Recently I had the pleasure of meeting Shawn Chamberlain of FULL BLOOM when she attended one of my floral design classes in Seattle. I was instantly intrigued about her project of ‘Recycle The Love’ and wanted to learn more. FULL BLOOM is located in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, and it is here where she spreads the power of flowers. Fresh flowers can help aid in reducing stress and give comfort to those who are dealing with death, terminal illness, severe injury or sickness. Shawn and her team of volunteers accept any gently used or fresh cut flowers from special events and/or gardens to help create beautiful bedside bouquets for local area patients. They recut, repurpose and recycle donated, gently used blooms into beautiful bedside bouquets for patients in area hospitals, hospice care, nursing homes, and other long-term care facilities. How fantastic is that?!

Shawn, How did you come up with the idea for Full Bloom and when did you start?
The idea came about one summer evening while I was working in the gardens at a local hospice facility. I could see in one of the patient rooms, a young mother. I began to reflect about her situation and wanted to do something to let her know someone was thinking about her. I had just cut some flowers, so I arranged them and gave them to a nurse and asked her to deliver them and to tell the young mother someone was thinking about her. I’m not sure it made a huge impact on the patient, but it did on me. I thought, “wait. I’m on to something here.” So that’s sort of how it came about. FULL BLOOM is in it’s 2nd year of operation and hundreds of bouquets have been delivered since that one evening. Pretty amazing, I think.

Can you tell us how Full Bloom works? How do you ‘Recycle The Love’?

I love the phrase “Recycle the Love” because that’s exactly what we are about and it’s so easy to do! To make a flower donation, all you have to do is go to thefullbloom.org and send a quick email telling us you’d like to donate. I collect a few details about the donation, then contact the planner or florist and arrange the pick up. I have volunteers recut and repurpose all the flowers into bedside bouquets and they are usually out for delivery the very next day. That’s how we recycle the love! It has been really rewarding knowing that this simple gesture has the ability to connect so many people in such a positive way. Whether it’s the one donating, receiving, or the volunteers that help arrange and deliver, every person finds some joy and meaning in it. It’s been really awesome to connect people in this way. Love is such a good thing. Isn’t it?

I’m sure you are full of wonderful stories of how flowers have touched someone who really needed them, can you share one of your favorite stories with us?

I do not personally go in to the patient rooms and deliver flowers – I leave that up to the nurses & caregivers, so I do not get to see the response of those receiving them, however, I did happen to have an experience with a patient that I will not forget. It reaffirmed to me that I am doing something good and it’s making an impact on the lives of others. It went something like this: I am on a flower delivery to a care facility. As I was bringing the last vases in, I saw a nurse and a woman ahead of me in the hallway. The nurse had just given the woman one of the bouquets of flowers.
The woman was walking with her walker, so the nurse set them on the seat of the walker.
The woman asked, “Who are those for?”

The nurse replied, “Well, they’re for you. Someone is thinking about you.”

The woman: “Who would be thinking about me?” This question stopped me in my tracks.

Nurse: “Maybe this lady behind you can tell you, she brought them in.” The woman turned to me and with moist eyes said, “These are for me? Well, they’re beautiful.”

I replied, “Yes they are and so are you..”

The woman then quietly said, “thank you, for thinking of me..” It was a very simple exchange of words, but I walked away knowing at least two lives were touched that day – hers and mine.

Thank you, Shawn, for sharing your story of Full Bloom, very inspirational!
For more on Full Bloom check out the website here

The Question:
Floral Designers & Their Collections~
What do you collect? Seems many of us collect frogs, pottery vases, pitchers, etc.
Send us a picture of your pretty collection!
From Laurie in California

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The Answers:

I love all kinds of vases, here are some of my amber and blue glass vases.
Margaret Joan Florals, California

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I personally collect (or some would say Hoard) all things crystal!
I love glass, crystal and blingy accents. My obsession ranges from Vases, Candleholders, Mini Chandeliers and especially glass or crystal dining/kitchen pieces that double as floral and candle vessels!
Jennifer Manusco, Michigan

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I collect vintage strawberry short cake dolls. They are a reminder of my childhood.
Tracy of Park Place Design, Michigan

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I collect cookbooks. There’s something special about a hardback cookbook. I’m writing notes in mine for my daughter. Just like my grandmother used to do. I cherish those sweet & silly notes she would write. Like don’t fix this.. or you loved this as a child. I plan to pass these down to my daughter one day, just as my grandmother passed her’s on to me.
Jessica of Blooms ‘n Blossoms, Kentucky

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I have always been attracted to old, art pottery. When I lived at home in the 80′s my mother, sisters and I would go thrifting on the weekends. Back in the day it was not uncommon to pick pieces up for between $2.00- $$5.00. Now, everyone covets these vessels and they are harder to get at a bargain. They are ,however, some of my favorite possessions!
Carmel of Mt. Lebanon Floral, Pennsylvania

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And what does Laurie, who originally asked the question, collect? Pin cushions and Milk glass!

