Flowers& - March 2015

contents

departments 8

Focus on Design A Design Grid with Wire Spheres

By Rich Salvaggio AIFD, AAF, PFCI

15

pg 18

Flower Tales Protea

By Tom Bowling AIFD, PFCI

18

Design Tech A “European Garden”

By Cindy Tole

23

Shop Profile Brent Douglas Flowers & Artist Gallery

By Anne Bergman Photography by Randall Lee/ Images By Lee

64

What’s in Store

65

Advertiser Links

65

Industry Events

67

Where to Buy

68

Wholesaler Connection

pg 9

Flowers& Volume 36, 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, $66.00.

Canada, 1 year, $90.00 (US currency only); Canadian GST registration number R127851293. Other foreign countries, 1 year, $102.00 (US currency only). Single issues, $5.50 each prepaid. Periodicals postage paid at Los Angeles, Calif., and at additional mailing offices.

Postmaster: Send address changes to Flowers&, PO Box 16029, North Hollywood, CA 91615-9871.

Copyright © 2015 by Teleflora. Printed in U.S.A.

4 MARCH 2015

pg 16

Flowers& Publisher Editor Art Director

Rich Salvaggio AIFD, AAF, PFCI rsalvaggio@teleflora.com Bruce Wright Tony Fox

National Advertising Director

Peter Lymbertos

U.S. Subscriptions

800-321-2665

Foreign Subscriptions

818-286-3128

Advertising

800-421-4921

On the Internet

www.MyTeleflora.com www.flowersandmagazine.com

ADVISORY BOARD Teleflora Education Specialists Susan Ayala AIFD, PFCI, Loma Linda, Calif., Tom Bowling AIFD, PFCI, Syndicate Sales, Fairfield, Ohio, Tim Farrell AIFD, AAF, PFCI, Farrell’s Florist, Drexel Hill, Penn., Jim Ganger AIFD, Kansas City, Mo., Hitomi Gilliam Dallas, Texas, John Hosek

AIFD,

Vancouver, B.C., Canada, Bob Hampton

AIFD, PFCI, CF, CAFA,

AIFD, AAF, PFCI,

Surroundings Events and Floral, Verona,

Wisc., Alex Jackson AIFD, AAF, PFCI, Veldkamp’s Flowers, Lakewood, Colo., Vonda LaFever AIFD, PFCI,

Niceville, Fla., Joyce Mason-Monheim AIFD, AAF, PFCI, AzMF, 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, Jerome Raska AIFD, AAF, PFCI, CF, Blumz by JR Designs, Ferndale, Mich.,

Tom Simmons AIFD, CCF, Three Bunch Palms Productions, Palm Springs, Calif., Gerard Toh AIFD, CCF,

Garden Trade Services, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Cindy Tole, Botanica Flowers &

Gifts, Greensboro, N.C., Kevin Ylvisaker AIFD, PFCI, CAFA, Mukwonago, Wisc.

EDITORIAL COUNCIL Marie Ackerman AIFD, AAF, PFCI, Teleflora, Oklahoma City, Okla., Carol J. Caggiano AIFD, PFCI, A.

Caggiano, Inc., Jeffersonton, Va., Bert Ford AIFD, PFCI, Ford Flower Co., Salem, N.H.,

Wilton Hardy

AIFD, AAF, PFCI, FSMD,

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

Elizabeth Seiji AIFD, 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

1. To begin, wire silver wire spheres together with silver metallic wire to make a very secure design grid. The exact number and configuration depends on your container: here, three attached spheres nicely fill the bottom of the art-glass bowl.

8 www.flowersandmagazine.com

•M

Floral design by Rich Salvaggio AIFD, AAF, PFCI

•

Photography by Ron Derhacopian

Special flowers and beautiful mechanics make for a magnificent Mother’s Day design.

A design grid made with silver wire spheres adds glitter and novelty to a stunning bouquet of premium flowers 1 in a keepsake art-glass bowl.

â–˛

•

For product information, see Where to Buy, page 67.

See this

HOW-TO on

Click Here

3

2. Additional spheres, wired on top of the bottom layer, provide stem control for an abundant bouquet. When you have enough spheres, add water with preservative to the bowl.

3. Add flowers, beginning with double Roselilies. Take advantage of the branching structure of the lilies to place blooms facing up and out. Fill in with dahlias, gerberas, and spray roses. Strands of ivy add line interest across the surface of the bouquet. b

2

MARCH 2015 9

D

D

D&D International

TOLL-FREE

(844) 471-3526

www.dndvases.com

Visit www.dndvases.com to view our huge selection of quality vases.

f lower tales

Stories and fun facts to share with customers about their favorite flowers

protea

Flowers in the wide-ranging protea family

come in many different shapes and sizes—which is why the great Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus named them after a Greek god, Proteus, who was able to assume any form he wished.

The most famous story about Proteus is told by Homer in the Odyssey. This god, also known as the Old Man of the Sea, was endowed with knowledge of all things, past, present and future. If anyone questioned him, however, he would try to escape by changing form. Only by holding fast to the shape-shifting god could his captor force him to answer any question.

In the Odyssey, Menelaus—one of the Greek heroes returning from Troy— manages to hold tight while Proteus transforms himself into a lion, a snake, a leopard, and even into running water. In the end, Menelaus’s only reward is to learn that several of his fellow Greeks have met with tragic fates.

MARCH 2015 15

flower tales protea •M

Floral design by Tom Bowling AIFD, PFCI

•

Photography by Ron Derhacopian

The protea family (the Proteaceae) in-

down into a thick, sweet, ruby-colored syrup,

well—among them, Leucospermum (pincush-

thought to be good for coughs. The syrup

ion proteas), Leucadendron (Safari Sunset, for

could also be cooked until it produced a kind

example), and Banksia. Many people loosely

of sugar known as bush sugar.

use the term protea to refer to all of these, but

As commercial cut flowers, proteas are

it should properly be reserved for such impres-

grown in southern California and Hawaii.

sive, long-lasting, and often feather-textured

Between domestic sources and imports,

flowers as king, queen, and mink proteas.

proteas are available year-round, but are most

One of the oldest families of flowering plants on earth, the Proteaceae has been around for 300 million years. In fact, proteas

plentiful and of the highest quality in spring, fall and winter.

The pair of designs on this page feature,

grew on the supercontinent known as Gond-

respectively, a queen and a king protea,

wana before it split up into the continents

along with smaller minks and pincushions.

we know today—which sounds like it could

The combination of colors and textures

explain why protea are found as native plants

works beautifully, the yellow-tipped orange

in both South Africa and Australia.

pincushions contrasting with the furry proteas

In South Africa, proteas may also be called sugarbushes. One species in particular,

16 www.flowersandmagazine.com

the earliest European settlers, who boiled it

cludes the genus Protea and other genera as

in two shades of pink, yet harmonizing as only members of the same diverse family can

Protea repens, produced a

do. Monstera leaves complement the natural

nectar that was commonly

protea foliage and cover foam efficiently, while

harvested by the indig-

the Willow Vase and Design Tray support the

enous inhabitants and by

rugged, woodsy look of the proteas. b

design tech

•M

Basic design techniques from Cindy Tole

how to make a “European garden” Baskets filled with four- and five-inch potted plants can be among the prettiest and longest-lasting floral designs around—but there’s a right and a wrong way to make sure they are. The key is to elevate each plant to the right height and give it a separate plastic liner. (continued on page 20)

10 2010 18 JULY www.flowersandmagazine.com

•

Photography by Ron Derhacopian

design tech euro garden 1. Usually all your plants will need to be elevated at least a little. Therefore, start with a layer of Styrofoam, cut to fit the bottom of the basket.

