9 Skills You Have If You're A Florist

Being an independent florist doesn’t just mean you’re good with flowers, as competition grows from both supermarkets and online operators what now sets a serious florist apart is a whole load of niche business knowledge as well. Like knowing how to get hold of unusual specialty flower varieties, providing top notch customer service, using beautiful branded packaging and knowing where to get the very best sundries to add genuine value to designs. Which is where we come in; renowned as the wedding and prom specialists but also offering hundreds of lines suitable for everyday work they’re a one-stop-shop for sundries and accessories to make every design extra special. You can do anything with a piece of wire It’s a longstanding industry joke that floral laymen couldn’t handle a double leg-mount, but it’s also true as it takes training and practise to really get your fingers round a 22 gauge. So many floral designs involve wire-work, and the extra special ones will often require a lot of it. Like this princess-perfect creation by Jens Jakobsen on which he’s wired succulents, seed heads, orchid heads, diamante sprays and… A WHOLE TIARA! And a tube of glue Also a crucial part of training and if you’re keen to compete in national floristry competitions like RHS Chelsea you’ll find a tube of cold glue may become your best friend as it allows for seriously intricate design-work. But it’s also so handy for weddings, proms and even everyday arrangements as it’s crucial for so many corsage and buttonhole designs plus it’s used for gluing accessories like pearls, sparkles and other flowers to anything and everything. And a knife! An obvious one but it’s what you do with it that really matters, for example only a true creative florist would think to slice an Angelica flower in half in order to affix it to a flower girl’s wand, like this bright idea from Jens Jakobsen. You know where to find the smartest products A few years in the industry means you’ll know your preferred suppliers and you’ll be in the know when any new product comes out; be it new solution to make your flowers last longer, the latest leaf shine, a clever new rose stripper or handy buttonholes and corsage clips like these from Corsage Creations which mean you can say goodbye to awkward pins as they’re all magnetic and come in a range of styles, all with design disks specially made for gluing flowers. You source unusual materials Renowned for thinking outside the box, creative florists don’t minimise materials to whatever’s on the flower stand. Instead shells, pearls, seed heads, quirky foliage, brooches, metallic leaves, fruit, snipped garden flowers, sparkly pins, skeleton leaves and so much more all add value and special touches to unique designs that can’t be found anywhere else. You’ll create bespoke designs for all tastes Catering to different tastes and not being afraid to break the rules is a key factor for florists who care about pleasing their customer base, like this punky prom design created for a new teenage customer by Pip Holley. You have an eye for shape and texture Designer Jens Jakobsen created this bridal bouquet with a serious eye for design, with no typical ‘flowers’ and petals, he’s used craspedia and rose hip berries to echo the shape of Corsage Creations pearl and flower brooches. And by immersing a large brooch in this en-masse gyp bouquet he’s created a dazzling combination of textures, plus only a creative florist could think to bend callas to make this circular chair back. And an eye for detail Add immediate interest to a classic design with a string of pearls or pearl sprays, as Cathy Penrose from The Flower Shop in Oxfordshire has done here. Or in this design by Hattie Ali, a few simple butterfly pins hold the bouquet handle in place and immediately add a special touch for the bride who loves to sparkle; so much more exciting than a plain-headed pin. Your creations last forever Your designs are so special they’ll be treasured in memories and photos long after wedding days have long gone, but actually with Corsage Creations you can genuinely leave customers with a keepsake as so many of their products can be kept and reused, like their tiaras, hair clips and massive range of corsage wristlets. Plus, flower crowns are still a mega trend but how many brides can boast being able to keep theirs long after the big day? Source your headdress from Corsage Creations and she can. Thanks to designers Katie Jane-Pridmore, Pip Holley, Jens Jakobsen, Hattie Ali and Cathy Penrose for these gorgeous ideas.