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Do you have a question you’d like to ask for a Q&A session? Email it to me at: info@flirtyfleurs.com

This week I had a fun little outing with Debra Prinzing to visit Vivian at Everyday Flowers Farm here in Arlington, Washington. Rows & rows of flowers that Debra and I got to walk thru and pick from to make arrangements. So fun!
Here’s my design .. dahlias, zinnias, butterfly bush, sweet peas, nine bark, plum tree, artemsia.

Vivian’s flowers can be purchased at Seattle Wholesale Growers Market.

When floral designers are proud of our work we really, really, really want professional photos to show off our stuff. It somehow seems increasingly hard to find photographers who are willing to share their work with us. Here’s my take on it…

Why don’t wedding photographers share photos with floral designers? We always want photographers to share photos, but some are pushing back and even want to charge for photos of our work. What can we do about this as a professional community? Can’t we all just get along?

Tell us about your experience with photographers sharing professional images in the comments.

Alison Ellis
Floral Artistry
Vermont

Today we have a special guest, Margot Shaw, who is the founder and editor of my favorite magazine – flower

Margot, Please tell us a little bit about what prompted you to start Flower Magazine.

Well, I’ve always loved beauty, and words, and had worked in floral design for a few years, unable to find anything with a floral/lifestyle message on the newsstand, and one day had the idea to start a magazine devoted to flowers in every incarnation.Living in Birmingham, Alabama, the home base for numerous national publishing houses made my job easier, especially as I was a complete novice. But the idea began to take “root” and I’ve had amazing help, support, lots of God moments, and incredibly rich experiences in these last 7 years, as we’ve grown and increased to bi-monthly from quarterly.

Photographer – Becky Luigart-Stayner

What is a typical day in the life of a magazine editor?

Interesting question. For me, there is no typical day, as every day is different. Depending on where we are in the editorial cycle, what special events are on the calendar and where I might be speaking, I can be in the office looking at cover options, or in Chicago presenting to a garden club, in New York meeting with advertisers and flower world folks – my day is never boring. Plus I’m surrounded by interesting, beautiful places, gardens, people, etc. – not exactly rough duty…

As you know, the majority of our readers are floral designers and I’m quite sure
they’d like to know how to submit to Flower Magazine. Any tips?

EASY!! Just email pitch, images, etc. to editorial@flowermag.com –
We LOVE submissions and our team is very quick to respond.

What elements do you look for in a floral arrangement to make it cover ready?

A cover-ready arrangement does not need to be over the top, it just has to have a seasonality and beautiful background, and of course, the flowers and design really fresh. We love an interesting container but not one that distracts from the “star of the show”.

What do you see as the next big thing in floral design? What has seen its day?

I think the next big thing is just more of the green/slow flower idea, whether its organic plant material, or just something locally grown, versus imported. The loose, garden-y look is one of my favorite throwback styles that I hope will endure. The element of simplicity seems to be gaining ground, whether it’s monochromatic arrangements or mono-bloom. I’m not sure what’s seen it’s day, as my sense is we’re just embracing more design styles and retaining what’s still good design. I still love a beautiful French hand-tied bouquet, or a sphere of rich red carnations in a footed urn, as well as a big mixed English arrangement on a console in the foyer of an important venue. So, these favorites of mine will always be in vogue with me.

What do you feel is the biggest challenge facing the floral industry?

With all the DIY blogs, Pinterest, etc., the industry MUST continue to emphasize its strengths. I think it’s really important for a designer/retailer to not only market themselves, but offer educational options. It’s one way to expose consumers to good design, and instruct them about flower care and mechanics, all the while having them in the shop/studio being familiarized with the of course, unattainable expertise of the actual designer. So we want to inspire civilians to arrange, but always foster an appreciation for the high level of skill and talent of the professional. The more people are empowered, the more they’ll see flowers as a necessity vs. a luxury, and that’s good for all of us!

Where do you find your inspiration?

I find my inspiration almost everywhere – design books, flower shows, garden tours, travel in general, fashion, interior design, even music. I think the world of design is so interrelated , with all mediums feeding off each other. Our new slogan at “flower” is “flower as a verb” meaning, a lifestyle that flourishes…

Photographer – Cary Norton

Which blogs & magazines do you read?

Well, Flirty Fleurs of course, Style Blueprint, Slow Flowers, Faith Flowers, Flower School of New York, Emily Thompson Flowers, All the Best, Cote de Texas, Honey of a Thousand Flowers, my list is pretty long, but that’s a good smattering of blogs, and magazines I read/have and hope to read: Garden Design, Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, House Beautiful, New Yorker, Victoria, Southern Living, Garden and Gun, Art and Antiques and every now and then, Rolling Stone (I’m a music fanatic)

If you were to design an arrangement for your home today what style would it be
and what flowers would you use?

Loose, garden-y, most likely from my garden, augmented by some gorgeous dahlias from my wholesaler, or whatever’s in season, that I don’t have in my garden.

And, I have to ask– what’s your favorite flower?

Right now, it’s either the scabiosa or the poppy. They’re so simple and playful. I like things that don’t take themselves too seriously, have movement, and a little sass.

