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VOL. 17 MAY 2015 US $12.00 FLORET.COM FLORAL MADE IN US
01 FLORET
CONTENTS 05 SOMETHING DIFFERENT
29 SIMPLE BEAUTY
07 SIMPLICITY
31 DESIGNER TOOLS
09 HYDRANGEA
33 FUTURE OF FLORICULTURE
11 PHILADELPHIA FLOWER SHOW
39 MEN’S FLOWER GUIDE
NEW TREND
EASY DECOR
POPULAR CHOICE
FEATURE
FLORIST CHOICE
EASY DECOR
POPULAR CHOICE
DISTRACTION
Floret is a floral magazine that focuses on design-related topics, current issues, and tips and tricks in the floral design world. Floret is written and edited by top floral designers, managers, and store owners across the world. Floret is designed with simplicity in mind, with beauty that compliments the imagery that is seen in the magazine.
VOLUME 17 MAY 2014
KEEP IT SIMPLE DECOR TIPS DAN HEDRICK* When it comes to floral decor, sometimes keeping it simple is better than going all out. Try using different materials for vases instead of class (this adds an extra layer of detail with little work). Also don’t be afraid of keeping an arragnement small. Why waste more time and money in creating a large piece when you can create a small, wonderful piece to display in your house or at work. Here are 11 easy ideas to keep in mind when creating simple flower decor to place around your house or work place:
01. BRIGHT AND ELEGANT 01 FLORET
Elevate a handful of single variety flowers, such as ruffly poppies, with a proper collar of hosta leaves. Cut the hosta stems long so you can play with the width of the collar depending on the size of the flowers, and place along the rim of the vase.
02. THINK INSIDE THE VASE
08. JUST ONE, PLEASE
03. RELAXED ARRANGMENT
09. GROCERY STORE KNOW-HOW
Twist a small palm frond or banana leaf into a tall cylinder vase as a backdrop for a delicate white orchid branch. Float a single blossom at the bottom of the vase, or even use a floating candle!
Lavender’s scent is well known for its relaxing powers, making this the perfect arrangement for a bedside table or guest room. Fill a vase with ruffled scented geranium leaves, then slip stems of sweet-smelling lavender in between the leaves.
04. CLUSTER FOR IMPACT
Cut the stems of textured flowers, leaving an inch or so attached to the head of the flower. Add an inch of water to a large cylinder vase (or a large trifle bowl from your kitchen) and build up a mound of stones in the vase. Cover it with the flowers, nestling the stems in between the stones.
05. LUSH STANDOUTS
With its big blossom heads, hydrangea is a flower arranger’s dream, lots of bang for the stem. They’re pretty all on their own, but try these color combos, too. Add bachelor buttons to enhance purple blooms, and put a blush on white hydrangeas with pink spray roses.
06. TARGET PRACTICE
Hit the mark with this exuberant display of zinnias Gather blooms of one color in your hand to form a pleasing mound; add a single contrasting color bloom to the center. Secure with a rubber band and place in a vase. Feed in blooms of another color to form an outer ring and fill the vase. Place a bit of greenery, such as bleeding heart foliage, around the outer edge for added contrast.
There’s virtually no arranging to do when you clip a few stems from the yard and place them in a collection of bottles or glasses. To create a pleasing skyline, vary container height and stem length.
Pump up the impact of a mixed bouquet purchased at the grocery store. Cut the stems really short and arrange them in a low, mediumwide vase. Group flowers of the same color into clusters, rather than evenly distributing all the different varieties, to create little focal points where the eye can rest.
10. ONE-BLOSSOM STUNNER
Create this high-style display almost instantly with a pretty glass and a single bloom. An ice cream dish, a champagne bowl, or a martini glass all make attractive vessels for floating a showy dahlia. A bit of fiveleaf akebia vine gives the display an organic quality. Try any handy (nonpoisonous!) garden vine, such as wisteria or trumpet vine.
11. ONE-BLOSSOM STUNNER
Create this high-style display almost instantly with a pretty glass and a single bloom. An ice cream dish, a champagne bowl, or a martini glass all make attractive vessels for floating a showy dahlia. A bit of fiveleaf akebia vine gives the display an organic quality. Try any handy (nonpoisonous!) garden vine, such as wisteria or trumpet vine.
07. FREE FALLING
Start with a ready-made mixed bunch of flowers and a wide cylinder vase or glass bowl. Choose one or two stems to stand tall but not taller than the vase. Cut the rest of the stems short and float the blooms in a small amount of water in the bottom of the vase.
