Florabundance News

When we look at a floral composition many of the principles and elements of design are clear and quite evident. Strong line, color impact, size, space, and even fragrance all play a role. However, often many of those principles play a less obvious role but are still equally as important. One of those is dominance. Dominance as defined by The AIFD Guide To Floral Design Terms, Techniques, and Traditions book is the visual organization within a design that emphasizes one or more aspects. When one element is emphasized, others are subordinate. A secondary principle of dominance is accent. Accent is detail added to a design to provide additional interest, affecting the total character of the composition. Just as in speech or cooking, accent adds a punch of interest. Accent can be something as simple as a piece of ribbon tied on to a handle of a basket or a bird’s nest added to a floral styling as an accessory. But accent can also be added by adding fresh flowers, foliage, branches or decorative grasses as well. This time of year provides many choices of accents to compliment the composition. As in cooking, it is important to remember to use accents with a light hand as you would spices keeping in mind that too many accents confuse the viewer and create a visual disharmony.
Love grass, Millet, Wheat, and Amaranthus are a few choices that can be added to an existing composition to spice up the presentation. While they may be less impactful in color, they contribute to the texture and can be used to enhance strong lines. Pumpkin Vine, Ornamental Peppers, and Pomegranates on a vine can add color impact as well as contrasting forms to a composition. Ornamental Kale which has a distinctive autumn flavor can also be an accent or used as a focal flower. Yarrow, with its golden yellow color and bumpy texture add color impact and form interest. Craspedia can also do the same although totally different in size and form. Echinacea Cones are an interest material that adds a subtle use of color, but adds textural interest similar to Scabiosa Pods. Cat Tails are a time honored harbinger of autumn and add strength when used as a line material. Safflower adds color as well as texture with its ‘Sussical’ form and vibrant orange color. Rosemary and Eucalyptus contribute to the fragrance of a floral composition.
With so many choices, it is sometimes difficult to show restraint and to use accents with a light and effective touch. Introduce your customers to some of this season’s finest Accents. Visit the Florabundance web site or call your Account Manager today to see what is available to spice up your designs!

C I P describes today’s sympathy business. For the retail florist who has been in business for longer than 10 years, they have seen a dramatic difference in the way the sympathy business has morphed and changed. For those shops that have been in business for longer, even more opportunities for change can be seen.
Today’s florist has many challenges serving the sympathy industry. In most areas of the country, there are no longer the multi-day visitations. Today we are seeing much shorter visitations such as the evening before or even two hour; same day visitations. These shorter visitations have had a negative effect on the amount of floral tributes that friends and families are sending. Expense is another consideration for consumers as well. We are now finding that several friends and family members often go in together to send a tribute versus everyone sending an individual expression. And one of the biggest challenges is one that the retail florist created for themselves by using the mindset that the flowers only had to last a day or two so quality did not matter. Consumers have rebelled against that and have stopped sending floral tributes. So what can be done to combat this negativity?
C I P stands for Creative, Individual, Personal Expressions. This is what today’s consumers are searching for. Creative design work that shows style and flair are hallmarks of consumer’s requests. Floral stylings that are distinctive, unique, and expressive are important attributes in the customer’s eye. Creativity can be expressed with almost any budget.
Individual means that when the customer goes to look for their floral tribute, they are not going to see 10 other designs that look identical. Your customers come to you because they like your style of design and presentation, but not every floral styling should have a cookie cutter presentation. While menus are often a good way to control costs, varying the presentation and choice of flowers will help eliminate ‘designed on the line’, they all look the same objection.
Personal expressions are being requested more and more. These would be tributes that reflect the deceased interests or hobbies. Less and less requests are being given by customers for generic expressions and more and more requests for something more personal are being asked for. A great example might be to send a standing wreath with a garden hose on a grapevine wreath with garden tools and flowers for the lady who was a gardener. Take the time to ask the customer a little about the deceased to be able to make some appropriate suggestions for personalizing the floral design.
The sympathy business is one that in many shops fills in between the holidays and keeps everyone employed on a yearlong basis. It also evens out cash flow from a business standpoint. It is a great way to have your design work seen and compared to or against other shops in your area. All of these can be beneficial for your business model, so it is important to remember to send designs that are using quality flowers that are designed securely and creatively. The sympathy business is one that is still primarily serviced by the local florist. Do your best to hold on to and grow that part of your business for continued success.

