variety from breeder Deliflor. Sinfonia (above), from Galleria Farms, offers another charming duet.

Year of the Chrysanthemum The humble, hardworking mum takes a turn at high fashion.

Text and photography by Bruce Wright

A

s wide-ranging in its flower forms and color combinations as the mutable, versatile dahlia, chrysanthemums are coming out in spectacular new varieties—some of which even look remarkably like dahlias! This much was abundantly evident at Proflora 2017, the international freshflower trade fair that provides a showcase for trends. With stiff competition all around, new chrysanthemum varieties showed up among the most intriguing introductions at the show.

“We are intending to double or triple our disbud assortment, and also expanding the portfolio for spray mums, going for more

texture and a higher-end look,” said Andres Valencia at Galleria Farms, a grower in the Antioquia department of Colombia, a territory well known for mum production.

If you have mums in your store right now, chances are high that they were grown in Antioquia. That’s why Danziger, the Israelibased breeder of mums among other flowers, chose Antioquia as the place to establish a new site (just two years ago) where it can test new chrysanthemum varieties. The goal is not only to pick the best varieties but also to establish protocols for growers that will help to insure consistent quality and characteristics

for those varieties.

“It takes resources like that to launch successfully a new variety like Soufflé [a purplestriped cushion mum, pictured at the center of the opposite page], which has a bit of that wild look that I think the market is going for now,” says Danziger’s Liat Kaplan.

Why the strong interest in mums just now?

As mentioned—and as you can see here— mums come in a wide range of forms and colors, amenable to the creation of exciting and trend-sensitive novelties. From downhome buttons and daisies to exotic anemone and spider mums, and from traditional yellow MARCH 2018 19

FIREWORKS Blazing in fall colors, these two spider mum varieties show once again the dynamic, depth-enhancing effect of color shadings: here, rust and orange petals tipped in bright yellow. On the left is Saffina Dark Cocoa, from Galleria Farms; above is Chispa, as displayed in the Outstanding Varieties Competition at Proflora 2017 by grower Flores El Capiro.

WHAT’S IN A NAME? Of the two entrancing new cushion mums at left, both from Danziger, the rich purple variety, glowing with white tips that come to a point at the very center, is called Paulina, after the daughter of a local farm manager. The variety in soft, pale antique colors—ivory and pale lavender touched with brown and green—was yet to be named when it was shown at Proflora. What would you call it?

and white to green and lavender, mums are truly a chameleon flower. Meanwhile, high-quality mums—whether familiar or novel in color and form—remain affordable, reliable, and available year-round.

Some growers, at least, don’t mind taking a risk with a new mum variety, because if customers don’t like it, with mums it’s not so difficult to rotate it out and plant something else. “If it goes well, all the better,” says Andres. “At least we took the chance to offer our customers something new—which is something they are always looking for.”

Good advice!

Chrysanthemum growers and breeders cited here: www.capiro.co www.danziger.co.il www.deliflor.nl www.galleriafarms.com 20 www.flowersandmagazine.com

Aiming Higher A maverick mum grower ups the odds.

Text and photography by Bruce Wright LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. The old real estate mantra applies equally to cut flowers: where they are grown can make all the difference to quality and value.

In Colombia, at about 2500 meters high (slightly above 8,300 feet), the savanna of Bogotá has long been regarded as an ideal place for growing roses, carnations, and alstroemeria, among other flowers. The combination of high altitude and equatorial sunshine offers an ideal environment for encouraging strong stems, big blooms, and rich color.

By contrast, when commercial floriculture for export first took hold in Colombia in the 1970s, growers of chrysanthemums gravitated to 22 www.flowersandmagazine.com

the area around Medellin, northwest of Bogotá. At a lower elevation of about 1500 meters (4,900 feet), this region is warmer and wetter, which makes for a shorter growing cycle (and faster profits).

One medium-size mum grower, however, has taken up the challenge of growing chrysanthemums in the Bogotá savanna. “We prefer the harder way,” says Ricardo Otero, project and trade director at Yasa. He’s only half joking. In Medellin, chrysanthemums can be ready for harvest faster. The growing cycle is shorter by one to 1½ weeks—enough time to lower the cost of growing those stems, and therefore the price at which they are sold, substantially. (On the other side, the cost of shipping those stems may be somewhat

X1357‌ was the label attached to this gorgeous and as-yet-unnamed variety of anemone chrysanthemum, on display outside the test greenhouses for new varieties at Yasa farm last October. The disk florets are fluted tubes of rust pink, tipped with greenish gold; the bright pink ray florets are edged in white. Six different breeders send their newest varieties to Yasa for testing.

When visitors come, they are invited to make comments.

NET PROTECTION Spider mums in the Anastasia series, with their many long and slender, incurving petals, are a specialty for Yasa. The top favorite is Yasa’s prize-winning Green Anastasia. Workers fit nets by hand onto the stems of Anastasia mums before the buds have opened, so that when the flower is ready to harvest, the nets can be pulled up to protect the blooms efficiently and without damage to the petals. The freshly cut mums are placed immediately into buckets with water, right there in the greenhouse, even before they are brought to the processing area.

MARCH 2018 23

ON DISPLAY Mum varieties in the greenhouse at Yasa in October were allowed to open past the point where they could be harvested for processing and shipping, so that visitors to the farm could view them and give feedback. They included (clockwise from lower left) white Maisy, dark-eyed Oranda (like a multi-petaled, orange-tinted sunflower), peach-colored Rossano, and the radiant Eleonora Bronce, with her concentric circles of color: yellow, pink, and pale orange.

LEAVES TO BE DESIRED Healthy foliage is a point of pride at Yasa. Mum foliage is susceptible: retailers are often advised to remove all lower leaves from chrysanthemum stems, since they may turn yellow. And at many mum greenhouses, thrips and botrytis can make unsightly marks on foliage. At Yasa, mum foliage tends to be dark green and healthy, thanks in part to the relatively dry, cool climate of the Bogotá savannah.

Regular feeding with vitamin B9 also helps.

reduced, since they will fly out of nearby Bogotá and don’t need to be transported first from Medellin.)

More important to Ricardo and his coworkers at Yasa is the climate tradeoff: a longer growing time generally means a longer, stronger stem and a bigger bloom.

Lower humidity also generally means healthier foliage, which can otherwise be vulnerable to problems with botrytis mold.

SCIENCE AND STRATEGY Growing mums in the savannah means taking a different path—which includes, at Yasa, taking on the challenge of growing newer and perhaps trickier chrysanthemum varieties. But the expertise is there.

Indeed—as at other flower farms producing premium quality around the world—operations at Yasa involve a level of scientific 24 www.flowersandmagazine.com

management that might surprise most retail florists and customers.

With a degree in genetics, Ricardo is in charge of micro-propagation, water quality, and laboratories at Yasa. “When my father founded the farm 15 years ago, he installed sodium lights, which give the best spectrum—the nearest to natural light,” he says, as an example of the farm’s commitment to technology that provides the best quality.

