c/florists

My old boss told me to never use carnations in a wedding bouquet

He said they were cheap filler and brides would hate them. I used them anyway for a budget wedding last month, and the bride loved the pop of color and scent. Anyone else have a 'rule' they were taught that turned out to be totally wrong?

PSA: I dropped $300 on a new floral cooler and it's been a total game changer

My old cooler was a hand-me-down that ran fine but the temp would swing like crazy, especially during our hot summers here. I'd lose whole buckets of delicate stuff like ranunculus overnight. Finally bit the bullet and got a new undercounter model with digital controls and a better seal. The first week I had it, I put in a test batch of lisianthus that usually wilts fast. Not only did it last, but it looked fresh for over a week. The steady temp and humidity mean I'm not throwing out nearly as much product. It paid for itself in saved waste in about two months. Has anyone else upgraded their cooling setup recently? Looking for tips on organizing the interior for max space.

Shoutout to the local flower market over the big wholesale catalog

I needed peonies for a wedding order in two days and the catalog said they were out of stock. I drove down to the city market at 5am and not only found them, but the stems were twice as long and half the price. The vendor even threw in some extra greenery when I told him what it was for. Has anyone else found that skipping the middleman is just better for certain flowers?

I used to think flower food packets were just colored sugar

A customer brought in a bouquet from another shop that was still fresh after 8 days, which never happens with our arrangements. She said the other florist told her to use the whole packet and change the water every other day. I tried it myself with a test batch of roses, following those exact steps, and they lasted almost twice as long. Has anyone else tested different flower food routines and seen real results?

Just saw a huge change in my hydrangeas after switching from tap to rain water

The blooms went from pale and small to deep blue and huge in about six weeks. My tap water is super hard, so the pH was off. Anyone else in a hard water area find a good fix for this?

So last week I had to deliver a massive 'get well' arrangement to a guy who turned out to be allergic to every single flower in it.

His wife ordered it, and I spent 20 minutes in his apartment hallway while he sneezed, his eyes watered, and we tried to figure out which of the lilies, gerbera daisies, and freesia was the main culprit, which has me wondering what your protocol is for checking for allergies when taking an order?

I was over-trimming rose stems for years until a client in Portland asked why her bouquet wilted so fast.

Ngl, my new flower cooler nearly cost me a $500 wedding order

Honestly, I bought a refurbished floral cooler online for a great price about three months ago. The thing ran fine for a week, then the temp started swinging wildly from 38 to 55 degrees overnight. I lost a whole batch of delicate lisianthus and ranunculus that were prepped for a big wedding. Had to do a panic buy from a wholesaler at triple the cost to fill the order. Has anyone else had a nightmare with a used cooler, or is there a brand you totally trust?

A chat with my old boss about flower orders

Honestly, I ran into my old boss from the shop in Springfield last week. She asked how many roses I order for Valentine's Day now, and I told her about 300 stems. She laughed and said back in the 90s, her whole February order was maybe 150. Tbh, it hit different because it made me realize how much bigger the holiday rush has gotten, and how much more planning we need now. Has anyone else had to double their big holiday orders compared to a decade ago?

Showerthought: I used to think wire was the only way to hold a bouquet together

For years, I would wrap and twist that green wire until my fingers hurt, thinking it was the professional way. Then about six months ago, I saw a video from a florist in Portland who just used twine and a tight knot. I tried it on a simple bunch of sunflowers and it felt wrong, like I was cheating. But the bouquet held, and it looked softer, more natural. Now I only use wire for the really heavy, structural stuff. For everything else, it's just twine and my old knot trick. It saves me maybe $15 a week on wire, and my hands don't ache as much. Anyone else make a switch like that that felt weird at first?

Had a chat with my plumber that changed how I think about flower food

He was fixing a sink and saw my big tub of floral preservative powder on the counter. He goes, 'You know, that stuff is basically just sugar and acid, right? Like a fancy lemonade for flowers.' I laughed, but then I looked it up and he's not totally wrong, lmao. It made me wonder if I'm overthinking the 'special' mixes. Has anyone else ever tried making their own basic version for shop use?

Heard a customer at the grocery store say they just use tap water for their cut flowers

I was grabbing a coffee and this lady was telling her friend she never buys flower food because 'water is water'. I had to bite my tongue, but it made me think about how many people might be doing the same thing. What's the simplest way you explain to customers why flower food matters, without sounding like you're just trying to sell them something?