While recently attending AIFD’s National Symposium the attendees were exposed to many areas of design. One element that most are interested in is what are the ‘new colors’ that will guide our sales and be seen in the coming years. Color can be the easiest and most challenging element to deal with as customers have a very personal feel about color harmonies that they embrace or reject. Color refers to those combinations of light reflected pigments on a surface that transmit a psychological response to our brain. What one customer might find pleasing another might find distasteful. Color evokes emotions such as happiness, anger, warmth, pleasure, hunger, and comfort.
Color is used in most areas of retail flower shops. When a customer is sending a floral styling to someone, often the question is asked if the recipient has a favorite color. Same is true when sending sympathy flowers; did the deceased have a favorite color. The reason behind the question is to make the flowers more personal as most people have a favorite or preferred color. Again, this connects to the emotional impact of color.
Fashion and home décor are two areas that are directly tied to color harmonies that are in vogue. A good rule of thumb is to watch what women buy and wear in your market area. Generally what women wear this year, they will decorate with the following year. Not all color harmonies that are shown in fashion make it to mainstream home décor, however, often times an odd or strong color in fashion peaks its head up in home décor as an accent color. For instance, shrimp or coral is a pleasing color for many to wear, but few would be comfortable with a vibrant coral sofa. This does not mean however that coral throw pillows could not be added to wake up a sleepy neutral sofa.
New color harmonies are influenced by many factors. Economic influences and global events are probably the two most influential factors. At present, due to tight economic conditions, we are seeing very few radical changes in colors as manufacturers are skeptic about too many radical changes as there is not a wide range of clients who have the money to make substantial changes in their home. If you are wondering if a color is a fad color ( those who will be around for a year or two and then disappear) or a trend color ( those colors who have a 3 to 7 year life), look at the colors of larger ticket items such as cars, major appliances, and home décor furnishings. These items are a major investment and will have a longer presence.
Often we see the newer color harmonies introduced in Europe during Fashion Week. While you may look at the haute couture and wonder who would wear that, pay closer attention to the colors and combinations of textures and patterns that are being worn. Usually they hit both the East and the West coast first and then filter to Middle America. Some colors may never hit your market area for different reasons. But, it is important to know what is happening in the fashion world.
Whether your market embraces a casual shabby chic lifestyle that would embrace monobotanical designs of gerbera daisies or roses or would they prefer the influence of modern architecture and embrace clean, graphic designs of exotic and tropical flowers, being aware of the color trends is important. While not everyone in your market area may be able to rush out and make drastic changes in their home decor, many people do enjoy a little something new and trendy. As the economy improves, so will customers willingness to experiment with new and bolder color combinations.
The beauty of using fresh flowers adds the newness and freshness to an environment that may need a little perking up. Be sure to have an assortment of fun and full-on color stems and stylings ready for those customers who what to wake up a sleepy room!

How much time do you spend on securing the right mix of product that speaks of your shops image? Once the product has been secured there is another time element invested in processing the product and getting it ready for the sales floor/cooler and creating beautiful stylings for your customers to enjoy. But, the average retailer does not take the time to properly merchandise their displays to make the sale happen successfully.
There does not need to be a large investment of capitol to make visual merchandising happen successfully. With a few keys to visual merchandising, success can be made to happen more easily than you think.
First, get a yearly calender and make a plan of attack a year in advance. Sounds like you might need a crystal ball to predict what is going to be happening in your store 9 – 12 months ahead, but in reality when you plug in the major holiday that you want to promote, there is only a little more than half the year to plan for. Whether it be planning the show windows or for floor displays, having a ‘game plan’ allows you to prepare for what is coming up versus being reactionary to what was or should have been. It is really amazing how easy the plan starts to flow.
If the task is too overwhelming for one person to be responsible for, enlist the help of all your staff and assign them in teams to be responsible for the different areas in the store including the display windows and the cooler. By them working with different staff persons in different areas, new looks are created with each change of season. Make yourself available as a resource rather than a producer. Be ready to lend a helping hand to those who struggle. Having the calender allows you and the staff to prepare props in advance and take advantage of those unexpected ‘finds’ like old worn doors for displaying wall treatments on or worn to imperfection tables, shelves and chairs that are often found at garage sales and on occasion on neighborhood walks on trash night!
Areas that might be considered for displays are sidewalk displays( if it is allowed in your zoning or rental agreement), window displays, feature displays( key areas in your showroom), fresh flower displays ( in and out of the cooler) impulse displays ( usually close to the cash register), and close out or discontinued displays ( just because an collection or sku is no longer being carried, it should still be presented attractively).
A couple of tips to remember while setting displays.
- Clean the display area and merchandise before setting the next display.
- Create impact with one or two larger elements versus lots of ‘eye scatter’.
- Unite less important or smaller items together on a tray or shelf. No when to say when.
- Make a definitive color statement. Most shoppers react to color first and then explore.
- Signage should be simple and easy to read.
- Remember to price everything in the display. No playing the guessing game!
- The area between the shoulders and the knees is the ‘comfort zone’ no tip toes or stooping necessary to shop comfortably.
- Rotate the stock often. Move merchandise to different areas for a fresh new look.
- LIGHT IT UP!! Light enhances colors and textures and helps make sales happen faster.
Visual merchandising accomplishes many positive results including…
* Defines your image – Tells customers who you are
* Helps build or reinforce your Brand for your customers.
* Increases the perceived value of your floral stylings and gifts.
* Invites customers to interact with the merchandise and to make NOW purchases.
Remember once you have the area merchandised, shoot a picture and post them to your web site so everyone can see what a magnificent presentation has been created just for them!