A top challenge, as at every flower farm, is fighting pests. The farm employs 140 workers—a fairly large number for a medium-size farm with less than 10 hectares (25 acres) of greenhouses. They are divided into teams. “We have an antithrips team,” says Ricardo, that continually monitors the greenhouses for thrips—the bane of gardeners and flower farmers, not to mention fruit and vegetable producers,

everywhere. Yasa’s strategy combines chemical pesticides and biological controls.

The farm has applied for certification from Florverde Sustainable Flowers, Colombia’s program that guarantees social and environmental responsibility with participating farms, and is close to the goal, as Florverde director Ximena Franco-Villegas confirms.

One thing about growing mums: generally, commercial cut-flower growers get only one stem from each plant. “After we harvest that stem, we start all over again, clean the soil, prepare the bed, and plant a new plant,” says Ricardo. While that means a continual investment, it also means a continual fresh start, and the opportunity for more new varieties—and new challenges— ahead.

For more about Yasa, visit www.yasacisa.com.

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Go to youtube.com and type

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MARCH 2018 25

Celebrating Mom Design mechanics to make Mother’s Day even more special.

Floral design by Tom Bowling AIFD, PFCI Photography by Ron Derhacopian

For product information,

26 www.flowersandmagazine.com

t

See how-to tips on page 54.

see Where to Buy, page

IT’S HER PARTY Some people take Mom out to a restaurant (and restaurants could be among your best customers for truly special Mother’s Day designs). Others (kitchen-capable) treat her to a special dinner at home, where table flowers—and, perhaps, a floral chandelier (as on page 28)—form an important part of her gift and tribute. Here, for a playful look of thrift-store chic, Tom has filled terrariums with Hydro Stones and Deco Pebbles and with decorative buttons, washers, and keys from a craft store. These terrariums have vent holes to release moisture so they don’t mist up inside. Vintage Bottles are accented with Raw Muslin. Fresh and faux materials include peonies, lavender, and lily of the valley.

MARCH 2018 27

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Celebrating Mom For a chandelier to accompany the table flowers on pages 26-27, Tom used a wire wreath form as a foundation and wove ivy and permanent botanicals through it, securing them to the form with zip ties. Then he suspended bottles, hanging terrariums, and water tubes from the wreath with wire. Fresh flowers are nestled on top of the wreath, with stems that drink from the bottles and water tubes below. The hanging vessels are enhanced with beaded wire and bullion and filled with fresh spring flowers.

LAVENDER AND LACE High-quality permanent lavender mixes beautifully with fresh; it is less expensive and helps to give strength and stability to a column of lavender like this one. Since fresh lavender stems are sometimes soft and weak, Tom used other tricks as well to make the column strong and straight: First, he placed stems of fresh hypericum—sturdy and somewhat woody, left over from another design—into the foam, angled slightly outward. He then wrapped the column of lavender with floral tape and only then banded it with the ribbon. With the ribbon in place, he trimmed the hypericum stems to just below the top of the band.

MARCH 2018 29

Celebrating Mom THAT’S TUBULAR Here’s a do-ahead idea that requires only a few flowers dropped in at the last minute, yet it offers plenty of color, dimension, and structural interest. Tom wrapped water tubes with Filato Paper and Sisal Mesh and secured them to the bottom of a design tray with clear silicone caulking. (You could use any of various kinds of glue, but the silicone is ideal for transparency and strong adhesion.) Some of the tubes are elevated on chunks of foam, later hidden with ivy; the bottom of the design tray is filled with green Deco Pebbles and blue Seaglass. For presentation, the tray rests on an overturned footed glass vase with Moss Chunks inside.

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HIGH AND LOW By using white mitsumata to support tall tulip stems, still attached to their bulbs, Tom achieved impressive height in this design, then filled in the base and the middle tier with graceful ingenuity. He began by inserting the mitsumata into foam in the Wave Bowl. He added the tulips by driving wood picks into the bottom of the bulbs and inserting the picks into the foam. He mossed and flowered the base, where stunning pink Roselilies anchor the design with their visual weight, matching the tulips in color. Finally, he made twin loops with apple-green midollino and three blades of lily grass each, binding them with bullion which he had previously strung with craft beads.

The loops are wired to the mitsumata to hold them in place. They frame the design and could additionally lend support, if needed, to the fresh green heads of viburnum.

MARCH 2018 31

Celebrating Mom STANDING UP A standing column, covered with moss and flowered at the top, lends distinction to this romantic and elegant design. The column is made with an upside-down Styrofoam cone. Tom anchored the cone in the Rogue Bowl by first placing a block of Styrofoam in the center of the bowl and securing the cone to the block with hyacinth stakes. He then surrounded the Styrofoam block with wet foam.

At the top of the upside-down cone (formerly the bottom!), he made an X with his design knife to pave the way for the handle of a bouquet holder; the flowers at the top of the pillar drink from the foam in the holder. The cone itself is wrapped in moss, bullion and passion vine.

LOOK INSIDE A sphere made of flat cane, enhanced with textured yarn and craft beads, provides a sheltering cage that makes the flowers held within it seem even more precious. (For a howto shot, see page 54.) With the sphere in place, Tom added flowers through it, including on the sides, where blue hydrangea is studded with Diamante Pins.

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MARCH 2018 33

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Celebrating Mom HANGING OUT Water tubes, suspended from a decorative wire armature that also serves as a design grid, extend the horizontal flow of this bouquet well beyond the rim of the Monroe Vase and add an intriguing element of design interest. The water tubes hold cymbidium orchids, premium flowers that are beautifully foregrounded in this way. A branching head of hydrangea at the center of the bouquet also serves to control stem placements. For a how-to shot of the armature, see page 54.

ORB-IT Flowered spheres, piled into the top of the Empress Bowl, create a generously mounded base, from which tall tulip stems rise, still attached to their bulbs. Tom elevated the floral-foam spheres in the bowl with a solid chunk of Styrofoam; to make the design as stable as it would need to be for delivery, he anchored the floral-foam spheres in the Styrofoam with hyacinth stakes. In creating the design, Tom placed the spheres in the bowl before he added any flowers. In this way, he created the outline of a composition, then filled it in with color; he also avoided using more flowers than needed. The tulips attached to their bulbs and the kalanchoe are living plants; the flowered spheres hold short stems, which means they will last quite well. The tulip bulbs are secured with wood picks into foam. A sprig of ornamental kale is in a chunk of floral foam as well. One sphere is covered simply with purple floral tape. Another holds segments cut from a stem of bells of Ireland, brightened with hypericum berries studded with Diamante pins.

MARCH 2018 35

Celebrating Mom

IN THE ROUND Even without floral foam, Tom was able to give this bouquet a beautifully mounded, dimensional look, with a domelike shape overall, yet with plenty of depth and movement. He did it by using the new floral “pillow� from Syndicate Sales as a grid (see the how-to photo on page 54).

He wove strands of midollino into the pillow and secured it to the vase with clear anchor tape, then added flowers. The midollino provides a perch for artificial butterflies, some also rising on their own wire stems. Knotted blades of lily grass add another distinctive accent.

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mix & match Prom-flower fashions tailored to the dress.