2. Line the basket with polyfoil (which is simply foil that is backed with plastic, so it doesn’t tear or leak). Fold the polyfoil down to just below the rim of the basket.

3. As you arrange plants within the basket, some will need to be elevated higher than others—both to make the design more attractive and for the health of the plants. The goal is to get the rim of each pot just below the rim of the basket. Chunks of Styrofoam (recycled packing material is OK) work just fine. There’s one more step, however, to make sure all the plants receive equal and correct amounts of moisture. Since their green plastic pots have drainage holes, the more elevated plants may drain too fast, while any plants sitting on the polyfoil are at risk of getting waterlogged. Solution: give each plant its own clear plastic liner, trimmed to fit over the base of the green plastic pot. Finish by tucking moss around the edges of the plants as needed.

Instruct the consumer to water each plant individually—just enough—and the basket will last a very long time. b

1

2

3

20 www.flowersandmagazine.com

the Original Just Add Flowers Wristlet Company Just Add Flowers & Just Add Bling Wristlets Flower Girl Purses Flower Wands & Headbands Toll Free: 1-855-355-2900

www.bowtieddesigns.com Phone: (850) 579-2900

Like us on Facebook cause we like you

shop profile

•

By Anne Bergman

•

Photography by randall Lee/Images By Lee

Brent Douglas Flowers & Artist Gallery

describing his store’s vibe as “modern, edgier… It’s not like a traditional, Eau Claire, Wisconsin fluffy shop. We like to keep up with Owner: Brent Stelzer the trends, and are more focused on the art aspect of flowers, incorporatSpace: 52,000 square feet ing them into the other items we sell, Staff: Six full-time employees rent Douglas Stelzer’s youthful age belies his such as pottery, jewelry, and glass(including Brent) plus part-time experience. At 34, he’s spent 15 years in the ware.” and seasonal help floral trenches and has owned his own enterAn Eau Claire native, Brent adds www.brentdouglas.biz prise based in Eau Claire, Wisconsin for the that he’s recently noticed “a change www.brentdouglasflowers.com last 11 years. in the area” as customers are beginIn fact, Brent and his Brent Douglas Flowers and Artning to recognize the value of art, talist Gallery fit right into the Eau Claire community, which ent and creativity in the flowers they is one of the youngest in in the state. According to the U.S. buy. “We’re seeing a lot more of that in our shop, with people realCensus of 2010, the median age in Eau Claire County is about 33 izing that you can buy a $20 bunch of roses from Walmart, but you years old. can also spend more and get something with a more creative flair to In Eau Claire, Brent is effectively tapping into this potential market, it, rather than just a wrapped bouquet,” he says.

That “creative flair” just earned Brent a “Best Interpretation Award” The design room is very much out in the open and part of the at the inaugural Fabulous Florals & Fine Art show, organized by the showroom at Brent Douglas Flowers & Artist Gallery, with tools and Eau Claire regional Arts Center, which featured 13 teams of visual and floral artists from the area. supplies as part of the display.

Youthful artistry finds an outlet—and a market—in Eau Claire.

B

MArCH 2015 23

shop profile “Four different floral designers from the shop put in floral entries,” Brent says. “I was happy to win, but I was also hoping some of my employees would win, because they all had really good pieces.” According to Brent, the Eau Claire show was inspired by the success of the Milwaukee Art Museum’s “Art in Bloom” exhibit. “I’m excited that now we have our own show, and there’s another one planned for next year,” he says.

Further, Brent was energized by the judge’s comments on “how detailed and creative our arrangements were. It was nice to hear that feedback; it was a bit of a boost for us.”

ALL IN THE FAMILY Despite the fact that the business is named after him (Douglas is his middle name), Brent is quick to point out that this is a family affair. His two sisters and his parents helped him to open his original shop, and one of his sisters, Nika, is poised to officially partner with him within the next few months.

“I already consider her a co-owner, considering how much sweat equity she put into the business when we were starting up. She worked all the time without asking for a paycheck. Actually my entire family has done that,” Brent says.

As Brent tells it, he and his family shared an interest in gardening as he was growing up, so it was natural for him to want to work with flowers. In high school he got his start in the floral business working at a local flower shop that eventually led to a job with a flower wholesaler. College was put aside in favor of a career in the creative arts. “Flowers became my thing,” says Brent.

A counter and custom-built bar stools (above right) make it even easier for customers to watch designers at work. Nearby, an old claw-foot bathtub has been converted into a fishtank—a draw for kids and their parents. The artist gallery likewise provides a community connection and another reason for customers to visit the shop.

24 www.flowersandmagazine.com

WINNING THE LOTTERY A few years later, Brent bought a lottery ticket with the goal of starting his own flower venture out of his parents’ home. He ended up winning $50— enough to buy a business license. Brent’s good luck streak continued that winter when he applied for a booth at his first bridal show.

Unfortunately, due to a paperwork snafu, his application was delayed and he was informed that he was not going to have a booth on the showroom floor. Having invested so much of his own time and money (as well as the time of his helpful friends and family) into his booth preparation, Brent decided to ask the management of the hotel where the show was being held if he could set up in an alternate spot.

Management staff agreed and Brent found himself in the middle of the hotel lobby where everyone attending the show was huddled for shelter, thanks to some subzero weather. The next day, Brent says, his phone was “ringing off the hook.” Turns out, his preparation had paid off.

Soon he realized that his parents’ home couldn’t adequately contain his burgeoning enterprise. One day while taking a nostalgic tour of his grandmother’s former neighborhood, he came upon a retail space for lease.

“The rent was $250 a month! How can you fail on $250 a month? We ended up being there for seven years,” Brent recalls.

MOVING ON UP One of the downsides to that first rented retail space is that the shop was located on an off street, “so it was harder to find us,” Brent says. Today, Brent Douglas Flowers & Artist Gallery is in a more visible location downtown. It boasts twice the square footage and even has a full basement, convenient for storage. Since the move three years ago, “people are becoming more known to us,” Brent says, adding that most of his customers find him via word of mouth, as he doesn’t invest in any print or TV advertising.

“We definitely have a rush time during spring and fall months,” he reports. “It really kicks into full gear around April with events at local hospitals to serve with flower arrange-

MARCH 2015 25

shop profile

ments, Easter, Mother’s Day and then wedding season. So we have a lot more employees at that time.”

Thanks to an increase in daily delivery business, Brent and his staff now accept fewer weddings “for peace of mind. It’s what we want,” he says. “We used to take 10 weddings a weekend, but ended up with no personal life.

While the money was good, it was too much, so we scaled them down.”

The shop’s staff (many are university students) fluctuates with the seasons, with 11 on hand over the summer, including part-time and seasonal employees, reduced to eight in the fall, when school resumes session. “We all do designing, my sister and I do the bridal bouquets, casket sprays, the more challenging things,” Brent says. “But I like everybody to do every job, from boutonnières to centerpieces. Everybody should know how to do everything.”

The shop’s creative flair shines through the details. “We like to personalize our arrangements,” Brent says. “For newborn arrangements we’ll spell their names in copper wire. People call us now and want to have ‘Baby Olivia’ in wire. It’s fun that people come to us for that reason.”

26 www.flowersandmagazine.com

FOR ART’S SAKE While sculpting with copper wire and designing flower arrangements provides Brent with a creative outlet, he holds loftier artistic ambitions as well, which is why he originally decided to open an art gallery in addition to his floral shop.