There are many ways to tell we are in the midst of summer. The most obvious is to step outside and fell the heat. In most parts of the country, it makes you want to run back inside very quickly! The second is to take a look at all the widows of marketing opportunities you have available since you have a little more free time to get out from the office or from behind the design bench at make some contacts the strengthen your business. While it may seem fall and Christmas are light years away, start building those relationships now for the business opportunities that are just over the horizon.
Yet another way to tell summer is here is to visit the Florabundance web site or contact your Account Manager to learn about all the seasonally available products that are blooming in full force. Whether you are looking for something as an interest flower or a unique addition to give your product mix a little more interest, you will be able to explore lots of options.
Textural interest causes the viewer to visually pause and enjoy the floral composition longer. Cone Flower, Echinacea, China Berries and Craspedia are just a few of the summer offerings that add just the right amount of interest and intrigue for the viewer to investigate the floral styling. These textural changes while small in size add a great amount of impact for the dollar. It is best to contrast these subtle additions with either stronger colors or contrasting textures for the most dynamic effect.
Strong, sturdy Snapdragons, vibrant Sunflowers and sunny yellow Yarrow all tend to be associated with the summer season. Snapdragons, being classified as a line flower, provide strength and stability to a composition. They easily make the transference from being used as a garden flower in a vase to an architectural flower in contemporary designs. Sunflowers command attention because of their radial petal pattern and the eye catching textural center. With so many varieties available now, try some different ones such as Teddy Bear or Ring of Fire. Yarrow adds great amounts of visual texture to a composition and just like the Snapdragon, it works well in vase stylings and more architectural designs.
Adding accents of color or texture elevates the viewers interest and causes the eye to remain longer and revisit the composition. Add some unique summer interest to your floral designs today.

When components are brought together to make a presentation, we often hear that they are paired together. This is a term that is heard in interior design when textural fabrics or colors are presented to make a total look. The same is true in culinary when spices are layered or particular meats are enjoyed with a vegetable that compliment its taste. The same can be said for flowers. Certain flowers and foliage’s work better together depending on the desired end result.
Summer is a great time to change the look of the traditional presentation often seen in many flower shops. Summer brings a more casual lifestyle. In fashion, open shoes, shorts, and open collared shirts rule. In flowers, presentations of seasonal availability paired with interesting foliage’s create a softer, less structured styling.
Vining materials such as ivy, honeysuckle, and jasmine create a ‘just picked’ look that many DIY’ers embrace with open arms. When using vining materials, remember to remove all the foliage that will be under water to help ensure added longevity. Foliage under water decays more quickly and shortens the shelf life of many flowers. Vine material can also be used as a natural mechanic to help hold the floral placements in their desired location.
Herbs are also a fun and novel way to create a summer look that has both visual and fragrant interest. Bright green herbs such as mint and basil give a vivid visual punch. Oregano is another herb that makes its way from the spice cabinet to the design room with ease. Herbs provide a wonderful textural and fragrant change from the traditional foliage choices that are often made throughout the year.
Dahlias, sunflowers, scabiosa and garden roses are but a few excellent choices that are available now to be enjoyed and paired with grasses and ornamental fruits and vegetables for a sophisticated summer look. Explore the Flor abundance web site for a more complete list of summer selections or talk to your Account Manager to see what products are available.