Floral design by Cindy Tole AIFD

Photography by Ron Derhacopian

Models: Piper Cashman, Jillian Hendrickson, Wrenn Model Management Hair and makeup: Marybeth Bagonghasa Prom dresses by Madison James, www.Madison-James.com

By the time a prospective prom customer calls or walks into your shop, she has very likely already spent somewhere between $100 and $400 on an outfit for the big night. No wonder if her top priority is to decide on flowers that will enhance the dress she has already chosen, and amplify the personal statement she wants to make.

Your job is to guide her in that decision—which should be a more nuanced process than simply matching the dress in terms of color. “A lot of prom clients are afraid to go with a contrasting color, even if that would look better than trying to match the dress,” says Cindy Tole AIFD. “So, you have to win their confidence that the dress and the flowers will look great together.”

Here and to that end, Cindy shares style directions along with techniques for accomplishing them (see page 55 for how-to’s). To begin, here’s a general tip for doing work that requires a lot of gluing with floral adhesive: It goes faster if you squirt some adhesive from the tube onto a piece of cardboard or

For product information,

38 MARCH 2018

t

cellophane and dip stem ends into it, then place them in your design.

see Where to Buy, page 64.

FANCY THREADS Embroidered accents, with all the texture and detail that implies, are a hot trend for 2018. The bodice of this two-piece gown (another hot trend) gleams and sparkles with a floral pattern that incorporates sequins and gold threads.

To complement the colors, texture, and neckline of the bodice, Cindy made a necklace that incorporates the look of hammered gold leaves and etched gold wire. She made a foundation by wrapping the wire around a coneshaped wooden tool using in making pastry (see page 55). This gave her neat coils in ascending sizes; then she secured the shape here and there with gold bullion. She sprayed gold foil leaves with Design Master Antique Gold to tone down the brightness and glued them to the foundation. Finally, she used floral adhesive to add her flowers, including white spray roses, white ranunculus buds, lavender waxflower florets, and sprigs of seeded eucalyptus—which she first enhanced by spraying them lightly with, successively, Design Master Pacific Blue, Robin’s Egg Blue, and Gold Shimmer Tint.

MARCH 2018 39

Cindy gave the bodice a back ornament, also with a foundation of etched gold wire, to which she added loops of Oasis Sequin Wrap, paired with a slightly wider mesh ribbon underneath it for extra substance and support. Flowers, mesh leaves and rhinestone sprays are glued in, anchored mostly to the loops of sequin wrap and ribbon.

For the bracelet (at right), Cindy gave gold filigree leaves a backing of shimmery blue corsage leaves, combining them with UGlu Dashes. She made a many-looped bow out of gold mesh ribbon and tied it to a Lomey Wrap Wristlet. Next, she added loops of gold wire, bending the tips to a fine point, like leaves, with her pliers. To this strong foundation she was able to glue spray roses, freesia, and sprays of rhinestone-studded stems.

40 MARCH 2018

mix & match

MARCH 2018 431

mix & match

42 MARCH 2018

PINK NOT PINK Pink today is an increasingly sophisticated hue, blending into fashion palettes in a range of tints and tones. To complement the smooth long lines of a dusty-pink sheath, she made a belt by rolling, lengthwise, a long piece of Oasis Sequin Wrap in Copper Matte, securing it with pink bullion wire; the combination of copper and pink gives the look of rose gold. For more howto’s on the belt, see page 55. Cindy used the same materials to create accents that clip onto the dress where the straps meet the bodice. To make a wrist corsage, she took a Lomey Wrap Wristlet and added narrow loops of glittering rose-pink ribbon with UGlu Dashes cut into snippets.

To add flowers with floral adhesive, she started with the wristlet flat, then finished with the wristlet in its coiled position, using a paint can as a stand to hold it up and slightly open while she continued adding flowers.

MARCH 2018 43

mix & match 44 MARCH 2018

COLOR STORY Bold prints will be popular this season, giving plenty of options for picking up on color and style. For both the hair ornament and the wrist corsage, Cindy created a cuff by wrapping aluminum wire in two colors around a section of PVC pipe, then flattening the coils together (see page 55). From there she was able to glue leaves, spray roses, sprays of crystal beads, and silver leaves directly to the cuff. The waist corsage at left is based on a Design Disk with an embedded magnet; it’s held on with a magnet underneath the skirt.

Cindy created a base of looped wire and blue beads and secured it to the Design Disk with a combination of wire and glue, then added further materials with floral adhesive.

MARCH 2018 45

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY For a mermaid two-piece in wine color with a rich floral border, Cindy created a flower crown, an arm cuff, and a belt. For the crown, she made a sturdy garland with sprigs of seeded eucalyptus, hand wired and taped; then she glued in spray roses, berzelia, and amaranthus. To make the belt, she placed UGlu Dashes on the back of a length of No. 3 satin ribbon, every two inches or so, leaving the paper on one side for the wearer to remove; the UGlu secures the belt on top of the waistband of the skirt. On the outside of the ribbon, she spread floral adhesive before adding foliage and flowers. On the arm cuff, large silver leaves echo the leaf pattern on the bodice of the dress. Cindy overlapped them until she had the foundation she needed, using UGlu Dashes between the leaves and binding the stems together with wire, taking care that the wearer’s skin would not be exposed to any sharp stem ends. She coiled the last stem ends to create a base for gluing flowers, ribbon, and smaller silver leaves (lightly sprayed with Design Master Gold Shimmer to match the sparkle of the trim on the dress).

46 MARCH 2018

mix & match

MARCH 2018 47

48 MARCH 2018

TAILOR MADE One way to coordinate flowers and fashions is to add harmonizing decorative detail both to the

mix & match

floral accessories and to the dress. Here, Cindy added a light plastic chain of silvertone leaves to the bodice of the dress (see page 55), then incorporated the same plastic chain along with other silver accents into the floral accessories. Two of these are floral ornaments that attach to the dress— one at the waist, one at the top of an opening for the leg, where it dangles silver chain.

As a foundation for these, she used a Fitz Design Disk with an embedded magnet, so the ornaments will stay in place without a pin. The Design Disk is equipped with holes so that flowers and accessories can be wired as well as glued to the disk.

As a foundation for an ankle bracelet, Cindy glued the chain of light silver-foil leaves to a length of mesh ribbon. To this foundation she glued some larger silver leaves and a single spray rose, centered on a base of dendrobium. The wrist corsage is based on a beaded bracelet with a clear plastic Design Disk, to which Cindy tied ribbon and Flutterzz (decorative sprays with stemmed rhinestones and feathers). Aside from their decorative value, the ribbon and Flutterzz provide a porous surface for gluing flowers.

MARCH 2018 49

mix & match

50 MARCH 2018

HIGH-FASHION HUES How do you coordinate flower colors with a gown in black and teal, accented with silver? Easy: use all-white flowers, with black and silver accents—plus, for the little bouquet and matching boutonniere (next page), Cindy made armatures using wire in a combination of colors that simulates teal (see page 55). For the wrist corsage, she glued various decorative materials, including fresh orchids with floral adhesive, to the Design Disk attached to a bracelet of crystal beads. Before attaching a single orchid to the top of the dress, Cindy added some beaded trim, to balance the silver belt that is an original part of the dress and to visually anchor the orchid (which could otherwise look stranded there).