Thank you, Margot, for sharing your passion for flowers with us! So great to get to know you a bit better!

For more information on flower magazine – click here

Photographer – Brooke Slezak

The Question:
What mistakes have you made (aside from under-charging) in your professional career? Things that ‘you’ll never do again having learned your lesson?
From Patricia in Washington

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The Answers:

Early in wedding deliveries we placed vases that were on pedestals on the floor of the cargo trailer (in boxes, surrounded with fill) and by the time we arrived we had one with a broken base . That was also the last time I used containers that the client provided( they were very poor quality).
Kris of KRISanthemums, Oregon

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Inflexibility has been my big lesson learned. Generally I have found it makes a much happier customer when you are willing to go the extra mile. A last minute additional delivery goes a long way for a flustered bride forgetting about boutonnieres going to the hotel, etc. I have made the mistake of charging for every single little thing and then regretting it when I sent that extra bill or got one less star on my Wedding Wire reviews. Being flexible is the best customer service and I am determined to have all my brides happy with my service. It’s hard to be constantly easy going when you are overtired and overworked come the Saturday afternoon wedding but the flexibility makes a big difference to that bride. Referrals and word of mouth is best for business growth!
Andie of Dandie Andie Floral Designs, Ontario

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One very important lesson I’ve learned in both the floral business and event planning industry would be to absolutely invest in a comprehensive Agreement/Contract form that client signs at time of booking and at final meeting for services/selections.
The best resource I’ve discovered for this (without hiring a lawyer) is:
www.lawforcreatives.com
Jennifer Mancuso, Michigan

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Two situations pop out immediately. Both were early in my floral career and I learned hard lessons from both. The first occurred while I was working for a girlfriend who had just purchased a small bucket shop. A customer had order multiple bouquets of wrapped flowers to give out at an event. The wraps were prepared and put in buckets. The customer arrived, picked up the buckets of bouquets and left. Sometime later we discovered that there was one more bucket in the cooler that we had missed. Thus began a 2 hour ordeal of driving the additional bouquets to the venue. The trip to the venue was actually an adventure in and of itself, but suffice to say we made it to the venue in time, but the customer was not exactly pleased. If we had taken the simple step of labeling the buckets 1 of 3, 2 of 3, etc., we would have avoided quite a mess.

The second situation occurred the first year that I had my own shop. It was Administrative Assistants Day and I had a pretty healthy order from a relatively new customer that included both local orders and out of town orders. I had taken care of all of the out of town orders days ahead of time. The local orders were going to 3 different businesses. By noon, the sender was calling me to find out when their order would arrive and said that they’d already heard from the recipients out of town who had received their flowers. I think the flowers finally got to the local businesses about 2 p.m. I ended up refunding the delivery fee and of course they never ordered from me again. It taught me a HUGE lesson about business deliveries and customers’ expectations. Since then, I’ve always delivered business orders before noon.
Anne of Hydrangea Bleu, California

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What I have learned is NEVER ever, ever start out cheap and make sure you have a good logo and name to brand yourself. It’s kinda hard to change over after you started out doing weddings almost for free, everyone thinks you’re going to give it away. My original name was Affordable Elegance meaning I was “affordable” my new name is Park Place Design, you know like the board walk place the most expensive place on the board!!
Tracy of Park Place Design, Michigan

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Recently I was completely taken off guard, and consequently felt quite out of my depth in understanding how to make good a situation that seemed to snow ball quite quickly. The main thing I learnt from my experience was to be very clear and open about trusting your instinct and deep gut feeling. And to acknowledge to yourself, it might be worth saying no and pulling out in a clear and honest way to the bride, simply by saying you think you are the wrong person for her, and you think she should find another florist to do her flowers. My experience related to a last minute bride, who had 7 weeks before her wedding phone you and admit she couldn’t find the right florist and would you be available. I explained it was very early in the growing the season and I wasn’t too sure that I would have the quantity of flowers ready in my garden for what she wanted, however when she assured me she only wanted a very small floral element I agreed to take on her contract. But very soon a terribly complicated email chain developed, from it seemed an subconscious flow of wishes and desires, which felt almost structureless and pure whimsy. I tried a number of times to summarise all ideas into a structured and numbered floral design itemised list, but her communication still flowed through random emails. It all worked out in a reasonable way, but I did not feel there was an essence or a beauty in the the work I did for her that I expect from myself, and it was because the essence was lost in a terrible knot of communication. What I learnt was to trust your instinct and your deep gut feeling. As I deeply wishes I had, when in even our first phone conversation I tried to say no, but she persuaded me it would be so small it would be fine, when in fact it turned out to be one of the biggest weddings I have worked on. I realise it would have been better to pull out even after a couple of weeks, and I wish I had, but I have ever experienced this confusion before, and so I kept going despite this deep rooted feeling telling me to apologise and say I wasn’t the right person for her.
Tammy of Wild Bunch, England

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The biggest mistake I have made recently is to try to streamline my event consultation process. I created a series of steps for the bride to be screened, in the end it became to many hoops to jump through and the whole process had become depersonalized. I feel that the reason it didn’t work for me is that my client wants a personal connection to the company that will be handling the details of a most personal moment or day in their life. They want me, the florist. They want to meet face to face, to get a feel for my personality. To have a real human connection. I will still use the wedding consultation form, but will be in contact by phone or in person as soon as possible for sure.
Laurie of Fleurie, California

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Do you have a question you’d like to ask for a Q&A session? Email it to me at: info@flirtyfleurs.com

I know us floral designers are often asking .. What does a Bride want? How do I get brides to hire me? How do brides find me? How did she make her final decision in who to hire?
Recently a friend of mine married on the coast of Central California and I asked her if she’d share her wedding planning experience with us.

