I recently decided to create a live stream segment as a gentle nod back to our beginnings as a weekly-written flower blog. If you missed our first Instagram live stream, you can find a quick rundown of what we talked about below. Here are a few floral resources & ideas I hope will inspire and help you as you run your flower business:

No. 1: New Books

SUSAN MCLEARY

Susan McLeary, aka @passionflowersue, recently released her second book. She wrote Flowers for All for everyone! Sue shares ways you can incorporate flowers into your everyday life using design techniques that aren’t fussy and don’t use too many ingredients or supplies. And, we have to say…photographer EE Berger nailed the imagery in Flowers for All!

If you missed her first book, The Art of Wearable Flowers, check it out! It’s a guide book of over 40 how-to floral wearable projects including earrings, headpieces, bracelets, corsages, and more. If you’re looking for a practical manual from a floral wearable expert, this one is for you!

If you’d like to hear Sue share behind the scenes about her career journey, her hopes for the floral profession, and how she’s been able to land editorials in top publications, check out our conversations with her in BB Podcast Ep. 2 and BB Podcast Ep. 95.

ANNA POTTER

Anna Potter is at it again! After releasing The Flower Fix, she teamed up with photographer India Hobson again and they’re back with a second book. Flower Philosophy is a celebration of seasons where Anna encourages readers to listen and learn from nature. Using 25 combinations of stems and foliage, Anna facilitates the creation of unique inspired designs while helping you feel liberated from the one-size-fits-all approach to design.

This book is arranged by seasons and includes an array of projects including wreaths, bouquets, and installations. And best of all, Anna uses flowers that can be bought, found, or foraged in your neighborhood!

We had the privilege of sitting down with Anna and talking about her extraordinary career and design aesthetic. Check out BB Podcast Ep. 82 to hear what Anna had to say.

No. 2: Vase Buy Backs + Reuse Programs

NATIVE POPPY

Image: Reality and Retrospect

Native Poppy extends the following offer to their customers: Bring in any vase you’ve received from Native Poppy in good condition (no cracks, chips, or stains) and get $5 worth of fresh flowers. Pick blooms from the stem bar or apply your credit to a wrap of any size. 1 vase = $5 of fresh flower credit to be used in the store, same day. Have 5 vases? Get $25 worth of flowers! Got 10 vases? Get $50 worth of blooms. You get the picture!

EVE FLORAL CO

Motivated by the increasing cost of vases, the scarcity of available glassware stock, and her determination to strive toward more sustainable practices, Evelyn Streeter, owner of Eve Floral Co, spent a day collecting old glassware from her customers in exchange for a 15% off coupon on their next purchase. She accepted all glassware that was dropped off at her studio, separated out the vessels she could reuse for her flower arrangements, and donated the rest to a secondhand store. It was a win-win for everyone!

THE NATURE OF THINGS

Image: Jenn & Pawel Photography

Dawn and Mandy, the mother-daughter duo behind The Nature of Things, encourage their customers to bring their favorite vases back to the store to be refilled with flowers. They only accept vases that were originally purchased from The Nature of Things. The result? Their customer saves money because they only purchase the flowers and pay for the design fee when ordering an arrangement. The vase has already been paid for in a previous transaction!

ALYSSA LYTLE / FLOWERING MINDS

You might remember our pin frog tutorial post with Alyssa from Flowering Minds where she talked about why she loved using pin frogs in deliveries when she had a retail shop and how she justified the expense (which included a vase recycling program!):

“We have heard many florists feel deterred from using a pin frog in daily orders for delivery due to the cost. We have chosen not to make a profit off the sales of our pin frogs, as it saves us time in the design process (it makes for fairly fast design work) and it makes it much easier to stay within budget, flower-wise. We do mark our vases up and then simply add the wholesale price of the pin frog, which generally adds up to $15-$20 total. We do not present this as optional, as most non-floral designers wouldn’t choose to add that extra cost, but we know the difference it makes in the design, so we simply say this is the vase cost, if asked. We then encourage our “Vase Recycling Program” which enables our customers to return the vase/frog combo for a $15 floral posy.” – Alyssa Lytle

No. 3: Cutting Garden in a Box

LOVE N FRESH FLOWERS

Farmer Florist Jennie Love, owner of Love ‘n Fresh Flowers found a way to serve her community in a beautiful way. Each year she sows extra seeds and offers curated collections of cut flower plant starts to her community. She calls the offer Cutting Garden in a Box. Once purchased and planted by community members, there are mini versions of Jennie’s flower fields growing at homes all around her community!

Jennie takes all the hard work out of starting a cutting garden for her customers. Her plants are grown in an organic living soil mix with careful attention to proper nutrient balancing and the biodynamic calendar so they’ll have robust roots and be ready to grow vigorously once planted. She selects fun and unique varieties that aren’t available at garden centers. Kudos to you, Jennie!

No. 4: Bloom Trust Co Circle Retail

Image: Brogen Jessup

Registration for our Spring 2023 CIRCLE is open! This session was created specifically for retail florists who are opening, running, and scaling modern flower shops. Native Poppy owners Natalie Gill and Meg Blancato will facilitate the 8-week session. For more info, click here! (max. 10 students)

No. 5: Instagram Inspiration

SONNY & WILLOW

Located in Perth, Western Australia, Sonny & Willow offers same day delivery of dreamy florals and also designs florals for weddings & events. We find this IG account full of happy blooms and inspiring color combinations. Check it out here! 

Hope to see you at our weekly Botanical Brouhaha IG Live Stream on Monday!