She deconstructed a couple of Fitz bracelets and strung the beads on wire, then placed the string of beads on the dress with UGlu.

MARCH 2018 51

mix & match

LAPEL JEWELRY A boutonniere for the beau is a must, and Cindy has created one to go with each gown. Can you match them up? Here more than ever, detail is everything. In the center left photo, the white rose in the gold Filigree Swirl boutonniere holder is enhanced with gold leaves of etched wire, eucalyptus leaves (naturally blue-gray) and eucalyptus pods (color-enhanced), plus tiny lisianthus buds and leaves cut from a fuzzy succulent plant.

At center far right, Cindy glued together short lengths of matte flat wire and scrolled the ends to

Working with a diamond

make a foundation for her flow-

barrette, like this one from

ers; below the flowers, she lined

Fitz, the trick is to add flow-

up cut stems to give the feeling

ers without obscuring the diamonds too much; you

of a miniature bouquet and balance the composition. For

don’t want to glue directly on

the bout in the photo on the left

top of the barrette. Cindy first

in the bottom row, Cindy used

glued leaves of Podocarpus

both floral adhesive and floral

nagi underneath the barrette.

tape to fashion a mini bouquet,

This is a foliage that Cindy finds especially useful for flowers to wear, because it’s

accented with calcynia, berzelia, and a collar of fairylike astrantia. The stem of the rose

so sturdy, lending support

is wrapped with white floral

to flowers on top of it. With

tape enhanced with gold glitter;

the nagi peeking out from

both the taped stem and the

behind the barette, Cindy

wire leaves (made with etched

then inserted freesia buds

copper wire) are enhanced with

and dendrobium orchids with adhesive between the leaves and the barrette.

52 MARCH 2018

pink bullion.

MARCH 2018 53

How-to tips for

Celebrating Mom

HANGING OUT, page 34 By incorporating water tubes into a decorative wire armature, you can showcase premium flowers like short-stemmed cymbidium blooms, placing them prominently around the top and outside of the bouquet. The armature also serves as a design grid for other stems; it has its own decorative value (reinforcing a featured flower color like blue) and design interest.

LOOK INSIDE, page 33 The flat cane orb is easily made simply by taking advantage of the natural curve in the coils of cane, pulling the cane into the desired shape and stapling it together. Textured yarn may be added for another decorative dimension; the yarn also provides a good surface for gluing if you want to add beads or other accents.

54 www.flowersandmagazine.com

IN THE ROUND, page 36 The new floral “pillow� from Syndicate Sales serves as an instant design grid.

Its mounded shape helps to create the same outline in a floral bouquet, supporting the middle stems higher up.

Eight inches in diameter, it fits perfectly over the opening of the large (10-inch) Versailles Vase. It consists of two convex grids, one above and one below.

With smaller containers, the lower grid can rest on top of the opening, secured with anchor tape. In that case the pillow sits a little higher but serves the same design function. Made of dark green plastic, it typically disappears among the flower stems and foliage. If desired, however, you may first spray the pillow with Design Master ColorTex in the Mossy finish, as seen here, so that if any part of it should be visible, it would also be more decorative.

Weaving midollino through the pillow is another option, one that adds extra movement and color to the finished design; the loops of midollino may also serve as bright perches for artificial butterflies. You may need to moisten the midollino first to make it more flexible.

How-to tips for

mix& match FANCY THREADS To make a necklace with a tapered look, wider at the neck and slimmer at the pendant tip, or any other decoration where you want this shape (a hanging floral ornament, for example), make coils by wrapping aluminum wire around a cone-shaped wooden tool like this one, using in making pastry. In this way, you can quickly produce neat coils in ascending sizes. Quickly wrap the coils here and there with gold bullion to keep them from pulling apart as you work with the foundation. To make a necklace like the one on page 39, make two sets of coils and wire the like ends together.

COLOR STORY A cuff created from coils of aluminum wire makes a custom foundation for a wrist corsage or hair ornament, which you can tailor to your client’s palette; you get a subtle color boost when you combine two related colors, like blue and turquoise. Wrap the two colors together around a section of PVC pipe, then flatten the coils together. Twist the cut ends of the wire into tighter coils, taking care that they are on the outside of the cuff where they won’t scratch the wearer. If desired, add rhinestones with glue and bullion. For a wrist corsage, the ends of the cuff can later be wired or hooked together so the bracelet fits more securely.

PINK NOT PINK Make a custom belt for a sheath dress by rolling, lengthwise, a long piece of Oasis Sequin Wrap, securing it with bullion wire.

To finish off the ends of the belt, add petal-like shapes made of etched aluminum wire wrapped with bullion wire; the wrapping becomes a foundation for gluing fresh-flower accents with floral adhesive. To hold the belt in place without excessive knotting, and to create another foundation for adding fresh flowers, make an entire flower out of the same bullion-wrapped, etched-wire petals. Glue the flower to a magnet before adding fresh flowers; another magnet, underneath the dress, holds it in place as though by magic.

TAILOR MADE One way to coordinate a dress with its floral accessories is to add decorative detail to the dress.

For example: to a dress in a solid color, add a light plastic chain of foil leaves around the waist or neckline, secured with snippets of UGlu Dashes (cut in thirds). Place the Dashes on the back of the chain, remove the protective paper, and press the chain against the fabric. You may want to test this method in advance, in an inconspicuous spot, in the case of delicate fabrics, but generally, UGlu holds securely to fabric, yet is easily removed without damage to the fabric later on. Then, add the same chain along with similar accents to your floral designs.

HIGH-FASHION HUES Here’s a beautiful way to get the effect of a blended color like teal: lay two thin, colored wires next to each other—in this case, blue and green—and wrap them together with bullion wire (here, turquoise). The combination can be used an armature of wire petals, like this one, additionally enhanced with beads, or like the foundation for the boutonniere on page 53, top left. For the bouquet, wrap the taped handle with ribbon before gluing ribbon or other decorative accents and fresh flowers into the armature.

MARCH 2018 55

* MEET the Designers Tom Bowling AIFD, PFCI For Tom Bowling, flowers, design, and education have always gone hand in hand. He got his start in the floral industry at a time when he had already embarked upon a career as a grade-school art teacher.

“I wanted to make some extra money for the holidays, so I got a job in a local flower shop,” he remembers. “They taught me to design a little. Later I picked up a lot more from floral-industry publications like Flowers&.

“That was in December, and I bought the shop in the spring of the following year, 1980—a

56 www.flowersandmagazine.com

week before Mother’s Day. I had obtained a masters’ degree in education with the idea that I could eventually become a school principal. But I loved the creative side, so I decided to make the jump and stay with floral.”

Now, as an in-demand floral educator, “I get to continue doing what I was trained to do as a teacher,” he says. “There are hundreds of fab designers, but I feel my strength is education.” His shop business grew tremendously and was eventually purchased by one of Tom’s employees, while Tom went on to become director of education at Syndicate Sales, among other positions of responsibility in the industry at large. As a Teleflora Education Specialist, he currently has an ongoing role in the Teleflora Scholarship Academy program that brings seminars and hands-on workshops to florists in locations around the country.