Sarah, how many florists did you meet with?
Since we were not super local to our venue, I emailed and checked out websites, blogs, and facebook of many florists in Monterey. I personally met with 2 after narrowing it down.

How did you find florists to meet with?
Mostly just online searching. One friend recommended a florist but they never got back to me. They were a bigger shop and I went by their store once when I was in the area, but their customer service wasn’t good in person either so I didn’t pursue them further.

Did you compare websites?
Yes.

What were some things that you liked about a vendor website, what did you not like.
Of the two florists I met with, I liked both of their websites. They had all sorts of photos of different styles of weddings including ceremony spaces, table arrangements, bouquets, etc.

Why did you pick your florist?
I decided on the one I went with for a few reasons. The biggest reason was when I personally met her, she was awesome. She worked out of her home and she was showing me a bunch of things she was working on for the upcoming weekend. Her energy and personality were a good fit for me, in addition to really liking what she showed me. She was within my budget and she also had done the flowers for our venue many times which made me feel more confident. The other florist I met with was not impressive in person. I didn’t care for her personality (she was slow like she seemed drugged or something) and it just didn’t seem like a fit. Also when I met with her in person, all of her photos seemed really old and she hadn’t worked at our venue.

Anything during the process that you wish would have been different?
Our florist was great. Besides that one in person meeting, everything was done online. She was very quick to respond, she eased my fears, answered my questions, and I was so happy with how the flowers turned out. They were exactly what I was hoping for- a bright pop of color with a variety of textures.

Anything else you’d like to share with flirty fleurs readers about your planning process?
I think the biggest thing would be go with your gut. I knew right away after meeting with the 2 different florists which was going to be the right choice for me.

The Question:
I would love to hear wedding installation nightmares and lessons learned. I am learning a few myself and would love to learn from other designers experiences!
From Madeleine in Texas

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The Answers:

Don’t feel bad saying NO to a client who wants to “piece” an event together using a variety of vendors for decor. You can also file this under: Hold your ground, go with your gut, and you signed my contract.

Case in point:
I had a mother of the bride who was a tad on the difficult side. The bride was a total sweet heart but had I met her mother at the initial consult I probably would have declined the project to begin with. The bride was pleased with the proposal and signed the contract. Towards the event date, the mother of the bride called and argued about the price of my chuppah rental. She claimed to have found it from another vendor that “specialized in chuppahs” for less. After many back and forth conversations about it, I was tired of arguing and said “sure, please get your chuppah from the “other guy”. The one catch was she still wanted me to hang floral pieces on the corners, and I thought “no problem, I can do that”. At the particular time in my career I was one who wanted to avoid conflict at all costs I and didn’t stick to my guns even though my gut told me I should. Big mistake.

A month before the wedding I contacted this “other vendor” and chatted about set-up time. We agreed that they would set the chuppah at 3:00 and I would place the flowers at 4:00. The ceremony started at 5:00. Fast forward to the wedding day. 3:00 came and went. 4:00 came and went. The mother of the bride started to freak out. To say she was upset was upset was putting it mildly. The “other vendor” wasn’t answering their phone and she kept looking at me to do something. What could I do?!

The “other” vendor showed up at 4:45, as guest were being seated, and proceeded to struggle to set up their chuppah. It was a circus… it looked as if they had NEVER set up a chuppah before. It was like the blind leading the blind and the THREE of them argued as to how it should be done. Twenty minutes later, I walked up and quietly asked them to please hang the flowers on the front corners when they were finished. On my way out of the venue i overheard a conversation between guests… “let’s make sure we never use this florist…. what a joke”.
Needless to say, I was FURIOUS. What could I do? Stop and confront the guest, explain the scenario, make the family look silly…. there was NOTHING I could do in that moment to make it better. What a nightmare.