When the shop moved to its current location, Brent decided to convert the former location into an art gallery, partly with the intent of showcasing his own artwork—mostly copper wire and cement sculptures and outdoor art. “We always had locally made items from different artists and crafters,” he notes. “But when we moved, I still had a lease at the old location, so we converted that into a gallery. After a year, we decided to combine it into the new location.

“We put the word out to people we knew, and we had so many artists come to us that it became overwhelming. We had so much stuff, and it was all nice work, but it became too cluttered, so we’ve had to scale it back. Now we are just keeping the most popular artists.

“When we first opened the gallery, Eau Claire did not Besides art and flowers, customers can find pottery, glassware, jewelry, and other decorative items at Brent Douglas Flowers & Artist Gallery, all displayed in a way that contributes to the shop’s youthful and artistic vibe. Overall, Brent says he notices a trend toward customer appreciation of art, talent and creativity in the flowers they buy.

MARCH 2015 27

Florist’s Best Friend--

Floral Delivery Trays EASY LOAD NO SPILL LIGHT WEIGHT

Floral Delivery Tray or Floral Carrier!

One carrier holds an average of 20 to 30 arrangements.

• Light-weight, high-impact plastic. Size 48” x 48”. 33 lbs. Pins included.

• Carrier is adjustable to any size (removing or adding blocks as needed).

• Large, flat surface, available by moving pins to storage at sides.

• No special places; load in the order you wish to deliver.

• No tip-overs or broken ends---saves load and unload time.

SEMINOLE

3710 Sipes Ave, Sanford, FL 32773

1-800-638-3378 • Fax 407-322-6668 outside U.S.A. 407-321-4310

PATENTED

30 Day Mfg. Satisfaction Guarantee!

www.seminoleds.com

shop profile have many outlets for artists to display their work, so when they heard about our gallery, they just jumped on it. Lots of things have changed in our community now, so thankfully there are more outlets.”

PERSONALITY PLUS According to Brent, customers often return to visit the shop’s cats, Ian and Gertie, whom Brent adopted from a nearby farm. Brent also mentions that customers love the shop’s bathtub. Wait a minute… the bathtub?

“We have a bathtub that we converted into a fish tank,” Brent explains. “When I was decorating the original shop I didn’t have a whole lot of money, but my dad had an old claw-foot bathtub. We turned it into a pond and kids love coming to feed the fish.

It’s a lot of upkeep, but when I look back at my childhood, I remember stuff like that.

These kids will remember coming to our flower shop, feeding the fish and petting the cats—and hopefully they’ll think of us in a 28 www.flowersandmagazine.com

few years at prom time!”

Brent highlights the shop’s lively atmosphere on Facebook and the store’s website.

“We use Facebook to introduce our staff, promote our goods and events. It’s a great way to show the personality of the flower shop, the fun and caring people who work here. We can let that through.”

GIVING BACK Building a community online is important, but Brent also strongly believes in contributing to his local community too. “If you give to your community, it will give back.

We give to almost every single person who comes in requesting a charitable donation.

It’s one of our biggest ways to spread the word. If you give, it will give back,” he says.

Brent also emphasizes the significance of building community among his fellow florists, having joined the Wisconsin-Upper Michigan Unit of Teleflora about five years ago. “I’d been kind of a hermit for a while, but now I’m understanding what other shops

are going through,” he concedes.

As president of the unit for a two-year term just ended, Brent was able to help promote floral education. He says that organizing these events “really put a whole new spin on things for me. You meet people, hear their ideas and pull from their creativity. It’s been a huge asset.”

And, his involvement with the Teleflora unit has also led Brent to think more expansively about his own future. “I’ve always loved having my own shop. I hope to have it a long time and eventually to pass it down to someone,” he says.

“But, as I’ve become more involved with flower programs and attended president meetings, I see a lot more potential for myself. I want to earn my credentials and certification so I can get to the point where I’m teaching other florists.” It’s a big ambition for a young florist, but there’s nothing wrong with aiming high, especially when giving is the goal. b

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

Inspiration delivered!

If you’re not already getting Flowers& delivered to your own mailbox (or e-mailbox)—

Now’s the time to subscribe!

Get a monthly dose of design creativity, flower news and business advice, for just $5.50 per issue!* A digital subscription is only $19.95 for a full year.

Visit: www.flowersandmagazine.com and click on the “subscribe” link. *Subscription rates are higher for international subscribers, discounted for Teleflora members.

Visit our website for more info.

30 www.flowersandmagazine.com 1 AUGUST 2010

Mother’s Day is just the time to offer designs that stand out from the crowd.

For product information,

W

Floral design by Tom Simmons AIFD

Photography by Ron Derhacopian

see Where to Buy, page 67.

FLAUNTING FREESIA While not inexpensive, freesias are under-appreciated premium flowers that deserve a showcase like this one. Tom placed the freesia first, then planted the pink Oriental lilies in the foam all around the freesia stems, with hydrangea and pink roses on the outside. Loops of flat cane add line interest to the rounded surface of the bouquet.

2 AUGUST 2010

MARCH 2015 31

Spring fever!

OUT OF THE BOX The Vintage Crate comes with 12 individual clay pots that can be filled with wet foam, then with flowers, herbs, ivy and fern fronds.

The crate makes a lovely display that can also be disassembled, if the recipient so desires, and the pots scattered about the kitchen or the house.

WHAT’S BETTER THAN CHOCOLATE? Answer: Godiva chocolates, resting on a bed of floral foam covered with variegated hala leaves, accented with orchids and anthuriums for a truly luxe look.

The hala leaves are woven across the surface of the foam in two directions, creating a beautiful pattern and protecting the chocolates from moisture while allowing floral insertions through the leaves: simply pave the way for each insertion by first inserting the tip of a design knife.

START A COLLECTION When a collection of boutique vases forms such an attractive grouping, it suggests an opportunity for each of Mom’s kids to give one or more of the vases, each filled with a different flower: here, tulips, muscari, red Nikita and Yellow Babe spray roses, pink and white sweet peas, anemones, freesia, and for added fragrance, a bunch of fresh mint.

00 www.flowersandmagazine.com 32

How Special is She?

FEBRUART MARCH 2015 00 33

Spring fever!

STEM SUPPORT Above, segments of leftover sunflower stems, all cut to the height of a long, low glass rectangle, make a pleasing pattern through the glass while they support placements of Pink Mink proteas, dendrobium orchid sprays, arbicola leaves, and Flexi Grass.

DEEP PURPLE Purple Mega Beads bring out the rich hues of mini callas and a purple-tipped succulent rosette inside the elegant terrarium design at left. Swirling lily grass reinforces the circular motion of the calla stems. The succulent, with its roots rinsed and still attached, nestles in a bed of river rocks.

When the callas have faded, they can be removed and the design remains colorful and long-lasting.

FRAMED A small jeweled box (elevated on a green plastic anchor pin) nestles at the heart of the design on the opposite page, while the flowers make a glorious frame for the gift. Tom filled a low green plastic tray with foam, then began insertions with the orange parakeet heliconia and the yellow mini callas. The taller flowers draw the eye downward to the center, where the box is placed among yellow gerberas, cymbidium orchids, and arbicola leaves.

00 38 34 www.flowersandmagazine.com

How Special is She?

FEBRUART MARCH 2015 00 35

How Spr ing Special is She? fever!