A favorite topic is everyday design—“because so much of our work is based there, which means that innovation in that area gives that much more opportunity for increased profits.”

Cindy Tole AIFD A third-generation florist, Cindy Tole grew up in her parents’ flower shop. She loved to run up and down between the rows of plant beds in her uncle’s greenhouses; both flower shop and greenhouses originally belonged to her grandparents.

“As I got a little older, I spent a lot of time in the shop helping my mom and dad—sweeping, filling water tubes, doing all the things that a new employee gets to do,” Cindy recalls.

“Somewhere along the line, I began putting arrangements together. I was 12 years old when my first funeral basket sold—I was so excited! I consider that the beginning date of my design career.”

In the intervening years, she began to think she might do another kind of work. She studied history and considered becoming a teacher. But after getting married and going to live with her husband in Virginia Beach, she took a job in a flower shop, because that was what she knew best. “That’s when I realized how much I loved it,” Cindy says. “The owners encouraged me to enter contests. They confirmed for

me that this was my destiny!”

Cindy and her husband also lived in the Chicago area for four years, where Cindy worked for another flower shop and attended the American Floral Art School. Working at different shops (with different niches and strengths), studying with a variety of teachers (including Phil Rulloda and Gregor Lersch), and designing in many different public arenas have all given Cindy broad experience. Even so, she retains a distinctive style, combining a natural look with an exquisite eye for detail.

“The most important thing my parents imparted to me was to always create a quality product,” says Cindy. That means acquiring knowledge, she says, and paying close attention to the basics: “things like processing properly with the right tools, keeping tools and coolers clean, humidity in the cooler. Exceptional care and handling and great mechanics, so you can be sure your flowers are fresh and beautiful and long-lasting: this is what I carry with me to every program. I always try to pass that on.”

Welcome to our Library.

Flowers& Subscribers!

Did you know you can read past and current issues online?

Find out how!

Go to the digital library link at www.flowersandmagazine.com

MARCH 2018 57

shop profile

•

By Marianne Cotter

•

Photography by Ron Derhacopian

A downtown revival provided opportunity for this flower shop and ice creamparlor.

A

s a young florist, Tara Beaire worked at Stuhldreher Floral Company in downtown Mansfield, Ohio, a small town situated midway between Columbus and Cleveland. The building dated to 1916 and was originally a flower and seed shop. In the early 1990s the owner took half the shop and remodeled it into an ice cream parlor called Sweet Memories. While the location was in historic Mansfield, the area was somewhat neglected, far from trendy.

After several years, Tara got the itch to own her own shop, and in 1999 opened

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Tara’s Floral Expressions in a strip mall in Mansfield, where she stayed for 18 years.

During that time the downtown area she had left behind began to spring back to life.

A wooden carrousel had been constructed in 1991 and, after struggling through the recession when the area lost so many jobs, the structure was finally becoming the center of new downtown activity under the name Richland Carrousel Park.

It was Tara’s teenage son who first clued her in to the changes. “He wanted to hang out there with his friends, but we didn’t think it was a safe place,” Tara explains. “Finally,

we took him there ourselves and were amazed at the changes we saw.” The downtown neighborhood was revitalizing under the care of the Historic Carrousel District and Downtown Mansfield, Inc. (DMI). New restaurants, museums, shops, and a series of events were bringing large numbers of people back to the historic district.

Just at that time, the Stuhldreher building on Fourth Street, where Tara had worked in the 1990s, became vacant. The whole building, which included a full basement plus four vacant apartments on the top two floors, needed a lot of work. But because

Tara’s Floral Expressions Mansfield, Ohio Owner: Tara Beaire Niche: Funerals, weddings, full-service florist Employees: 3 full time, 5 part time Square footage: 7,700 for flower shop and ice cream parlor (including work space and storage, basement and mezzanine) www.tarasfloral.net

Tara Beaire (at center, above lower right, with employees Suzanne Shores and Kristen Massi) recognized an opportunity when a building in downtown Mansfield, Ohio, came up for sale—the same building where she had worked in a flower shop years before. Today the area is springing into new life, and Tara’s is thriving along with it. the neighborhood was becoming hot, Tara located the owner, who was willing to sell.

Tara grabbed it in November of 2016 and reopened for business in January 2017. “It had already been a flower shop and had a vintage-looking walk-in cooler,” she says.

“I made other more modern choices and mixed it up, old and new.”

The building sits on a corner and is structured to have two sets of exterior storefronts and doors (plus a third door leading to the upstairs apartments). One of the store doors opens directly into the flower shop and the other into the ice cream parlor.

Each has a separate set of windows with graphic branding. But step inside either door and you’ll find yourself in a single space that allows customers to easily cross-shop the two businesses.

CHILLIN’ WITH ICE CREAM With the basement and apartments pegged as future projects, Tara spent the first year focusing on the flower shop and then turned her talents to reviving the old-fashioned ice cream parlor that had been there in the past.

After much work, The Chill Downtown Ice Cream Parlor opened for business in June 2017. A colorful Styrofoam ice cream cone lured in customers from the sidewalk. The ice cream parlor had solid support from day one. Community members with fond memories of the original ice cream shop warmly welcomed the restored parlor.

“Our local media is one hundred percent behind us,” says Tara. “Camera crews came in when we opened the flower shop and

again when the ice cream parlor opened, giving us all kinds of great coverage.” The shop was also covered in the local newspaper.

At the time the carrousel was being constructed, the building next door to Tara’s was a woodcarving studio called Carrousel Works. All the horses for the carrousel came to life at the hands of local artisans in this studio. Today the building is the Little Buckeye Children’s Museum, an interactive museum where kids experience local history, providing a great opportunity for cross marketing. Kids who are worn out from playing in the museum’s mini historic businesses come in Tara’s afterwards with coupons for ice cream. While the kids enjoy their cones at the marble counter or bistro tables, Mom may step into Tara’s for a floral gift. “At times we will have more ice cream customers in the shop than flower buyers,” says Tara, “but the flowers are higher ticket items so they make more money. The two

MARCH 2018 59

businesses complement each other nicely.”

The Historic District is supported and marketed by the city, an effort that began with the construction of the carrousel. “I’m just one block from the carrousel,” Tara explains. “It’s the big attraction. The carrousel was a vision that won over investors in this area. It wasn’t profitable immediately, but eventually it was key to the neighborhood revitalization. In the last year I’ve noticed people coming from all over the state— Dayton, Cleveland, Henley, Akron, Canton; they all come to see the carrousel.”

THE SHAWSHANK CONNECTION That’s not the only thing they come to see.