This time Boston was not invaded by land or sea but by 800+ floral designers from around the world! It truly was a Revolution in design! The attendees were bombarded with new ideas in design, trends for the years to come and new products that were so new that many were unveiled for the first time at the Partners Expo!
104 new candidates tested for their Professional Floral Design Evaluation in hopes of achieving test scores of 3.2 to achieve the distinguished CFD – Certified Floral Designer accreditation or 4.0 or higher to achieve an invitation to join the most prestigious floral design group in the world! Candidates are usually notified in the early fall and then will be inducted in July of the following year. We wish them all luck!
This year 40+ members were inducted into AIFD in their special Awards Ceremony. This brings AIFD to slightly over 1,300 members worldwide! What a great group of floral designers who are recognized as THE leaders in the floral industry!
All the educational programs were so well attended! Christmas designs from Bert Ford AIFD to sympathy work from Leslie AIFD inspired many right at the beginning! Attendees were then treated to designers from France and Germany. Michael O’Neil AIFD shared a few designs that were used for the Philadelphia Flower Show that is held each spring in Philadelphia.It is now wonder that AIFD always wins such prestigious awards!
Tuesday was equally filled with fantastic ideas from both American designers such as Brad and Kelly Harnish and Talmage McLaurin sharing the American Trends Forecast. What a great way to learn about what is going to be happening for the next two years in consumer demands! International designers also shared wonderful ideas to “Raise the Bar” in floral art.
Canada was represented with a Carnival of Revolutionary designs on Wednesday morning. The house was packed to see Rich Salvaggio AIFD present the most fabulous Marriage of Harmony wedding program. Flowers from Florabundance combined with the talents of designers from around the country to showcase nearly 100 wedding bouquets and floral accessories! Thunderous applause followed a 60+ minute program of one beautiful and mind-boggling idea after another. This is the first time in AIFD history a 200lb dog worked the runway as well as 20 beautiful models, hundreds of thousands of dollars in jewelry, and a custom bridal gown worth over $7,000. Needless to say it brought a wide range of emotions from tears to shouts of excitement and everything in between! What a dynamic ending to a great symposium.
Next year promises to be even better if that is possible. Mark your calendars early and plan to attend Imagine that will be held in San Francisco next July. Visit AIFD.org to find out more information for next year’s symposium as well as purchasing the DVD’s from this year’s Revolution! Special thanks to Florabundance and all the other vendors who made this possible. Your product never looked so GREAT!

As the Beatles song says, “So you say you want a revolution…..” that is exactly what we are going to get in the floral industry. Once a year the top and most talented designers come together from around the world to present programs and educational opportunities for the American Institute of Floral Designers. This year the AIFD Symposium titled “Revolution” will be held in Boston, MA. This symposium draws hundreds and hundreds of both members and non-members to come together to be inspired and learn new and exciting designs, techniques, and views the latest products available to the floral industry.
Prior to the symposium, one hundred plus candidates will go through a four hour rigorous testing procedure to demonstrate their design ability. Their designs will then be scored by a team of evaluators to see which of the candidates score high enough to be invited into this prestigious organization. It is an exciting time for the candidates and we wish them all the best.
Beginning the symposium is a much anticipated day that is called Partners Expo. This Expo showcases many vendors that are partners with AIFD and allows them to share both fresh flowers and hard goods. It is always a very well attended event and sets the tone for the educational programs that follow in the next 3 days. From here it becomes a visual smorgasbord for the eyes! Floral designers from around the world present their ideas and share their inspirations for all to enjoy. Rarely will you ever have the opportunity to see such dynamic and dramatic works of floral art all presented from the most talented people in the industry.
Florabundance will have their fabulous product showcased beginning at the Partners Expo and integrated into many of the programs and events throughout the week. AIFD is proud to have the support of quality partners such as Florabundance. Watch the Florabundance website for video clips from behind the scenes and floral designs that were presented.
Visit their website at aifd.org for more information on this year’s AIFD Revolution or to see how to purchase the DVD’s that will be a great learning tool for years to come. Change can be good and uplifting. This REVOLUTION will be remembered for all the great changes to and for the floral industry!

One of the biggest challenges retailers face in the summer is how to marry great offerings of product with clients who tend to stray away during the warmer days of summer. Often we find that many customers have developed their own source of flowers; namely their back yard. With gardening still being the number one past time, customers on occasion cut their own flowers for their own personal enjoyment. Here are a couple of ideas to capitalize on their flowers of plenty.

First idea is to remember not every garden produces flowers, fillers and foliages that are compatible at the same time. Try offering mixed foliage bundles that would work well with traditional garden flowers grown in your area. Keep in mind that shapes and textures play an important part in the success of these. Package them in brown craft paper and tie with some natural jute cord for a real DIY (do it yourself) look. You can also offer a mixed bouquet of filler materials as well. Statice, Gypsophila, Montecasino, Solidago and Waxflower are a few filler materials that could combine well together. Mix several products for a selection of choices.

Remember that just because a customer has grown a few blossoms, it is still a good idea to offer supplemental bundles of Spray Roses, Dahlias and Liatris. Hydrangea and Lilies also replicate garden growings.

What a great time to think about offering DIY classes in the shop where customers bring in their own containers, flowers and foliages to learn the fine art of arranging. Be sure to have on hand lots of bundles and add ons such as nests, birds, pretty ribbons and any other accessory items that might work with their summer sensational designs. This is a great way to expose your customers to inventory items that they might not know you sell.

The craft stores are making great strides in the sale of these ‘florist items’, so you should market your wares to garner the sale. Keep these hands on class formats going for your customers by making them aware of any up coming classes planned for the summer and fall.