Flower Design Horizons: Artful Creations That Sell
Are your profits ending up on the design-room floor? Joe explains how you can save those stems and create designs that will have customers clamoring for more...
By Joe Guggia, AIFD
We all love pavé-style floral designs. With European roots, these popular flower designs exude soft color and dense floral presentation. For a large number of designers, this is their style of preference—a style that beginners are a bit more able to conquer. Simply group flowers together, add a touch of greenery and filler and, voila! You’re quickly on your floral way! Well, maybe not all that quick, but I think the perception is there.
While I admit pavés are beautiful and well-received floral designs, are they the best use of our product and creative endeavors? What about all those stems we pay for, cut off and toss in the garbage? I know, I know. You’re probably biting your tongue and ready to scream, “But that’s what they want!” But maybe that’s what they want because we’re telling them that’s the style of floral design they want. How about, instead, we give ‘em that “Wow” factor with tall, creative floral stylings that include visual space we can charge for?!
Okay, admittedly, you can’t really put a price on the space in a floral design, but you sure can give a much larger look for the money. So let’s consider that issue of cost and perception.
It seems that most of the clustered flower designs are (usually) about $85. That’s a nice price point; I’d like at least 10 of those a day! To create them, you add clusters of blooms here and there in the vase. Some hydrangeas, some roses, some dahlias. Their long stems (let me emphasize, again, that you’ve paid for these stems…) land on the floor to be swept up and eventually tossed in the garbage. Add a bit more—a touch of Queen Anne’s Lace, a bit of liriope foliage—and you’re good to go. Great, beautiful, blah, blah, blah...
Now, consider the alternative. Take those same varieties of flowers, along with an inexpensive container and some floral foam, and you can create a vertical masterpiece that has much more visual value. To achieve the look, exchange some willow or thin bamboo for a few stems of the flower products. Add some architectural greens, such as foxtail fern, myrtle, Australian flax or ti leaves, which provide substance and flow while being swirled through the floral arrangement. Then, glue some succulents onto the willow or even pieces of common statice with some reindeer moss.
Suddenly, a whole new design world opens up for you while also giving your clients something new and unusual to admire!
Now imagine delivering this floral design to a large office. The willow extends up gracefully, adding gentle movement to the design as you walk through the office space. “Oohs” and “Ahs” follow as you make way through your captive audience. You’re feeling darn awesome, aren’t you? And think of all that great advertising you got at no extra cost!
A new goal has been conquered! You’ve saved those previously lost stems and given them purpose in your floral design. You’ve tackled a new style, while giving your creative being its stubborn way. And you’ve provided your clients with an art form they will enjoy and admire.
Trust me: This style of floral design is a true win-win for you. It will use less product, give much more visual value and allow you to step up to the next level of floral-design savvy.
I totally embrace vertical floral designs. I can create twice as many in less time than other styles, while giving my clients more visual bang for their buck. Who doesn’t love making a great profit on a design while simultaneously serving a happy and grateful customer?
I’ll admit new is scary. But it’s always well worth the effort. After all, we all are floral artists at heart and need to follow that passion to be whole and true to our industry goals. Go for it, and enjoy the journey.
About the author
In a floral world that can sometimes be scary and tiresome, Joe Guggia, AIFD, works to reinvent himself and keep his floral passion alive. With beginnings as a delivery boy at Sandyland Nursery (Carpinteria, Calif.), he progressed to assistant grower and helped launch the first nursery contract with a supermarket chain. Later, Joe moved on to take ownership of Camfeldt’s Flowers and Gifts (Santa Maria, Calif.).
Today, Joe continues to gather knowledge in all phases of the floral industry. He admits that putting himself “out there” to keep the dollars flowing has been a challenge and isn’t always easy. But sticking to it and realizing that “We’re only as good as our last design” has brought him to a place of industry sharing, both of his experiences and those of others.
Joe’s expertise includes staging, indoor/outdoor decor consulting, custom permanent designs, plant installations, landscaping, custom sympathy and everyday shop designs. He is a mentor to the student chapter of AIFD Cal Poly and promotes the motto of “Educate, motivate and create.”