MOTHER AND CHILD This pair of orchid designs can be displayed together and sold separately or as one two-part gift. The tall brown oncidium hybrid comes in a six-inch plastic pot. Tom wedged the plastic pot into the larger of the Hammered Copper Egg Bowls with dry foam around the sides. He planted the manzanita branch in the soil of the orchid pot and mossed the surface, then dotted the manzanita with glued-on craspedia buttons. Other craspedia buttons have their stems inserted through the moss; since they will dry in place, it doesn’t matter whether the stems go into soil or dry foam. The orchid can be watered by nestling an ice cube near the base of the plant once or twice a week. The smaller of the two bowls is filled with cymbidium blooms and arbicola foliage, with a simple accent of leaf shapes outlined in gold aluminum wire.

SWEETER BY THE BUNCH Individual bunches come together to compose a segmented bouquet, united in a single vase with button wire (twisted around loops of aluminum wire) looped and drizzled over the top. In a family with several small children, each can pick a flower. The stem bundle of each flower bunch is individually wrapped with aluminum wire, and the minibunches support each other in the white ceramic pot..

00 www.flowersandmagazine.com 36

FEBRUART MARCH 2015 00 37

Spring fever!

TRENDING UPWARD Whether leaning against a wall or hanging upright, the Vertical Garden makes a spectacular gift—and an eye-catching in-store display. The wooden crate is designed with slanting round receptacles for the clay pots that come with it. Small, low-growing plants like succulents and tillandsias can be left in their plastic pots and inserted into the clay pots, simply dressed with a little moss—which makes watering even easier. Since they require little moisture, they can be simply spritzed or watered with a dropper bottle. Adding depth to the display are phalaenopsis orchids. Because the heavy orchid sprays lean out, Tom gave them extra support with short segments cut from hyacinth stakes, inserted deep into the soil and wired to the stems.

SUNNY DAY Feverfew (matricaria) makes a beautiful choice as an accent for sunflowers, repeating the flower form in miniature. Rosemary adds fragrance, while variegated ivy spills from the base of the bouquet, uniting the flowers with the urn. Dark, split flax leaves loop through the flowers, lending line movement to the bouquet, which rests in a tray strapped into the top of the urn with bowl tape, making the whole arrangement much lighter than it would be if the urn were filled with wet foam.

38 00 www.flowersandmagazine.com

How Special is She?

MARCH 2015 39 FEBRUART 00

Spring fever!

BRANCHING OUT With their fresh bright green, lichen branches work as well in spring as in fall designs. Rachelle has fashioned them into an armature, binding several short branches together with Rustic Wire and anchoring the bundle to the foam with greening pins. From there it was simple to cover the foam with light green hydrangea and to complete the design with gerberas, stock, solidago and tulips. b

40 www.flowersandmagazine.com

How Special is She?

GOLD FOREST A dinner party (one that she doesn’t have to cook) is a great way to celebrate Mom. And to make the occasion truly festive, long-necked teardrop vases filled with oncidium orchids add up to a simple but spectacular table display. The orchids complement a loaf-shaped centerpiece in a low white tray, bursting with white and yellow flowers: lilies, roses, gerberas, tulips, hydrangea, carnations.

Feverfew springs from the surface of the design, lending additional depth and delicacy. b MARCH 2015 41

42 www.flowersandmagazine.com

picture perf ect high-fashion, photo-ready flowers for prom night.

SHE COMES TO YOU looking for something on-trend, yet all her own, tailored to her personality, be it playful or romantic, dramatic or demure. With abundant ideas and flexible techniques, you can assure her she’s come to the right place!

Floral design by Susan Ayala AIFD, PFCI

Models: Spencer Johnson, Isobel Macondray

Photography by Ron Derhacopian

Hair and makeup: Marybeth Bagonghasa

For product information,

W

Prom dresses by Madison James, www.Madison-James.com

see Where to Buy, page 67.

MARCH 2015 43

picture perf ect

44 www.flowersandmagazine.com

LADY IN RED The elastic Fitz Design Embracer, designed as a diamond wrap cover for a slender cylinder vase, can also serve as an upper-arm bracelet.

Here it’s decorated with red Nikita spray roses, securely attached to the Embracer with wire. Some of the roses have diamonds glued into the center; others dangle, their short stems tightly wrapped in bullion wire.

IN THE LIMELIGHT A green and silver wrist corsage charmingly incorporates jeweled sprays with clear and light green crystals, leaves of silver filigree, and a green cymbidium orchid blossom, which Susie has enhanced with extra outside petals (reserving the throat for a boutonniere, page 56). She made a foundation bracelet out of 18gauge wire, wrapping it in light green ribbon and forming it into two loops that bend around the wrist. The loops are additionally wrapped in silver bullion, and the center wrapped in more light green ribbon to provide a base for gluing the leaves and the orchid bloom.

MARCH 2015 45

picture perf ect

46 www.flowersandmagazine.com

SOPHISTICATED BRAIDS Raffia, braided together with gold bullion and gold beaded wire, makes the perfect complement to a braided hairstyle. Combining a natural, hand-crafted look with a touch of glitz, the raffia braid serves both as a foundation for the hair wreath and as decorative detail for the matching wrist corsage. For the wreath, Susie used two strands of the braid, twisted and wired together. At the back, the double strand incorporates a loop on one end and a single wired strand on the other—so that the size of the wreath could be adjusted on the girl’s head. Glued to the front of the wreath with floral adhesive are pink mink protea leaves and petals, hypericum berries, yellow mokara and red James Storie orchids, green trachelium, and Ilse spray roses.

On the wrist corsage, the wire-wrapped, braided raffia adds reinforcement to either side of a bracelet made with raw muslin and three lengths of gold flat wire. Susie turned each piece of wire in at the ends and shaped it into a semicircle; she glued the wires to the raw muslin, one along each edge and one in the middle, to make a flexible bracelet. After edging the bracelet with the braided raffia, she glued flowers directly to the muslin with floral adhesive.

MARCH 2015 47

picture perf ect

48 www.flowersandmagazine.com

GLITTER IN THE DARK Black, white and silver makes for an elegant, retro look with sequins and bugle beads. For the wrist corsage on the opposite page, Susie made a composite flower, based on a beaded flower of a type available at bead and fabric stores. It comes as plastic pad with no bracelet attached; instead, long strings of black bugle beads dangle from the pad, and these are simply wrapped around the wrist to hold the corsage on. Glued to the top of the plastic pad is a swirling cluster of the black bugle beads. To this foundation Susie added loops of black, diamond-studded ribbon and (with floral adhesive) Akito white rose petals.

The necklace is based on a looped, triple thickness of black aluminum wire, bound here and there with black bullion. This foundation is adorned with glittered and diamond-studded black ribbons, white Viviane! spray roses, and dendrobium and hyacinth florets.

MARCH 2015 49

picture perf ect

50 www.flowersandmagazine.com

IN THE PINK More and more promgoers are asking for small handheld bouquets. Susie fashioned the one opposite in a bouquet holder: she wrapped the handle first with black floral tape, then with aluminum wire in strong pink that she also twisted into a tail (along with some black flat wire). To make the mini bouquet itself, she worked from the outside in, starting with a collar of looped polka-dot ribbon and adding an inner collar made with loops of glittered tulle, individually wired and inserted into the holder. The bright medley of pink flowers includes striped Pink Flash spray roses, tulips, waxflower, and trachelium, covered with a sheltering cage of more pink wire.

FEATHERED TRENDS Feathers and lightweight, premade feathered accessories are an easy way to add something fun and colorful to prom flowers.