This particular circus happened early in my wedding business career and I’ve learned along the way that if it feels wrong, it usually is. Go with your gut. ALWAYS go with your gut!
~anonymous

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The ever changing bride….each email was changing flowers and colors between the bride and the bridesmaids. When I delivered the bouquets, she loved the wrap but wanted the bridesmaids bouquets to be more white and the bride to be more blue(hydrangeas) . In dealing with this for months, I decided to take extra of everything with me! So in the back of the Pilot I changed out the bouquets. Although I was prepared for this, it was still a nightmare !
Kris of KRISanthemums, Oregon

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The second wedding I ever delivered on my own after starting my business, I got so caught up in making the arch beautiful that I forgot to pin the corsages and boutonnieres on the groom, groomsmen, and all the family. I remembered only after driving away. I had to awkwardly pin everyone after the ceremony and explain to the Mother of the Bride my mistake. I offered to reduce the remaining balance due by half, which was about $500. This $250 mistake will never happen again!
Janelle, For The Love Of Flowers, New York

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A wedding last summer had a large installation over an arbor at the venue. I was using jumbo cages along the top. I looked at photos of the arbor online, got photos from the bride and dimensions from the venue. I didn’t go and look at it as I had multiple photos from different angles and it was quite a drive to go see. What the photos didn’t tell me is that the arbor where everything was going to hang was overhanging stairs. The only way to hang something off if it was to climb and sit in top if the arbor (no thank you), or stand on a ladder and hang on to the top. It was such a nightmare. I managed to secure the cages and had to stand on a table and place the additional flowers from behind the cages almost blindly. My assistant had to tell me where to place everything as I was hanging onto the arbor (with one arm!)for dear life. I’m afraid of heights (been slowly getting over it, kinda part of the job) so this was absolutely terrifying for me. In the end, the bride loved everything and it was featured on a blog.

What I learned: any installation – do a site visit no matter how long of a drive it will be! And invest in one if those $400 ladders that can be secure on stairs!
Chandin of Studio 3 Floral Design, Washington

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Oh I have a great one for this!! My ski resort wedding. On a beautiful, clear sunny day in July, we set out to deliver and set up a wedding and reception at a ski resort at about 7500 feet elevation. We got the outdoor reception décor set up while waiting for a shuttle up to the ceremony site, at the top of a mountain overlooking a lake.
About shuttle time, we had the vehicle loaded, the clouds rolled in. And the lightning. Being that it was at the top of the mountain, and the guests were to ride up by chairlift, a call was made by the resort to relocate the entire wedding and reception.
Needless to say, the couple was devastated that their planned mountaintop ceremony was off. The resort staff all came together and moved the entire reception indoors. It was impressive how fast they worked. The ceremony site was moved to a beautiful grove of trees. The original mountaintop site had a rustic log arbor in place that I was to decorate. In the grove, there was no structure, just a flat, bark covered space. I used simple pedestals I had brought and put large decorated lanterns on them. I used the wide burlap ribbon that was to drape the arbor to line the aisle. I pulled lanterns that were centerpieces off the tables to line the aisle. It was simple, but beautiful. The couple was married, I didn’t have to brave the dreaded chairlift and no one got struck by lightning!
It was the most exhausting event to date, but it was also one of the most beautiful and heartwarming. At that wedding, there were 4 other couples attending that I had provided flowers for.
Laurie of Fleurie, California

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A few years ago, a wedding in mid-October became a wind tunnel. Set up at a high end golf course, the tent became a parachute. The entire catering staff, me, the wedding planner, some random guys off the golf course all holding onto the poles for dear life during a wind storm. No rain..just wind! I am so thankful no one was hurt all of the centerpieces and tables were untouched. The only thing that needed fixing was our hair and the tent curtains!
Jessica of Blooms ‘n Blossoms, Kentucky

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It seems in regards to wedding installation the list of don’ts grows daily, but one thing sticks out in my mind.
We are all on such tight timelines and have to be quick on set up day, time is money and the window for set up can be small. We had a very large wedding at a venue with a short lead time. The bride wanted to provide certain things herself. We arrived to the venue to find five unopened boxes of her DIY items and at least 200 individually wrapped candles that had to be dealt with. The caterer refused to deal with them and we were left unwrapping these items that we hadn’t allotted time or labor to unwrap.
Always ask questions and make sure you are charging to handle someone else’s things.
Carmel of Mt. Lebanon Floral, Pennsylvania

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Setting up tall table centers on a sloppy floored room had to glue dot plates to the bottom of the tall vases to give it a wider base so they didn’t fall over!
Jane of Budget Blooms, British Columbia

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I don’t go anywhere without zip ties. They really are the answer to so many problems! They hold so much weight. Never have to worry about something falling when it’s attached with a trusty zip tie!
Andie of Dandie Andie Floral Designs, Ontario

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Do you have a question you’d like to ask for a Q&A session? Email it to me at: info@flirtyfleurs.com

A sneak peek of the Blush Pink Rose Color Study! Results and lots of pictures will be posted here on Monday, August 18th!! Be sure to check it out!
All these gorgeous roses are provided by Florabundance!!

In an effort to provide outstanding customer service it can be hard to navigate the line between being a people pleaser and a push-over. Here are some tips that can help you make your customers happy while staying true to your needs as a business owner.

Visit Alison’s Blog for more inspiration -
Alison Ellis
Floral Artistry, Vermont
http://floralartvt.com

Your name: Lisa Anderson
Your Business name: Sweet Pea Flowers
Your Location: Denver, Colorado

How did you start your business?
By accident really – I worked at a local wholesaler for many years, and saw a little shop for rent and decided to try my luck at starting my own business.