Just five miles outside of town sits the Ohio State Reformatory, a Romanesque Revival building that served as the filming location for the 1994 movie “The Shawshank Redemption,” starring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins. “For us, the reformatory is a big deal because it brings in lots of people,” says Tara. “When it closed as a prison in 1972 it was pretty dilapidated. It’s been

60 www.flowersandmagazine.com

With elements of the interior salvaged from an earlier era—like a hammered tin ceiling—the décor at Tara’s combines vintage and contemporary styling. Antique walk-in floral coolers (at the back, below left on the opposite page) are joined by modern ones and surmounted by a sign from the flower shop that filled the space for 75 years. undergoing a complete renovation including restoring the beautiful woodwork. Today, it’s open to the public for guided and selfguided tours.”

Visitors to the reformatory find their way into the historic district. “The movie was filmed not only in the reformatory building and grounds, but at locations around our district, and visitors like to see those sights as well,” says Tara. “That’s pretty exciting for a little town like ours.” And the boost it gives to local businesses isn’t a crime either. The site holds ongoing interest for moviemakers who continue to film there.

FLOWERS IN THE FAMILY Tara’s own background is a family affair.

“Flowers are in our blood,” she explains.

“My mom and grandma both grew flowers.

Grandma used to arrange flowers and enter them in the annual Bellville World’s Fair, a popular local street fair. One of my fondest childhood memories was how she would turn the kitchen and dining room into a design studio to prepare the arrangements.”

Tara’s mother has an interior plant land-

scaping business called The Plant Lady that supplies plants and maintenance to local restaurants and offices.

Tara got an early start on her career, attending Pioneer Joint Vocational School in Shelby, Ohio and studying horticulture and floral design during her junior and senior years of high school. “It was a well-rounded program, covered a little bit of landscaping, greenhouse management, floral design, and interior maintenance,” she recalls. “It got you prepared for a variety of occupations, not just floral design.”

Eventually she went on to the Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute (OSU-ATI) in Wooster, Ohio, where she received a two-year associate degree in floral design and marketing. She had already begun getting experience working at area flower shops.

STAYING AHEAD While Tara’s current location and diversified business model are working out, she by no means has a lock on the local floral market.

“There are four of us florists in the Mansfield

area,” Tara explains. “At Tara’s we try to distinguish ourselves by going to floral programs and keeping up with new styles and trends. We stay educated to stay ahead.

Customers have told us they can look at a lineup of arrangements and tell which ones came from Tara’s.”

In 2003 Tara was chosen for a Teleflora scholarship program at the Oklahoma Education Center, where she studied with Hitomi Gilliam, an experience that led her to get involved with her local Teleflora unit. She became secretary and then president of the Buckeye Unit and still serves on the board.

Over the years, Tara has worked to develop a substantial sympathy business.

“We have relationships with all the funeral directors in the area,” says Tara. “They use us because we are consistent and fresh.

We customize designs to please the funeral directors. That’s why they use us. And where else are you going have maybe 200 people looking at your flowers?”

VINTAGE MODERN INDUSTRIAL As the neighborhood revitalization pro-

MARCH 2018 61

prompted Tara to go for a modern industrial look, combining it with the shop’s original antique period details. “We wanted the showroom to be clean and crisp and modern looking,” she says. “We have a little bit of metal on the walls and a black ceiling with vintage lighting. Along with the antique coolers we also have modern black coolers.

We’re making modern industrial and antique work together, emphasizing the modern side.”

When it comes to gifts, Tara takes a minimalist approach. “I came from a shop that carried lots of knickknacks, and I said I’m not going to stock that sort of thing because I want to be a flower shop, not a gift shop. I only want items that relate to flowers or memorials. We have lighted angels and unique containers from Accent Décor.” A supporter of local artists, Tara makes room for jewelry that is created by one of her designers who does wire wrapping and silver work.

62 www.flowersandmagazine.com

At the new location, Tara’s enjoys considerably better walk-in business than in the previous shop, making it worthwhile to stock artistic gifts. She is sourcing artwork from local artists to complement the jewelry line. In the meantime, customers buy lots of plants, premade arrangements, and succulents. Tara tries to reach the broadest audience she can. Older people might want a rose, younger people might prefer a succulent: “I don’t target-market any one specific group.”

A NEIGHBORHOOD VIBE “This area is about to explode,” says Tara. “It hasn’t happened yet, but it’s on the verge.”

Events planned by DMI draw hundreds and sometimes thousands of people into the historic district. Music is always a draw.

The Saturday Farmers Market features live music, as does the summer-long Final Friday Brickyard Concerts where the street is

The hundred-year-old building that houses Tara’s Floral Expressions includes four apartments on the top two floors. Outside on the sidewalk, a Styrofoam ice-cream cone advertises the restored ice-cream parlor with its counter and bar stools. The work area (top left) is well organized! blocked off and as many as 7,000 people show up to listen to live music including blues, country, and rock.

Tara’s participates in as many events as possible including the First Friday Shop Hop, where the stores stay open late and offer live music and refreshments (think ice cream). “I love this community because it supports local artists and musicians,” she says. “We have great local talent and I love having musicians play in the shop.” In the heart of the historic district, Tara is on hand with lovely floral bouquets and delicious ice cream. b

what’s in store

ON WINGS OF LOVE Hung with a padded ceramic medallion bearing the stylized image of a hummingbird in flight, the vase featured in Teleflora’s Winged Beauty Bouquet (the “star” bouquet for Mother’s Day 2018) is brushed a soft peachy-pink, then finished with a glossy sheen. Call 800-333-0205 or visit www.MyTeleflora.com.

TREND REPORT VICTORIAN CHIC Soft pastel pink and lavender combinations echo the elegance of the Victorian and modern eras.

HIGH FLYING Betallic’s 24-inch special-shape foil balloon, Bright Blooms Pink, has scalloped edges and photorealistic petals. It’s available also in yellow and orange. All three balloons make a lovely bouquet that coordinates with an 18-inch holographic Mother’s Day foil balloon, featuring pink, yellow and orange blooms on a robin’s-egg-blue background. Call Betallic at 800-325-0185 or visit www.betallic.com.

REPRINTED FROM TELEFLORA’S RESOURCE GUIDE

MARCH 2018 63

where to buy For more information on merchandise featured in Flowers&, contact the supplier directly. Direct links to most suppliers can be found on the Flowers& website, www. flowersandmagazine.com. Use the links under “Advertisers in This Issue” or the link to our searchable, online Buyers’ Guide at the top of the Flowers& home page.

Wave Bowl, Syndicate Sales.

Roselilies and tulips attached to their bulbs, Sun Valley.

Mitsumata, Accent Décor.

O N T HE C O V E R

STANDING UP,

Wave Bowl, Syndicate Sales.

Roselilies and tulips attached to their bulbs, Sun Valley.

Mitsumata, Accent Décor.

F O C U S O N D E S I GN, page 8

Just for Flowers color sprays, Design Master.

MAKING THE UPGRADE,

THAT’S TUBULAR, page 30

11-inch Design Tray, Syndicate Sales.

Filato Paper, Sisal Mesh, Deco Pebbles, Seaglass, and Moss Chunks, Accent Décor.

HIGH AND LOW, page 31

page 32

Rogue Bowl, Accent Décor.

Styrofoam cone, FloraCraft.

LOOK INSIDE, page 33

Heart’s Pirouette azure blown glass vase, Teleflora.