The hair ornament above right is based on a black fabric-covered headband. Individual feathers and hyacinth florets were glued on, plus jeweled sprays, mini phales, and an oval brooch. For the wrist corsage, Susie made a double loop of black aluminum wire to serve as the base. She wrapped black ribbon around the center and glued on a semicircle of black beaded feathers, then the individual mini peacock feathers, before adding jeweled sprays, mini phalaenopsis orchids and hyacinth florets.

MARCH 2015 51

BLACK-EYED BEAUTY A single

PRETTY, QUICK Nothing could be

mini sunflower has a strong

easier than making, in advance,

graphic impact—and is quickly

a foundation bouquet of tulle

and easily glued to the

puffs, brooches, jeweled butter-

clear plastic design disk that

flies and glittering leaves—then

comes with many prom

gluing fresh flowers into the puffs

bracelets. Here Susie comple-

at the last minute with floral ad-

mented the design of a looped

hesive. The tulle puffs and other

silver bracelet with loops of

permanent decorative materi-

silver flat wire, intertwined with

als are all equipped with wired

bullion-wrapped lily grass and

stems, which are gathered into

decked with individual craspe-

a stem bundle and wrapped

dia buttons. Loops of black

with tape, ribbon, and colored

ribbon harmonize with

bullion—just like making a

the black center of the

hand-tied bouquet.

sunflower.

11 www.flowersandmagazine.com AUGUST 2010 52

picture perf ect

12 AUGUST 2010

MARCH 2015 53

picture perf ect

54 www.flowersandmagazine.com

NATURE GIRL Some of Nature’s most diminutive and delicate flowers are also beautifully long lasting in corsages and other flowers to wear and carry; they include a number of Australian natives, like wax flower and eucalyptus. A wreath for the hair is fashioned using classic garland technique: Susie made a bundle of wax flower and bound the stems with florist wire; below the wax, she added a few stems of caspia (limonium), extending the garland with new, longer stems, and continued in the same fashion, adding seeded eucalyptus, tiny succulent rosettes, and brunia into the mix. The matching wrist corsage and ring are made by gluing similar flowers to the design disks that come with a seeded-pearl bracelet and silver ring.

MARCH 2015 55

PRETTY, QUICK The sturdy silver stem of the butterfly provides the foundation for the boutonniere above right. The stems provided for the fancy sequined leaves are wrapped around the silver butterfly stem, and the spray rose is likewise simply wired on with silver metallic wire; the light green spray mum is glued to the leaf behind it with floral adhesive.

GLITTER IN THE DARK Above left, Susie started with a double twist of black aluminum wire, then folded sections of black flat wire over it and covered the flat wire with strips cut from diamond-studded black ribbon. White rosebuds add the finishing touch.

IN THE LIMELIGHT Extra petals from a cymbidium orchid were used for the wrist corsage on page 45, leaving another petal and the cymbidium throat to be glued to the silver leaf,

above right. The bout is then enhanced with a jeweled spray and with a tail made of 18-gauge wire wrapped with light green ribbon and gold bullion.

56 www.flowersandmagazine.com

picture perf ect BLACK-EYED BEAUTY Above left, Susie gave a mini sunflower a taped stem using traditional wire-andtape technique—which made it easy to add further embellishments: a galax leaf, loops of bullionwrapped lily grass, and curls of silver flat wire.

NATURE BOY Above right, a succulent rosette, seeded eucalyptus, and a brunia cluster are united with wire-and-tape technique, then wrapped together with flexible curlywillow tips using Bind Wire.

FEATHERED TRENDS A premade spray of mini peacock feathers on a fabric backing makes a quick foundation for the boutonniere

at left. The wire handle is wrapped with black floral tape, then with multicolored jeweler’s wire. Hyacinth florets get their own wire-and-tape stems using blue floral tape, and the look is anchored with a mini phalaenopsis orchid.

SOPHISTICATED BRAIDS Above right, a strip of raw muslin is reinforced on either side with gold flat wire, curled at the ends. Then it is easily embellished with snippets of braided raffia wrapped in bullion and beaded wire, a protea leaf and petals, and hypericum berries. b

MARCH 2015 57

EVENT HORIZON

Geared to event planners, The Special Event conference and trade show has plenty to offer florists.

Text and photography

by Bruce Wright CELEBRATING ITS 30TH year as “the industry’s premier tradeshow and conference for event professionals,” The Special Event took place this year in Anaheim, California, right next door to Disneyland—and there is no doubt that top-flight event planners are rivaled only

by Disney’s Imagineers in their energetic devotion to creating worlds of color and fantasy.

It’s also true that event planning is a highly competitive arena where success means continually honing business skills and staying on top of trends, including the latest in technology.

All that was evident at this year’s Special Event, which offered more than 100 educational sessions in three days (January 6-8), the majority focused on business, marketing and management skills.

The sessions are divided into six tracks, which do include a Design track and, among the newest, a Wedding Trends track.

A resource-rich trade fair is open for two out of the three days.

Showcase events and a couple of main-stage presentations (continued on page 60)

58 www.flowersandmagazine.com

MASTERING EVENT DESIGN With help from graduates of their European Master Certification program, Hitomi Gilliam AIFD and Tomas de Bruyne delivered a well-attended seminar in floral design for special events—complete with stunning examples of how creative expertise can be employed to make flowers tell a story, set a mood, and express an emotion appropriate to any celebration. Lightness, both visual and physical, was a key element in their strategy. For example, Tomas used LED lights and water pearls to dramatize a floating effect in two of his designs (top and bottom of this page), with flowers elevated in water tubes. To create a floral sphere that rests atop a pillar of flowers (as seen at right), Hitomi devised and demonstrated an innovative mechanic: a mostly hollow outer sphere of metal rods and bundled reeds, with a column of wet floral foam at its core. The result was a sphere with enough foam to keep the flowers fresh, but light enough to keep the pillar from getting top-heavy. Other designs made deft use of acrylic tubing, vines and bundled reeds to create a feeling of transparency and motion. “It’s all about matching the technique to the feeling,” says Tomas.

TOPPED UP Inspired tabletops were in generous supply at The Special Event, from trade-show exhibits to competition prize winners and displays within the Event Design Gallery, a new feature this year. Above, a tabletop competition entry in lemon and dove gray, from Gloria Veale Design in Winnipeg, Manitoba, made effective use of geometric angles and forms, with a bow to the slanting-bundle style popularized by Paris-based American designer Jeff Leatham. At the Event Design Gallery, designer Kamran Hussain created two contrasting rooms for an Indian or Pakistani-style wedding: one lavish and elegant, for the post-wedding reception, with serpentine tables against a patterned background of white gathered draperies, another colorful and informal, for the pre-wedding mehndi celebration.

On the showroom floor, pleated drapes formed a backdrop at Event.Décor.Direct for a tabletop in chocolate, cream, and peach.

TREND SETTERS Leading floral-industry suppliers had a strong presence in the exhibit hall at The Special Event this year, with products geared specifically to florists and floral designers. Design Master showed how any trendy party palette can be punched up with color tools, as in the top photo above, where succulents were sprayed, first with Copper, then with Just for Flowers Wild Rose, to create a brilliant version of Marsala, the Pantone color of the year for 2015; the succulents nestle in a concrete vase sprayed with Rose Gold. A bouquet of gloriosas, heliconias, pincushions and gerberas also featured white hydrangea enhanced with Coral Bright for a harmonizing foundation to the medley of orange, gold, and persimmon-colored flowers.