How many years have you been in business?
This will be my 13th year

What is your design aesthetic?
I love a lot of variety. I tend to be drawn to textural things. I love a little bit of whimsy, romance and attitude.

How do you create your style and where do you draw your inspiration?
I create my style based on what a particular client desires. I like to think that I’m pretty flexible with my overall style, but I do tend to add fun pieces in through greenery or a fun flower that catches my eye. I draw my inspiration from a lot of my local florist friends, as well as blogs, magazines and, of course, pinterest.

What are the trends, flowers & colors that are unique to your region?
Since we are located right in the heart of mountain country here in Colorado, our trends tend to stay within the rustic, country feel. We do tend to go more on the romantic side of those trends (by adding in lots of muted tones, as well as fun greenery and herbs). Colors vary every season, as well as the flowers that we use.

Are you a retail shop, studio/warehouse or home based?
We are a studio – by appointment only

Do you offer any services in addition to floral designs?
No

What tool in your toolbox can’t you live without?
My clippers.

What’s your favorite flower?
All of them!!

Anything else you’d like to share with Flirty Fleurs followers?
Trust and communication are such big things when choosing your vendors. You have to make sure that you do, in fact, trust who you are working with. If you don’t, don’t use them.

Your contact information:
Sweet Pea Flowers
www.sweetpea-flowers.com
303-635-6868
https://twitter.com/sweetpeadenver
https://www.facebook.com/sweetpeaflowersdenver
http://www.pinterest.com/sweetpeadenver/

The Question:

How to kindly and effectively answer the question of “Where is your shop located?” I am a studio-based florist and frequently, when asked that question, (I answer proudly, and without apology) “I have a studio at my home” I have had the experience that people seem to think it is inferior to a brick and mortar retail shop. They frequently respond with “oh, how nice” in a rather condescending tone. I go on to talk about my wonderful studio I have set up, with all the amenities of a retail store, but still I can see a bit of hesitation. How can we help solve this mindset?
I don’t want to hear about how a studio is so much cheaper to run, so my prices should be lower; after all, it takes up a considerable amount of real estate to store the inventory associated with floral design, extra water and electricity to conduct business. I attend seminars and workshops for self-improvement just like retail establishments.
Designer in California

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The Answers:

I think you’re on the right track with your unapologetic response. You can’t manage people’s reactions, and the clients who are right for you will understand and appreciate your value. And no, you definitely shouldn’t lower your prices.
anastasia ehlers, Oregon

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NEVER be sorry if you work from home, I did it for YEARS until I was able to move into a store front. I too had a time where I was kinda embarrassed to tell people I had a home studio. BUT got over it. MANY great people have started from their garage. Bill Gates, Dave Ramsey, Amazon, Apple, Google, Yankee Candles, just to name a few. If your work is good they will see that your a pro and not just a “Basement Betty”.
Tracy, Park Place Design, Michigan

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I started out in my mom’s home years ago (27 years ago) and it is considerably different than running a rented space. This is coming from having been in several types of spaces over the years and now running my business out of two locations. There is much more required money-wise to run out of a retail or warehouse space that an in-house studio. People often do expect there to be a price difference for that reason. This by no means indicates how hard you may work or how talented you may be. Let your work shine and continue the path of professionalism in design and demeanor and it won’t matter what people think of where you’re located. You only want the clients that love you and your work anyway! Don’t let it hinder you…continue saying with pride where you are located! You’re on the right path!!
Christi of Bergeron’s Florist, Virginia

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I too work out of my home and so far, this has not been an issue.
Dee of Wildwood Watters, West Virginia

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Being a home based studio affords me the luxury of flexibility in various aspects of both work and family.

As a private studio I am able to dedicate myself to specific events without distractions of running a retail shop.
Julie of Simply Regal Events & Florals, California

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I think you need to not worry about it. You may be reading more into there reactions. I also work out of a studio and honestly I am so busy I don’t care what they think. I have based my business to ensure this is comfortable as I am called Budget Blooms and it totally goes along with working out of my home. I have meetings in my converted two car garage. If you are selling high high end then maybe that’s why and setting up your studio to be gorgeous might have to be the next step. If you already have a gorgeous studio then truly don’t sweat it. People who want high end don’t want a home, they want a stylish studio.
Jane of Budget Blooms, British Columbia

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I struggled with this for the 10 years that I worked from a large studio that was based in my home. I was nearly apologetic in how I responded to the reaction that I got from people. Ultimately, I developed a very loyal and “freely recommending” group of customers that I treasure who appreciated my talent and didn’t care where I worked from. I have since moved to a rented studio for four reasons: My growing family needed my space, I didn’t want so many strangers having consultations in my personal space, I didn’t fit with my ever-growing amount of vases, buckets, chuppah, props, and – most happily – I couldn’t execute some of our larger scale events from my space.