Flat Cane and Diamante Pins, Smithers-Oasis.

page 10

HANGING OUT,

CELEBRATING MOM,

Monroe Vase, Syndicate Sales.

Aluminum wire in turquoise and 8-inch hanging water tubes, Smithers-Oasis.

Rock Candy Iridescent bracelet (RC207), Fitz Design.

Couture Vase, Teleflora.

pages 26-36

IT’S HER PARTY, pages 26-28

Vintage Bottles, Hanging Terrariums, Terrarium Cloches, and Hydro Stones, Syndicate Sales.

Permanent lily of the valley, orchids, and lavender, Pioneer Imports.

Deco Pebbles and Moss Chunks, Accent Décor.

Raw Muslin in Antique Pink, decorative wire including Beaded Wire, and water tubes, Smithers-Oasis.

page 34

ORB-IT,

page 35

Empress Bowl, Accent Décor.

Aquafoam spheres in three sizes, Syndicate Sales.

Diamante Pins, Smithers-Oasis.

Atlantic Brand purple stem wrap, Milton Adler.

IN THE ROUND, page 36

Versailles Vase and floral pillow, Syndicate Sales.

Butterflies, Reliant Ribbon.

LAVENDER AND LACE,

MIX AND MATCH,

Wildflower in Flight dragonfly cube, Teleflora.

Faux lavender (here mixed with fresh), Pioneer Imports.

Bracelets and other costume jewelry including chains, leaves, feathered Flutterzz with stemmed rhinestones, and other decorative accents, plus Design Disks and magnets, Fitz Design.

Decorative wire, Oasis Sequin Wrap, and Lomey Wrap Wristlets, Smithers-Oasis.

Light blue corsage leaves with glitter and Glitter Stem Wrap, Milton Adler.

Light blue beaded garland, Sullivans.

page 29

pg 34 64 www.flowersandmagazine.com

pg 28

page 38-53

pg 32

F E AT U R E D SUPPLIERS Accent DĂŠcor, Inc.

Call 770-346-0707 or visit www.accentdecor.com

Design Master Color Tool

Call 800-525-2644 or visit www.dmcolor.com

Fitz Design

Call 800-500-2120 or visit www.creationsbyfitzdesign.com

FloraCraft

Call 800-253-0409 or visit www.floracraft.com

Milton Adler Company Call 800-651-0113 or visit www.miltonadler.com

Pioneer Imports & Wholesale

Call 888-234-5400 or visit www.pioneerwholesaleco.com

Reliant Ribbon

pg 47

Call 800-886-2697 or visit www.reliantribbon.com

Smithers-Oasis

Call 800-321-8286 or visit www.oasisfloral.com

Sullivans, Inc.

Call 800-456-4568 or visit www.sullivangift.com

Sun Valley Floral Farms Call 800-747-0396 or visit www.thesunvalleygroup.com

Syndicate Sales

Call 800-428-0515 or visit www.syndicatesales.com

Teleflora

Call 800-333-0205 or visit www.myteleflora.com

pg 33

pg 53 MARCH 2018 65

industry events

emporium BUSINESS FOR SALE

For the most recent additions to Teleflora Unit Programs, go to www.MyTeleflora.com and click on Design Education to access the Floral Event Calendar in the Unit Program section.

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MARCH 12-13, WASHINGTON, DC

Congressional Action Days.

Conference hotel: Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City, Arlington, VA. Call the Society of American Florists at 800-336-4743 or visit www.safnow.org.

MARCH 20-22, CHICAGO, IL World Floral Expo, Rosemont Convention Center. Visit www.worldfloralexpo.com.

JUNE 25-27, CHICAGO, IL

International Floriculture Expo, McCormick Place. Visit www.floriexpo.com.

JUNE 30-JULY 5, WASHINGTON, DC

National AIFD Symposium, Washington Marriott Wardman Park. Call the American Institute of Floral Designers at 443-9663850 or visit www.aifd.org.

SEPTEMBER 12-15, PALM SPRINGS, CA

MARCH 11-12, 2019, WASHINGTON, DC Congressional Action Days 2019.

Conference hotel: Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City, Arlington, VA. Call the Society of American Florists at 800-336-4743 or visit www.safnow.org.

JULY 6-11, 2019, LAS VEGAS, NV

National AIFD Symposium 2019, Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. Call the American Institute of Floral Designers at 443-9663850 or visit www.aifd.org.

CENTRAL REGION MARCH 2-4, GRAND RAPIDS, MI

Great Lakes Floral Expo, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel and DeVos Place Convention Center. Program includes hands-on workshop (3/3) and design presentation (3/4) with Tom Simmons: Floristry, An Everyday Event. Visit www.greatlakesfloralexpo.com.

MARCH 16-18, DECATUR, IL

Illinois State Florists’ Association Convention. Visit www.isfaflorists.com.

MARCH 20-22, CHICAGO, IL

World Floral Expo, Rosemont Convention Center. Visit www.worldfloralexpo.com.

Annual SAF Convention, Westin Mission Hills Resort. Call the Society of American Florists at 800-336-4743 or visit www.safnow.org.

MARCH 21, CLEVELAND, OH

SEPTEMBER 19-21, QUITO, ECUADOR

APRIL 6-8, WISCONSIN DELLS, WI

Expo FlorEcuador. Visit www.florecuador.com.

SEPTEMBER 19-21, QUITO, ECUADOR Agriflor 2018. Visit www.hppexhibitions.com.

NOVEMBER 7-9, VIJFHUIZEN, THE NETHERLANDS

International Floriculture & Horticulture Trade Fair (IFTF). Visit www.hppexhibitions.com.

66 www.flowersandmagazine.com

Ohio Buckeye Unit, Weddings with Tim Farrell, Nordlie. Contact Carolyn Young at 330-592-9863 or ayoungcarolyn@gmail.com.

Wisconsin Upper Michigan Florist Association Convention, Chula Vista Resort. Call WUMFA at 844400-9554 or visit www.wumfa.org.

NORTHEAST REGION MARCH 25, ORONO, ME

Maine State Florists Association, program includes Weddings with Joyce Mason-Monheim, Black Bear Inn & Conference Center.

Contact Rhonda Little at 207723-9016 or millinocketfloral@ gwi.net.

SOUTH CENTRAL REGION MARCH 4, OPELOUSAS, LA Louisiana State Florist Association, program includes Wedding Designs with Jenny Thomasson, Evangeline Downs.

Contact Annie Taylor at 337234-1421 or leonasuesflorist@ aol.com.

MARCH 9-11, DALLAS, TX

Teleflora Scholarship Academy, European Design with Jenny Thomasson, Renaissance Dallas Hotel. Email teleflorascholarship@ teleflora.com.

IN BEAUTIFUL NORTHERN MICHIGAN Full-service flower shop, garden center and nursery with 12 greenhouses for sale.

In business 71 years; owner retiring.

Rural area, but with a population base of 25,000.

Largest greenhouse within nearly 100 miles.

Holiday plants, seasonal flowers.

Property on a few acres includes 2 rental units above the greenhouse.