Meanwhile, an eco-themed display from Smithers-Oasis featured such “green” and sustainable items as midollino and the company’s line of biodegradable ECOssentials Containers, made of recycled plant fibers and organic dyes.

“Environmentally friendly products are in demand among event planners and party florists,” Smithers-Oasis’s Kelly Mace explained, “because their customers are asking for them.” In the latest formulation (Maxlife), even Oasis floral foam is designed for “enhanced biodegradability.” A table at the Oasis booth, thickly pavéd with flowers, was created using the new Oasis Floral Foam Tiles: 1½ inches of Maxlife foam, adhered to an 18-by-24-inch rectangular plastic backing; the foam is “tiled” or segmented for efficient drainage and can also be used to create a vertical wall of flowers.

MAY 2010 MARCH 20151159

EVENT HORIZON round out the program.

Veterans say The Special Event has been, not surprisingly, smaller in scale over the past few years, reflecting the slowdown in corporate spending since the financial crisis of 2008—but like the economy overall, and especially the high end, it is regaining momentum. You can certainly find big-budget razzledazzle in the theatrical presentation of high-end ALL YOURS To compete in the wedding and special-event entertainment acts, commarket, it’s essential to have props and accessories that are plete with lasers and 3D exclusive and on trend. Once you have them, rental fees can mapping. make up a high percentage of profits. Planners go to The SpeBut conference plancial Event to seek them out, from linens (like those below, from ners have wisely also Fancy Fabrics) to chargers (MC Glassware) and more unusual decorative accessories, like the 3D sculptural elements below geared a portion of the right, from Air Dimensional Design. Jeweltone votive holders educational sessions to and curving crystal candleholders were among the distincthe thriving wedding martive items offered by FP Flourishes, where owner Tony Dos ket—where florists tend to Santos says he makes a point of finding exclusive sources and play a more prominent, doesn’t sell to rental houses—at least, not until the products established and clearly have already been copied, when he liquidates that inventory defined role. and starts over with something new. The whole idea is to give Some planners attend customers a better chance at exclusivity within their markets.

The Special Event in tandem with their preferred florists. Their creative collaboration perhaps mirrors a creative tension inherent in event design, between planning and execution, the big picture and the significant detail.

But that’s the nice thing about flowers: They can make a splash.

They can also set a mood that is romantic and intimate—even for a large gathering. And they can hit the sweet spot in between.

Next year’s Special Event conference and trade show take place in Orlando, Florida, January 12-14, 2016. For more information, visit: www.thespecialeventshow.com Also of interest for wedding florists is the Association of Bridal Consultants’ annual Business of Brides conference, November 8-10 in Costa Mesa, California.

Visit: www.bridalassn.com b 60 www.flowersandmagazine.com

FLOWERS, TOO While the trade show at The Special Event isn’t mainly about flowers, fresh-flower suppliers do exhibit—and they bring some of their tastiest wares, hoping to grab a corner of the wedding and event market. Some examples from the show include hard-to-find white and pink gloriosas (top and bottom photos, left), diminutive striped clematis, and green-berried branches of Lindera citriodora (below), all on display from Mayesh Wholesale. The gloriosas and lindera were shipped a week earlier from Japan, supplied

by Naniwa Flower Auction, and still looking perfectly fresh. The Mayesh exhibit was dominated by these and other Japanesegrown flowers, a standout for quality and the wow factor: “This is the kind of product that can give a florist or event planner the cutting edge,” says Mayesh’s Jill Dahlson. Also seen on the show floor were tropical flowers including white ginger from P&F Costa Rica Flower Farms and trendy tillandsias and succulents from Florabundance.

MAY 2010 MARCH 20151361

BACK TO THE FUTURE

Garden style revisited at Florabundance Inspirational Design Days.

Photography by David Kesler AIFD

62 www.flowersandmagazine.com

NOT SO LONG AGO, brides came to you with pages torn out of magazines (very often Martha Stewart Weddings) to ask, “Can you do this?” Today, they come in with their iPads, eager to share the beautiful things they’ve found on Pinterest and Instagram.

Those photos could come from anywhere—but very often, they originate with a handful of influential, social-media-savvy designers: people like Holly Chapple, the D.C-area designer, blogger, and all-around media maven; or like Alicia Schwede of Flirty Fleurs, a brand that likewise wields a powerful influence on Pinterest, Facebook, Linked In, Twitter, and via Alicia’s own website and publications.

The prevalent style? Clearly there’s a range, from tidy to woodsy and from upscale to DIY. But overall, the tendency is toward a loose, natural look that incorporates garden flowers and other “gathered” materials like branches and berries. It’s a style that harkens back to Constance Spry, the British florist whose work had such a wide influence in the 30s, 40s, and 50s. As a

best-selling author in an era when ordinary people were taking a new interest in decorating their own homes, Spry could be seen as the Martha Stewart of her day. Partly as a way of making decorating affordable, she encouraged people to incorporate materials that could be harvested from humble gardens and from the countryside: garden roses, willows, ferns, leafy branches, and even vegetables like ornamental kale.

GOOD THINGS Today’s version of the style still relies on specialty flowers and foliage that aren’t carried by every wholesaler.

Dahlias, fritillaries, hellebores, clematis, longiflorum lilies, herbs, succulents, tillandsias—florists and wedding designers all over North America turn to wholesale shipper Florabundance, Inc. in southern California for items like these. No wonder that for instructors at this year’s edition of Florabundance Inspirational Design Days, owner Joost Bongaerts invited a lineup of celebrity designers who have made their reputation as stars of social media.

Make no mistake: these designers are not Martha Stewarts. Over the three days of workshops, one of them was heard to refer to a design requested by a young bride as “typical Martha Stewart—beautiful but totally impractical.” Traditional florists sometimes look askance at the “new school” of boutique, web-oriented wedding design, questioning whether the newcomers have had sufficient training in mechanics, design technique, and good care-andhandling practices.

But all those things were precisely the focus at Florabundance Inspirational Design Days, says Leanne Kesler AIFD, co-owner of the well-respected and established Floral Design Institute in Portland, who assisted with coordinating the program.

“It’s refreshing to see so many young, excited florists eager to learn more,” Leanne says of the participants at the workshops.

“These men and women are the future of the floral industry. They embrace the old (remember the use of chicken wire prior to floral foam?) and the new (you can fix

anything with the proper floral glues!). Constance Spry would be proud to see so many of her mechanics resurrected, reinvented and applied to the fabulous array of flowers available today.”

Also on offer, of course, were sessions dedicated to improving your skills with social media. For all that—and the astonishing proliferation of floral-design styles and images online—there’s nothing quite like getting up close and personal when it comes to acquiring the basics that are still, and will always remain, the foundation of good professional design. b Instructors at Florabundance Inspirational Design Days, held in Santa Barbara in January, included such influential, gardenstyle designers as Holly Chapple (below upper left), Amy Osaba (below right), Sarah Winward (design, below left), Amy Merrick (design, below right), Alicia Schwede, Tricia Fountaine, and Francoise Weeks.

MARCH 2015 63

what’s in store

DAISY DO Bright and cheerful, with a weighted base for easy design and delivery, this slender glass rectangle vase makes a great keepsake gift for all kinds of occasions. It will be promoted nationwide for Secretaries’ Week as part of Teleflora’s Thanks a Daisy Bouquet, with homepage rotation, email blasts and national banner advertising. Call 800-333-0205 or visit themarket.myteleflora.com.

AGE BEAUTIFULLY From Design Master, Sepia 538 Spray Tint is perfect for adding a vintage look to containers and accessories with a light or bright hue. Just hold the spray can about 18 or 20 inches away and administer two light coats or more. The sheer color is fast drying, with a satin finish. Call 800-525-2644 or visit www.dmcolor.com.