My advice: Don’t apologize and let your work speak for you. More importantly, don’t undervalue your worth. During the process of meeting with many clients, I had many comments about how they knew my prices would be less because of where my studio was located. Ultimately, it became something that I stopped “outright” responding to. “We offer an excellent value” is all you need to say. We’ve always worked within our brides’ budgets and they’ve never once felt that they didn’t get a value. It becomes a non-issue when you’re able to fulfill their dreams within their budget.
Julia of The Petal Lady, Michigan

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I loved this question because it just happened to me again yesterday! The email inquiry asking if I had a “storefront” in downtown McKinney. And as always, the dreaded thought that races in my head, “Oh how do I answer this”? Over and over again! I have had my studio business for 13 years and I’m not sure we can educate them. For me, once they are here on the property, all anxiety about “my studio” is alleviated. It’s a wonderful, fully equipped area and I am surrounded by things I love….that very feeling is easily communicated to people once they are here. I have learned to say that my studio is built on our property. It is always that simple! I love this blog and cannot express how it has helped me and sometimes just makes me laugh! It helps knowing there are lots of you out there facing the same realities of this crazy business and our love affair with flowers! I’m anxious to hear other responses to these great questions!
Jan of Thistle Floral Design, Texas

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I have an office I meet my clients for consultations in Mid-town Sacramento.  I think having the office, even though I actually do all the designing from home, gives me a more professional appearance.  I have never had a client think twice about my set-up.  If you are meeting your potential clients at their house or in a coffee shop, you might want to consider getting a more permanent and professional meeting space.  In Sacramento there are several “collectives” where creative professionals pay to use the space, offices and meeting rooms  That might be just the solution you need!

Shannon of Flourish, California

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I used to get this a lot, but now I think the savvy bride realizes that the independent floral designer has great pricing, flexibility and isn’t worrying about the random birthday or anniversary arrangement that needs to be delivered. She realizes that she will get personalized attention from the owner/designer and that is important. I am sure I lose weddings from time to time because I am a home based workshop, but I often feel like they may have been a difficult bride if they want more in appearances than content. Once clients arrive, I usually get responses like, “Wow! what a great place!” “How luck you are to work from home.” “This place smells great!” I also have pets and my cats and my old dog usually greet everyone in the driveway and I know immediately if I want to work with them or not – if they are animal people, they must be good! We don’t always get every piece of business, and sometimes that is a good thing.

Melody of Fleurish Floral Designs, California

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Wishing you all a fantastic weekend!

Florali, California

Here it is!! The much anticipated Blush Pink Rose Study!
A special thank you to Florabundance Wholesale for providing these lovely roses for the Blush Study!

Let’s take a closer look at these roses~

Bridal Akito
Vase Life: 8 Days
Width when open: 2″
Bunch Size: 25 Stems
Origin: South America
Details: A small sized bloom that maintains its closed, rose bud shape. Bridal Akito is perfect for Boutonnieres and Corsages with its petite size. The rose is sturdy and long lasting, nice vase life at 9 days. The blooms are a lovely blend of white that turns to blush pink in the center of the bloom.
A great rose for both event work and everyday shop orders.

Bridal Piano
Vase Life: 6 Days – good for Event Work. Leaves dry out after a few days, but flowers remain in bloom. The small side buds do not open.
Width when open: 3″
Bunch Size: 12 Stems
Origin: South America, Colombia
Details: Beautiful garden rose bloom, with a consistent rounded bloom. Each stem has the main large bloom with 2-3 additional small buds. This rose is grown by Alexandra Farms, one of my personal favorite farms in Colombia as they are known for their great quality. As you can slightly see in the photo, the outer petal is a very pale pink, but the open blooms on the inside are a brighter pink – they play perfectly with the lighter, blusher pink roses! The one slight drawback to this rose is that the petals do tend to tear, perhaps because there are so many petals?

Charity
Vase Life: 5 Days, and by day 5 the petals are starting to drop. This beauty is truly a rose for Event Work! The perfect stage appears to be days 2-3
Width when open: 4″
Bunch Size: 10 Stems
Origin: South America
Details: Ahhh… the David Austin “Charity” Garden Rose, previously known as “Auswasher”. I’ve wanted to get my hands on this rose for quite some time, she is such a beauty and there is no other rose quite like her! Beautiful, round bloom full of petals with an interesting center. How gorgeous is this rose when ever included in a bouquet or centerpiece?! I would definitely use Charity in Event Work. However, be warned, she is a finicky thing and not a very long vase life! I’d highly recommend keeping this one in the cooler when not in the process of designing.. and perhaps add this rose in last to the design, the less handling the better.

Keira
Vase Life: 6 Days
Width when open: 3″
Bunch Size: 12 Stems
Origin: North America, California
Details: Keira is a David Austin Garden Rose! Like many designers, I feel happy when I hear the words “David Austin Garden Rose”! I’ve heard about Keira (Ausboxer) and have wanted to see this rose in person, sure enough she is quite the little beauty. What is interesting is how each blossom in the bunch can vary a bit in coloring and size. Some blooms stay petite at 2″ or so and others blow open to 3″+. I like how some have touches or brighter pink in the center of the blooms. All the blooms keep a sweet, rounded shape. The stems are delicate and may need some extra soft hands when designing with this rose.