Danielson’s Greenhouse and Floral:

Call 906-563-9322 or email: danielsonsgh@att.net

MARCH 18, ALBUQUERQUE, NM

New Mexico-WesTexas Unit, Everyday Designs with Kevin Ylvisaker, DWF. Contact Thia Smith at 505-242-7818 or tsmith@silverspringsfloral.com.

APRIL 11, FORT WORTH, TX

Texas Floral Showcase, City Club Fort Worth. Visit www.tsfa.org.

JULY 14, HOUSTON, TX

Texas Floral Forum. Visit www.tsfa.org.

OCTOBER 3, LUBBOCK, TX

Texas Floral Showcase, McKenzie-Merket Alumni Center.

Visit www.tsfa.org.

SOUTHEAST REGION MARCH 6, HALETHORPE, MD

DC-MD-VA Unit, Special Event Designs with John Hosek, Delaware Valley Wholesale.

Contact JoAnn Baker at 410255-8184 or joannbaker@ mahersflorist.net.

WESTERN REGION MARCH 11, SACRAMENTO, CA

Northern California-Nevada Unit with AIFD Northwest Chapter, Wedding Designs with John Hosek, Floral Fresh Wholesale.

Contact Todd Johnson at 530273-2296 or foothillflorist@ yahoo.com.

EMPLOYMENT Florasearch, Inc.

In our third decade of performing confidential key employee searches for the floriculture industry and allied trades worldwide. Retained basis only. Candi­date contact welcome, confidential, and always free.

1740 Lake Markham Rd., Sanford, FL 32771 Phone: (407) 320-8177 / Fax: (407) 320-8083 E-mail: search@florasearch.com Website: http://www.florasearch.com

EQUIPMENT Refrigerators For Flowers

Combo walkins, storage, reach-ins 800-729-5964 www.flotaire.com

Advertise in

emporium For rates and info, call

Peter Lymbertos at 800-421-4921

advertiser links SCHOOLS

Advertisers’ websites are hyperlinked on the Flowers& website. Go to www.flowersandmagazine.com and click on “Advertisers in This Issue.”

ACCENT DÉCOR, INC.

770-346-0707

5

WWW.ACCENTDECOR.COM

AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF FLORAL DESIGNERS (AIFD)

410-752-3318

21

WWW.AIFD.ORG

CALFLOWERS (CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF FLOWER GROWERS & SHIPPERS)

831-479-4912

1

WWW.CAFGS.ORG

DOLLAR TREE DIRECT

877-530-TREE (8733)

INSIDE FRONT COVER

WWW.DOLLARTREE.COM/FLORAL/559/INDEX.CAT

FLORAL DELIVER EASE

877-740-3273

57

WWW.FLORALDELIVEREASE.COM

FLORAL SUPPLY SYNDICATE

877-347-9994

25

WWW.FSS.COM

GARCIA GROUP GLASS / A DIVISION OF THE GARCIA GROUP

800-241-3733

BACK COVER

WWW.FLORAMART.COM

INTERNATIONAL FLORICULTURE EXPO (IFE)

207-842-5508

17

WWW.FLORIEXPO.COM

LONGHORN IMPORTS

800-641-8348

12-13

WWW.LONGHORNIMPORTS.COM

PIONEER IMPORTS & WHOLESALE

888-234-5400

7

WWW.PIONEERWHOLESALECO.COM

RELIANT RIBBON

800-886-2697

57

WWW.RELIANTRIBBON.COM

SANDTASTIK PRODUCTS

800-845-3845

BIG IDEAS along with flower news & business advice A digital subscription is only $24.95 for a full year.

Visit: www.flowersandmagazine.com & click on the “subscribe” tab.

6

WWW.FLORALSAND.COM

SEMINOLE 25

800-638-3378

WWW.SEMINOLEDS.COM

SMITHERS-OASIS 3

800-321-8286

WWW.OASISFLORAL.COM

THE SUN VALLEY GROUP

800-747-0396

SYNDICATE SALES

800-428-0515

11

WWW.TSVG.COM INSIDE BACK COVER

WWW.SYNDICATESALES.COM

TELEFLORA

14, 37

800-333-0205 WWW.MYTELEFLORA.COM

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MARCH 2018 67

wholesaler connection Flowers& magazine distributors ARIZONA PHOENIX Floral Supply Syndicate

GEORGIA OMEGA Hornbuckle Wholesale Florist

CALIFORNIA CAMARILLO Floral Supply Syndicate FRESNO Designer Flower Center LOS ANGELES Floral Supply Syndicate SACRAMENTO Flora Fresh Floral Supply Syndicate SAN BERNARDINO Floral Supply Syndicate SAN DIEGO Floral Supply Syndicate San Diego Florist Supplies SAN FRANCISCO Floral Supply Syndicate SAN JOSE Floral Supply Syndicate SANTA ANA Floral Supply Syndicate SANTA ROSA Sequoia Floral International UPLAND Floral Supply Syndicate VAN NUYS Floral Supply Syndicate

HAWAII HONOLULU Flora-Dec Sales

COLORADO DENVER Floral Supply Syndicate CONNECTICUT NORWALK East Coast Wholesale Flowers FLORIDA JACKSONVILLE Floral Supply Syndicate PENSACOLA American Floral Wholesale of Pensacola Carlstedt’s, LLC

ILLINOIS CHICAGO The Roy Houff Company MILAN Bonnett Wholesale Florist NORMAL The Roy Houff Company Wheeling The Roy Houff Company KANSAS WICHITA Valley Floral Company KENTUCKY LOUISVILLE The Roy Houff Company LOUISIANA LAFAYETTE Louisiana Wholesale Florists MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON Jacobson Floral Supply MICHIGAN WARREN Nordlie, Inc. MINNESOTA MINNEAPOLIS Koehler and Dramm MISSOURI ST LOUIS Floral Supply Syndicate LaSalle Wholesale Florist NEVADA LAS VEGAS Floral Supply Syndicate RENO Floral Supply Syndicate NEW YORK CAMPBELL HALL Alders Wholesale Florist

68 www.flowersandmagazine.com

ATTENTION

OHIO DAYTON Nordlie, Inc. NORTH CANTON Canton Wholesale Floral OREGON PORTLAND Floral Design Institute Floral Supply Syndicate SOUTH DAKOTA SIOUX FALLS North American Wholesale Florist, Inc.

FLORAL WHOLESALERS

Reward without the Risk we promise!

TENNESSEE NASHVILLE The Roy Houff Company TEXAS DALLAS Floral Supply Syndicate UTAH SALT LAKE CITY Floral Supply Syndicate VIRGINIA NORFOLK The Roy Houff Company RICHMOND The Roy Houff Company WASHINGTON SEATTLE Floral Supply Syndicate TACOMA Washington Floral Service CANADA BURNABY, BC United Floral Inc.

Sell Flowers& in your store! for extra profits Select any quantity— no minimum Whatever you don’t sell we buy back!

Yes, it really is that simple.

Call 800-321-2665

MALAYSIA SELANGOR Worldwide Floral Services SINGAPORE Worldwide Floral Services

Visit us online for a taste of Flowers& quality. flowersandmagazine.com