Container plant creations are another passion of mine that I love to share information about. There’s just something about the smell of good quality soil that engulfs my being with nature and her gifts. I can almost feel the plants smiling with the quality elements I’m giving them, the hope for future growth and a long life. Wow, almost feel like I should say these gems are “groovy”, a throwback to the 70’s when green plants were hanging everywhere!
Plants have been a part of everyday life for centuries and a sign of good will, bringing nature into homes and businesses with the organic feel they need to complete their décor assignments. That’s where your talent and design savvy come into play…..along with add on sales to fatten that sometimes lacking bank account.
Grabbing the custom plant market is something to aspire to. Think of these planters as art designs that are lasting tributes to your creative being. This will open up a whole new market; it’s something many are willing to pay quality money for if you work it right. Don’t cut yourself short thinking that other specialty companies would be better at this. Learn how to plant these beauties and open yourself up to this possibility… I did and it’s netted me some good cash in addition to daily sales over the years. Know how to do this right and quality clients will come your way.
What we have (over the everyday plant service) is the ability to add elements of décor to the plant designs. Touches of willow, bamboo, rocks/stones, even permanent blooms for color are things that separate us from “them”. And that’s the key: to show our talents that bring much more visual value to our plant creations. Yes, there’s that term again, visual value, meaning that the perceived value should be more than the dollars spent on the design. This brings them back for more….more of everything you have to offer.
When you see a new office structure being built, find out who is running the show. Connect with them in the early stages about your talent for creating custom plant designs. Do research and find out the color scheme and décor that is planned for the facility. Then show your “stuff” by creating a few samples to wow them with your talent. This will take some time but well worth the effort. If nothing else, you’ll find out just what you’re made of and learn a bit more about the fresh plant process. The samples can easily be sold in your shop. I've done this with two local hospitals and it really paid off. One facility has an ocean theme, so I could add rocks and such to the plant designs. The other was modern, so streamlined containers with appropriate long lasting plants were called for. The right product for the right job. If there is low light, use extremely hearty foliage plants. More light in the area can handle plants that enjoy this feature.
Having a grasp of how indoor foliage plants grow, what they need to survive in various environments (light, fertilizer, soil) is critical information to gather for your career to take this added path. Do the proper research, ask questions with your local growers, and all should be good. The exciting part is that you get to create while having larger jobs that bring in more money to your floral world. This fact that makes our effort so rewarding….. Now go create these new plant arrangements and satisfy the designer part of your brain that keeps nagging the heck out of you!
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.”
Joe recently took on a new challenge: educating the public. His new website, http://www.arrangecreativeflowers.com, provides tips and advice to help consumers better appreciate our floral world.
Grabbing the custom plant market is something to aspire to. Think of these planters as art designs that are lasting tributes to your creative being. This will open up a whole new market; it’s something many are willing to pay quality money for if you work it right. Don’t cut yourself short thinking that other specialty companies would be better at this. Learn how to plant these beauties and open yourself up to this possibility… I did and it’s netted me some good cash in addition to daily sales over the years. Know how to do this right and quality clients will come your way.
What we have (over the everyday plant service) is the ability to add elements of décor to the plant designs. Touches of willow, bamboo, rocks/stones, even permanent blooms for color are things that separate us from “them”. And that’s the key: to show our talents that bring much more visual value to our plant creations. Yes, there’s that term again, visual value, meaning that the perceived value should be more than the dollars spent on the design. This brings them back for more….more of everything you have to offer.
When you see a new office structure being built, find out who is running the show. Connect with them in the early stages about your talent for creating custom plant designs. Do research and find out the color scheme and décor that is planned for the facility. Then show your “stuff” by creating a few samples to wow them with your talent. This will take some time but well worth the effort. If nothing else, you’ll find out just what you’re made of and learn a bit more about the fresh plant process. The samples can easily be sold in your shop. I've done this with two local hospitals and it really paid off. One facility has an ocean theme, so I could add rocks and such to the plant designs. The other was modern, so streamlined containers with appropriate long lasting plants were called for. The right product for the right job. If there is low light, use extremely hearty foliage plants. More light in the area can handle plants that enjoy this feature.
Having a grasp of how indoor foliage plants grow, what they need to survive in various environments (light, fertilizer, soil) is critical information to gather for your career to take this added path. Do the proper research, ask questions with your local growers, and all should be good. The exciting part is that you get to create while having larger jobs that bring in more money to your floral world. This fact that makes our effort so rewarding….. Now go create these new plant arrangements and satisfy the designer part of your brain that keeps nagging the heck out of you!
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.”
Joe recently took on a new challenge: educating the public. His new website, http://www.arrangecreativeflowers.com, provides tips and advice to help consumers better appreciate our floral world.