Garden Spirit
Vase Life: 8 Days
Width when open: 3 to 3 1/2″ when open
Bunch Size: 12 Stems
Origin: South America
Details: This is my first experience with Garden Spirit and I have to say that I’m quite impressed. I think this may just be my new favorite rose. (isn’t that the point of these studies? to find something new & interesting? ) Garden Spirit has solid blush coloring on all petals. As you’ve seen in this study a lot of the blush comes in hints across the petals, whereas this rose doesn’t vary much from petal to petal. The color is a blush-peach-pink hue. I like the shape of the blooms, somewhat reminiscent of Finesse roses with its packed petals, the blooms don’t open super wide, but the packed petals give it a very lush look.

La Perla
Vase Life: 10+ Days, long vase life
Width when open: 2″
Bunch Size: 25 Stems
Origin: South America
Details: Easy rose to clean as there are practically no thorns! The bloom itself doesn’t open wide, it stays in a tighter rose bud shape. Perfect for boutonnieres and when a smaller bud is needed in a design. Very similar in size and shape to Bridal Akito, the main difference is that La Perla has a more cream coloring in the petals with hints of pink in the center. (Bridal Akito has the brighter white outer petals.) By far the longest living rose in this study, still going strong at day 10!
A great rose for both event work and everyday shop orders.

Martine Guillot
Vase Life: 6 Days
Width when open: 3″ Wide, this is a very shallow rose. Most of the roses in the study are 2-3″ deep, this one is 1″ deep.
Bunch Size: 10 Stems
Origin: North America, California
Details: Martine Guillot is a true garden rose, grown in the outdoor gardens of Rose Story Farm which is located just outside Santa Barbara, California. This rose is for the designer that likes the unexpected and likes some whimsy in their designs as there is a range in the bloom size and each petal can have a different tone of blush. Each stem has the main blossom and is surrounded by 2-4 rose buds. These side buds do tend to open which is quite nice. A great rose for a Garden Style arrangement.

Pashmina
Vase Life: 7 Days, on day 5 the blooms & buds are still quite tight. By day 7 the center rose is bloomed out and the side buds did not open.
Width when open: 2″
Bunch Size: 7 Stems
Origin: North America, California
Details: Pashminas are grown by Green Valley and they are considered a garden rose. With garden roses come a lot of thorns, so be ready to clean the stems! Each stem has the main blossom which is white with tones of blush pink in the centers. Each blossom is surrounded by 5-8 rose buds, which have green outer petals. The stems are strong and long. Would be a great rose to pair with other larger and full bloomed roses as the buds on these stems would add a nice “garden style” element to the designs. There are a lot of guard petals on this rose that should probably be removed as most were bruised, keep that in mind when calculating time for processing.

Prince Jardinier
Vase Life: 5 Days, Best for Event Work
Width when open: 5 1/2 – 6″
Bunch Size: 12 Stems
Origin: North America, California
Details: The scent from this rose is intoxicating, it is the perfect scent of a rose. Highly recommend adding it if your client would like an arrangement with a garden feel, including a true rose scent! This rose is also grown by Green Valley (they grow the Pashminas) and really would pair well with the Pashmina in arrangements. The open blossom is huge, by far the largest in this whole group coming in at up to 6″ wide! Short vase life, best to use in event work and kept in the cooler when not designing with it. Truly a real beauty!! Did I mention the blooms are HUGE & smell wonderful?!

Secret Garden
Vase Life: 8 Days – sturdy cut flower
Width when open: 3-4″, definitely varies from bloom to bloom
Bunch Size: 25 Stems
Origin: South American
Details: More of a lavender blush rose, as opposed to our other more pale pink roses in this study. Opens nicely and the blooms do range from 3 to 4″ when open, some even show the centers which gives a nice “garden rose” look. Hardy rose with strong stems, few thorns to remove. A great rose for both event work and everyday shop orders.

White O’Hara
Vase Life: 6 Days, good Event flower
Width when open: 4″ Wide
Bunch Size: 12 Stems
Origin: South America
Details: Great rose for special event work, it opens up large and takes up a lot of space in arrangements! It has a great hue of blush pink even though it’s called White O’Hara. The outside starts white and the center goes to pink. The petals are ruffly so it has a great “garden rose” look with a better price tag and stronger vase life. I know this rose is a favorite of many designers and it is understandable, it has the elements many of us desire – it’s big, looks like an expensive garden rose without the price tag & is sturdy with great blush coloring!

Details about all the roses in this study:
-The Roses were never placed in the cooler once I received them!
-The Roses were set out in the house for the course of the rose study.
-I did not use quick dip, flower food or crowning glory, or any other “helpers”. Just freshly cut stems placed in clear water.
-You’ll notice a variety in stem counts for each of these roses. When you do place an order for any of these roses I would highly suggest mentioning the actual stem count that you desire to confirm you receive the correct amount!!

A HUGE thank you to Florabundance Wholesale for providing all of these roses for the Blush Rose Study. Please give them a call if you’d like to order and have any of these roses shipped directly to you!
800-201-3597 or email – info@florabundance.com
1296 Cravens Lane, Carpinteria, CA 93013