Contact Joe at [email protected].
Are your profits ending up on the design-room floor? Joe explains how you can save those stems and create designs that will have customers clamoring for more...
By Joe Guggia, AIFD
We all love pavé-style floral designs. With European roots, these popular flower designs exude soft color and dense floral presentation. For a large number of designers, this is their style of preference—a style that beginners are a bit more able to conquer. Simply group flowers together, add a touch of greenery and filler and, voila! You’re quickly on your floral way! Well, maybe not all that quick, but I think the perception is there.
While I admit pavés are beautiful and well-received floral designs, are they the best use of our product and creative endeavors? What about all those stems we pay for, cut off and toss in the garbage? I know, I know. You’re probably biting your tongue and ready to scream, “But that’s what they want!” But maybe that’s what they want because we’re telling them that’s the style of floral design they want. How about, instead, we give ‘em that “Wow” factor with tall, creative floral stylings that include visual space we can charge for?!
Okay, admittedly, you can’t really put a price on the space in a floral design, but you sure can give a much larger look for the money. So let’s consider that issue of cost and perception.
It seems that most of the clustered flower designs are (usually) about $85. That’s a nice price point; I’d like at least 10 of those a day! To create them, you add clusters of blooms here and there in the vase. Some hydrangeas, some roses, some dahlias. Their long stems (let me emphasize, again, that you’ve paid for these stems…) land on the floor to be swept up and eventually tossed in the garbage. Add a bit more—a touch of Queen Anne’s Lace, a bit of liriope foliage—and you’re good to go. Great, beautiful, blah, blah, blah...
Now, consider the alternative. Take those same varieties of flowers, along with an inexpensive container and some floral foam, and you can create a vertical masterpiece that has much more visual value. To achieve the look, exchange some willow or thin bamboo for a few stems of the flower products. Add some architectural greens, such as foxtail fern, myrtle, Australian flax or ti leaves, which provide substance and flow while being swirled through the floral arrangement. Then, glue some succulents onto the willow or even pieces of common statice with some reindeer moss.
Suddenly, a whole new design world opens up for you while also giving your clients something new and unusual to admire!
Now imagine delivering this floral design to a large office. The willow extends up gracefully, adding gentle movement to the design as you walk through the office space. “Oohs” and “Ahs” follow as you make way through your captive audience. You’re feeling darn awesome, aren’t you? And think of all that great advertising you got at no extra cost!
A new goal has been conquered! You’ve saved those previously lost stems and given them purpose in your floral design. You’ve tackled a new style, while giving your creative being its stubborn way. And you’ve provided your clients with an art form they will enjoy and admire.
Trust me: This style of floral design is a true win-win for you. It will use less product, give much more visual value and allow you to step up to the next level of floral-design savvy.
I totally embrace vertical floral designs. I can create twice as many in less time than other styles, while giving my clients more visual bang for their buck. Who doesn’t love making a great profit on a design while simultaneously serving a happy and grateful customer?
I’ll admit new is scary. But it’s always well worth the effort. After all, we all are floral artists at heart and need to follow that passion to be whole and true to our industry goals. Go for it, and enjoy the journey.
About the author
In a floral world that can sometimes be scary and tiresome, Joe Guggia, AIFD, works to reinvent himself and keep his floral passion alive. With beginnings as a delivery boy at Sandyland Nursery (Carpinteria, Calif.), he progressed to assistant grower and helped launch the first nursery contract with a supermarket chain. Later, Joe moved on to take ownership of Camfeldt’s Flowers and Gifts (Santa Maria, Calif.).
Today, Joe continues to gather knowledge in all phases of the floral industry. He admits that putting himself “out there” to keep the dollars flowing has been a challenge and isn’t always easy. But sticking to it and realizing that “We’re only as good as our last design” has brought him to a place of industry sharing, both of his experiences and those of others.
Joe’s expertise includes staging, indoor/outdoor decor consulting, custom permanent designs, plant installations, landscaping, custom sympathy and everyday shop designs. He is a mentor to the student chapter of AIFD Cal Poly and promotes the motto of “Educate, motivate and create.”
Contact Joe at [email protected].