64 www.flowersandmagazine.com

NEW AND IMPROVED The folks at Acolyte Technologies just keep making their LED-light accessories better and better. For example, for accenting corsages, boutonnieres, and mini bouquets, the newest models of the C-Lyte use replaceable batteries (easy-to-find watch batteries) that last eight hours. Call 888-ACOLYTE (226-5983) or visit www.888acolyte.com. Photo courtesy of uBloom.com.

GRAB AND GO Available in three colors, each with a black silk carry ribbon, the eight-inch Grab & Go FlowerBox features a water-resistant outer shell with a built-in recyclable bag. The box ships flat and pops open instantly. It’s perfect for a hostess gift, impulse buy, or take-home party vase. Check out the entire line of FlowerBox products in a range of colors and finishes, shapes and sizes. Call 866-396-1185 or visit www.flowerbox.com.

advertiser links

industry events 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.

To access our advertisers’ websites, go to www.flowersandmagazine.com and click on “Advertisers in This Issue.”

ACCENT DÉCOR, INC.

17

800-385-5114 www.accentdecor.com BOWTIED DESIGNS

21

850-579-2900 www.bowtieddesigns.com D&D INTERNATIONAL

13

844-471-3526 www.dndvases.com

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MARCH 9-10, WASHINGTON, DC SAF Congressional Action Days. Call the Society of American Florists at 800-336-4743 or visit www.safnow.org.

MARCH 11-13, LOS ANGELES, CA DESIGN MASTER COLOR TOOL

22

800-525-2644 www.dmcolor.com DOLLAR TREE DIRECT

INSIDE BACK COVER

877-530-TREE (8733) www.dollartree.com/floral/559/index.cat GARCIA GROUP GLASS / A DIVISION OF THE GARCIA GROUP

BACK COVER

800-241-3733 www.floramart.com HARVEST IMPORT

14

Dallas Holiday & Home Expo, Dallas Market Center. Call 800-DAL-MKTS or visit www.dallasmarketcenter.com.

JUNE 30-JULY 4, DENVER, CO

MOONLIGHT FEATHER

6

800-468-6048 www.moonlightfeather.com NASHVILLE WRAPS, LLC

6

PIONEER IMPORTS & WHOLESALE

5

Cultivate15 (formerly OFA Short Course), Greater Columbus Convention Center.

Visit www.americanhort.org.

1

JULY 29-AUGUST 1, MONTEREY, CA

888-234-5400 www.pioneerwholesaleco.com ROYAL FLOWERS 800-977-4483 www.royalflowersecuador.com 27

800-845-3845 www.floralsand.com

CENTRAL REGION 3

MARCH 6-8, GRAND RAPIDS, MI

7

Great Lakes Floral Expo, DeVos Center. Call the Michigan Floral Association at 517-575-0110 or visit www.greatlakesfloralexpo.com.

800-321-8286 www.oasisfloral.com THE SUN VALLEY GROUP 800-747-0396 www.tsvg.com SYNDICATE SALES

INSIDE FRONT COVER

800-428-0515 www.syndicatesales.com TELEFLORA

10, 19

800-333-0205 www.myteleflora.com VASE VALET 316-747-2579 www.vasevalet.com

CalFlowers Fun ’N Sun Convention, Monterey Marriott. Call the California Association of Flower Growers and Shippers at 831-479-4912 or visit www.cafgs.org.

28

800-638-3378 www.seminoleds.com SMITHERS-OASIS

National AIFD Symposium, Sheraton Denver Downtown. Call 410-752-3318 or visit www.aifd.org.

JULY 11-14, COLUMBUS, OH

800-547-9727 www.nashvillewraps.com

SEMINOLE

SAF Retail Growth Solutions Mini-Conference, Hartford Marriott Farmington. Call the Society of American Florists at 800-336-4743 or visit www.safnow.org.

JUNE 24-30, DALLAS, TX

800-651-0113 www.miltonadler.com

SANDTASTIK PRODUCTS

JUNE 7-8, HARTFORD, CT

28

949-833-7738 www.harvestimport.com MILTON ADLER COMPANY

World Floral Expo, LA Convention Center.

Visit www.worldfloralexpo.com.

29

MARCH 10, FLINT, MI Michigan Unit, Everyday Advanced with Joyce Mason-Monheim, DWF. Call Debbie Custer at 734- 455-7377.

MARCH 15, PIERRE, SD South Dakota Florist Association, program includes Wedding Designs with Alex Jack-

son, Ramkota Hotel. Call Renee Polreis at 800-996-4323.

MARCH 15, WICHITA, KS Valley Floral Company, Spring Open House with Vonda LaFever. Call Jerry Yocum at 800-657-2553.

MARCH 18, GARFIELD HEIGHTS, OH Ohio Buckeye Unit, Unique and Profitable Everyday Designs with Darla Pawlak, Nordlie, Inc. Call Rita Hoagland at 330-499-4959.

MARCH 20-22, GREEN BAY, WI WUMFA (Wisconsin Upper Michigan Floral Association) Annual Convention, program includes Weddings & Events with Kevin Ylvisaker, Radisson Hotel & Conference Center. Call Rod Crittenden at 517-575-0110 or visit www.wumfa.org.

MARCH 24, EVANSVILLE, IN Indiana Unit, Everyday Designs with John Hosek, Zeidler Wholesale. Call Roger Wininger at 812-936-2640.

MARCH 29, DECATUR, IL Illinois State Florist Association, program includes Wedding Designs with Vonda LaFever, Decatur Conference Center.

Call Michelle O’Neal Babicky at 217-498-8882.

NORTHEAST REGION MARCH 4, LATHAM, NY New York Capitol District Unit, Wedding Designs with Susan Ayala, Seagroatt Riccardi. Call Kelly Gilbert at 518-785-8900, extension 211.

MARCH 14-15, GROTON, CT Northeast Floral Expo, Mystic Marriott Hotel. Call the Connecticut Florists Association at 800-352-6946 or visit www.northeastfloralexpo.com.

MARCH 25, LANSDALE, PA Penn Jersey Unit, Wedding Designs with Darla Pawlak, Younger & Sons. Call Marjie Versagli at 610-647-9311.

MARCH 25, PITTSBURGH, PA Western Pennsylvania Unit, Everyday Designs with Julie Poeltler, BW/Keystone Ribbon. Call Leanna Mayberry at 724-866-0396.

MARCH 2015 65

events APRIL 12, ORONO, ME Maine State Florist Association, program includes Everyday Designs for Spring with Julie Poeltler, Black Bear Inn. Call Karen Duncan at 207-769-2731.

SOUTH CENTRAL REGION JULY 17-19, SUGAR LAND, TX Texas State Florists’ Association Convention, program includes “Pure Inspiration” design program and hands-on workshop with Hitomi Gilliam, Marriott Sugar Land Hotel. Visit www.tsfa.org.

SOUTHEAST REGION MARCH 8, NORFOLK, VA Colonial Virginia Unit, Sympathy Designs with Jim Ganger, Norfolk Botanical Garden. Call Marlene MacDonald at 757-642-2773.

emporium 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

WEDDINGS John Toomey Co

(800) 421-0052

Wedding Aisle Runners Rentals & Sales UPS Shipments

White Cotton Runners

EQUIPMENT Refrigerators For Flowers

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

SCHOOLS

Advertise in

emporium For rates and info, call

Peter Lymbertos at 800-421-4921

MARCH 8, PINE MOUNTAIN, GA Georgia State Florist Association, program includes Wedding Designs with Alex Jackson, The Lodge at Calloway Gardens.