Walked past my old shop in Austin and the window was full of fake flowers

It used to be a real flower shop. I worked there for 8 years. Now it's a gift store with plastic roses and silk peonies. They had a big sign that said 'No Watering Needed'. Made me think about how much the craft has shifted. Anyone else see this kind of change in their old neighborhood?

The time a squirrel tried to help me with a funeral arrangement

Last week, I was setting up a big order at Oak Hill Cemetery and had a cart of lilies and greens outside my van. This bold squirrel, I swear he was named Steve, ran up, grabbed a single baby's breath stem, and just sat on a headstone staring at me with it in his mouth like he was judging my work. I mean, I had to stop and laugh for a solid minute before I could finish. Has anyone else had a wild animal 'critique' a setup?

The time I tried to make a bouquet with a glue gun and a prayer

Back when I first started, I thought floral foam was just a suggestion. For a big wedding job in 2019, I tried to build a huge centerpiece using only wire, tape, and a whole lot of hot glue. It looked great for about an hour before the whole thing tilted and a bunch of lilies fell right into the soup course. Now I use proper foam cages for everything over a foot tall, no questions asked. Anyone have a favorite brand for those big, heavy arrangements?

DAE think we're overusing eucalyptus in wedding work?

I did a wedding in Charleston last weekend where the bride wanted 'airy and light' but the planner kept pushing silver dollar eucalyptus into everything. It ended up looking heavy and dark, not airy at all. I see this all the time now, eucalyptus as a default filler even when it doesn't fit the vibe. Has anyone else had to push back on this trend with clients or other vendors?

Overheard a customer at the market say they'd never pay more than $15 for a bouquet

Made me think how much the work behind sourcing and arranging is invisible now. How do you explain your pricing to folks who just see 'flowers'?

TIL those 'flower food' packets actually work, after my test bouquet with them lasted a full 14 days while the one without wilted in 7.

I always thought they were just colored sugar, but now I'm a total convert, so what's your go-to trick for extending vase life?

I finally listened to my grandma about using sugar in flower water

My grandma, who ran a flower cart in Portland for 40 years, always told me to add a teaspoon of plain white sugar to the water for cut roses. I thought it was just an old wives' tale and stuck with the commercial flower food packets. Last month, I had a big wedding order with 200 'Freedom' roses that arrived looking a bit sad. I was desperate, so I tried her trick on half of them as a test. The ones with the sugar perked up faster and stayed vibrant for a full two days longer than the others in just the packet mix. The stems felt firmer and the petals didn't brown at the edges as quickly. I'm honestly shocked it worked so well on a bulk order. Has anyone else had a good result with a simple home trick like this for specific flowers?

A wedding in Phoenix made me rethink my bouquet stems

I was doing the flowers for an outdoor ceremony last month and the heat hit 105 degrees. The bride's bouquet started wilting before she even walked down the aisle because I had wrapped the stems the way I always do. Now I'm looking into different hydration methods for hot climates. What's your go-to trick for keeping bouquets fresh in extreme heat?

I finally tried doing a pop-up booth at the Portland farmers market

Had a lady buy a $75 bouquet and then come back an hour later asking for a refund because she 'changed her mind'. Market rules said I had to, but it tanked my profit for the day. How do you guys handle returns on custom floral work?

Appreciation post: That time a bride's bouquet wilted at the altar in Phoenix

I had to run to the venue's kitchen, grab a bowl of ice water, and do a full stem-trim and water change in the back room (the coordinator was not happy). Has anyone else had to perform emergency surgery on a bouquet mid-ceremony?

I was setting up for a wedding at the botanical gardens in Denver and the bride's mom told me my centerpieces were 'too sad'

She pointed at the white roses and eucalyptus and said they looked like a funeral. I mean, I thought it was classic and elegant, but it totally threw me. Now I always ask for three photos of what 'vibrant' or 'happy' looks like to the client, not just their color palette. Anyone else run into this where what you think is neutral, someone else reads totally different?

Vent: A client asked for a 'sad bouquet' for a pet memorial

She specifically wanted muted colors and no baby's breath because it felt 'too cheerful'. It made me realize we don't have a standard offering for grief that isn't a funeral spray. Has anyone else put together a simple, lower-cost line for pet loss?

Question about using leftover coffee grounds in potting soil

Tried mixing used grounds from the shop into the soil for some ferns, thinking it would help with acidity. They all got a weird crust and started dropping leaves after about a week. Anyone know what I did wrong, or have a better use for the stuff?