Call Randy Wooten at 912-383-6223.

MARCH 15, SILVER SPRING, MD Potomac Floral Wholesale, program includes Wedding Designs with John Hosek.

Call David Powers at 301-589-4747.

APRIL 10-12, BIRMINGHAM, AL AIFD 2015 Southern Conference (“Botanical Bliss”), Aloft Hotel-Rosewood Hall.

Contact conference chairs Mandy Majerik (205-324-2663) or Kevin Hinton (662255-6530) or visit www.aifd.org.

Portland, Oregon

APRIL 12, MORGANTOWN, WV West Virginia Unit, Wedding Designs with Tom Bowling, The Hazel Ruby McQuain Conference Center. Call Sheila Larew at 304-265-4260.

WESTERN REGION MARCH 15, SAN JOSE, CA Northern California-Nevada Unit, Wedding Designs with Joyce Mason-Monheim, United Wholesale. Call Nita Robertson at 831-458-9232.

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

66 www.flowersandmagazine.com

See Us In Action On Just go to YouTube and type in Flowers& Magazine to go to our YouTube Channel

where to buy

continued on page 70

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.

PRETTY, QUICK, page 53 Faux diamond brooches and butterflies, Fitz Design.

Glitzy sheer colorful faux leaves, Berwick Offray.

NATURE GIRL, pages 54-55 Seeded-pearl Southern Belle lace bracelet in ivory and Design Ring, Fitz Design.

ON THE COVER Ginger vase, UCI.

FOCUS ON DESIGN,

FEATURED SUPPLIERS

pages 8-9 Roselilies, dahlias, mini gerberas, and spray roses, Dramm & Echter.

Silver wire spheres, Accent Décor.

Art glass bowl, Diamond Star.

Accent Décor, Inc. Call 800-385-5114 or visit www.accentdecor.com.

FLOWER TALES,

Berwick Offray.

Call 800-327-0350 or visit www.berwickoffray.com.

pages 15-16 Proteas and pincushions (leucospermum), Green Point.

9-inch Willow Vase and 10½-inch Willow Design Tray, Syndicate Sales.

HOW SPECIAL IS SHE? pages 30-41

FLAUNTING FREESIA, page 30 Capri Pot, Accent Décor.

Flat cane, Smithers-Oasis.

OUT OF THE BOX, page 32 Vintage Crate with 12 pots, Accent Décor.

IN THE PINK,

page 37

page 50

Marvel Pot, Accent Décor.

Aluminum and button wire, Smithers-Oasis.

Polka-dot ribbon, Berwick Offray.

page 38 Vertical Garden with 16 pots, Accent Décor.

SUNNY DAY, page 39 Yellow washed urn, Jamali.

GOLD FOREST,

Urban Earth square in Weathered Slate, Syndicate Sales.

Teardrop Guru Vases, Accent Décor.

page 33 Boutique Vases, Accent Décor.

FEATHERED TRENDS, page 51

TRENDING UPWARD,

WHAT’S BETTER THAN CHOCOLATE?, page 32

START A COLLECTION,

pg 33

SWEETER BY THE BUNCH,

Black half beaded pinwheel pad with stripped rooster hackle feathers, mini natural peacock tail feathers, and (for boutonniere) Natural Peacock Tiny Eyes Feather Pad, Moonlight Feather.

Jeweled sprays (on twisted silver wire) and brooch, Fitz Design.

Atlantic Brand Stemwrap in blue (on boutonniere), Milton Adler.

pages 40-41

pages 42-57

STEM SUPPORT, page 34

LADY IN RED,

Moderne Vase, Accent Décor.

page 44

Fitz Design.

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

Green Point Nurseries.

Call 800-717-4456 or visit www.greenpointnursery.com.

Jamali Garden and Floral Supply.

Call 212-979-0108 or visit www.jamaligarden.com.

Moonlight Feather.

Call 800-468-6048 or visit www.moonlightfeather.com.

Smithers-Oasis.

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

Embracer, Fitz Design.

DEEP PURPLE,

Syndicate Sales.

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

page 34

IN THE LIMELIGHT,

Footed terrarium with lid, Syndicate Sales.

Mega Beads, Smithers-Oasis.

page 45

MOTHER AND CHILD,

SOPHISTICATED BRAIDS,

page 36

pages 46-47

BLACK-EYED BEAUTY,

Hammered Copper Egg Bowls, Jamali.

Raw Muslin and decorative wire, Smithers-Oasis.

page 52

Lacey Leaves in silver and crystal sprays, Fitz Design.

Dramm & Echter.

Call 800-854-7021 or visit www.drammechter.com.

Milton Adler Company.

Call 800-651-0113 or visit www.miltonadler.com.

PICTURE PERFECT, Decorative wire and floral adhesive throughout, Smithers-Oasis.

Diamond Star.

Call 888-866-8368 or visit www.diamondstarglass.com.

pg 51

UCI (Unlimited Containers, Inc.).

Call 888-880-8998 or visit www.unlimitedcontainers.com.

Zoey bracelet in silver, Fitz Design.

MARCH 2015 67

wholesaler connection ARIZONA PHOENIX Conroy Wholesale Florist The Roy Houff Company CALIFORNIA FRESNO Designer Flower Center INGLEWOOD American Magazines & Books OAKLAND Piazza International Floral SACRAMENTO Flora Fresh SAN DIEGO San Diego Florist Supplies SANTA ROSA Sequoia Floral International FLORIDA PENSACOLA American Floral Wholesale of Pensacola Carlstedt’s, LLC GEORGIA OMEGA Hornbuckle Wholesale Florist HAWAII HONOLULU Flora-Dec Sales ILLINOIS CHICAGO The Roy Houff Company NORMAL The Roy Houff Company WHEELING The Roy Houff Company

Flowers& magazine distributors

KANSAS WICHITA Valley Floral Company KENTUCKY LOUISVILLE The Roy Houff Company LOUISIANA BATON ROUGE Louisiana Wholesale Florists LAFAYETTE Louisiana Wholesale Florists MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON Jacobson Floral Supply MICHIGAN WARREN Nordlie, Inc. MINNESOTA MINNEAPOLIS Koehler and Dramm ROSEVILLE North American Wholesale Florist, Inc. MISSOURI ST LOUIS LaSalle Wholesale Florist NEW YORK CAMPBELL HALL Alders Wholesale Florist OHIO DAYTON Nordlie, Inc. NORTH CANTON Canton Wholesale Floral PARMA Cleveland Plant & Flower Company

PENNSYLVANIA PITTSBURGH Keystone Ribbon & Floral Pittsburgh Cut Flower Company SOUTH DAKOTA SIOUX FALLS North American Wholesale Florist, Inc. TENNESSEE NASHVILLE The Roy Houff Company

ATTENTION

FLORAL WHOLESALERS

Reward without the Risk we promise!

TEXAS HOUSTON Pikes Peak of Texas Southern Floral Company UTAH SALT LAKE CITY Ensign Wholesale Floral VIRGINIA NORFOLK The Roy Houff Company RICHMOND The Roy Houff Company WASHINGTON TACOMA Washington Floral Service CANADA BURNABY, BC Kirby/Signature Floral Supply MALAYSIA SELANGOR Worldwide Floral Services

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

SINGAPORE Worldwide Floral Services

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

68 www.flowersandmagazine.com