Do you have a simple decor setup you use often? Want to share your idea to other designers and floral arrangers? Submit your idea to ideas@floret.com
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HYDRANGEA POPULAR CHOICE MARGARET RHODES* There are approximately 23 species of Hydrangea, only five are widely cultivated in the U.S. The most popular species is Hydrangea macrophylla, which is commonly known as bigleaf, French, garden or florist’s hydrangea. It produces large inflorescences of white, pink or blue flowers in early summer. Hydrangea are so popular with florists because they come in multiple colors, and they are a great filler! But, be sure to keep the hydrated because they drink a lot of water! Annabelle is the best known variety of Hydrangea arborescens. Until recently, this is the only arborescens variety easy to find in garden centers or even recognized by the public. Now scientists have developed some new, exciting varieties I will have on my site very soon. Annabelle is a stunning white hydrangea, often producing heads over 10” in diameter. Unlike the better known blue and pink hydrangeas (macrophyllas), Annabelle blooms every year even after severe pruning or intensely cold winters. The huge, white “drumstick” blooms appear in profusion without fail. The Oakleaf hydrangea is one of the few hydrangeas native to the United States. The Oakleaf hydrangea is a dramatic, white-blooming shrub with four seasons of interest. It blooms best in areas where summers are somewhat hot, but it is winter hardy farther north than the macrophylla (mophead). A tremendous advantage of the Oakleaf is that it can thrive in much dryer locations than its cousins. Mopheads struggle in my sandy soil, but the Oakleaf hydrangeas thrive with very little attention. At this time the Oakleaf can be purchased in two forms: the single blossom types and the, so called, double-blossom type. ‘Snowflake’ is the most common variety with blooms that appear to be double. The Oakleaf gets its name from the shape of its beautiful large leaves. These leaves often turn colors of brilliant red, orange, yellow and burgundy in the fall if planted in a sunny location with a little afternoon shade. The Oakleaf hydrangea can tolerate and even thrive in much sunnier areas than the mophead and lacecaps (macrophyllas).
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THE SUCCULENT RISING TREND JOEY FLAHERTY* Succulents are some of the most popular plants due to their ability to thrive with low maintenance – they store water in their leaves, stems, or roots. Since there’s so many different varieties, they also make for an awesome display. This large plant species includes well-known varieties such as aloe and cacti, as well as some that are very much unknown. If you’re looking for a houseplant with minimal effort, succulents are the way to go! Here’s a few basic, general guidelines for growing top-notch succulents. So why succulents? They are able to survive in dry conditions with little water consumption or sunlight. In fact, succulents are very easy to overwater so be sure to use as little water as possible. Make sure that the soil you plant the succulent in is fast draining so the excess water does not kill the plant. Here are some helpful tips to growing succulents:
01. WATER
It’s true that succulents generally need less water than most house plants. A good rule of thumb to begin with is to water them once a month in winter, and once a week in all other seasons. Pay attention to your plants and if they are looking crusty around day five or still moist after nine days, then adjust your schedule accordingly.
02. LIGHT
Succulents require bright, indirect sunlight. In nature, they are often sheltered by larger plants so that they only receive filtered sunlight through the cracks instead of full on rays. If the leaves look “bleached,” yellow, tan, red or your plant appears to be bending significantly towards the sun then it needs a shadier spot.
03. TEMPERATURE
Despite their desert dweller reputation, succulents are much more cold-tolerant than people assume. Similar to the desert, where there is a marked difference between night and day, succulents thrive all the way down to 40ºF (4ºC). However, they prefer daytime temperatures between 70-85ºF (21-29ºC) and nighttime lows of 50-55ºF (10-13ºC). These temperatures slightly decrease in winter when they are dormant.
04. SOIL 01 FLORET
Succulent plants have a need for a well draining soil, whereas most house plant soil is the opposite. Succulent soil should be approximately 1/3 regular soil, 1/3 horticultural pumice (gravel works, too), and 1/3 horticultural, coarse sand (sandbox-type sand is not a good choice as it’s usually not washed and can contain salt). With the increasing popularity of succulents and cacti, you can likely find soil especially made for succulents.
F E AT U R E
PHIL LPHIA WER S
LADE A FLO SHOW GALLERY »
SIMPLE BEAUTY FLORIST CHOICE JESSI HEMPEL* Orchids are one of our favorite tropical flowers. A single stem can make a beautiful statement all on its own which makes this a perfect flower for easy centerpieces - no design experience required at all! Beyond that, each orchid comes with multiple blooms per stem in the event that you want to get really creative. Orchids can complement other varieties and will add an exotic touch to your wedding flowers in bridal bouquets or table arrangements. We highly recommend our fresh cut minicymbidium orchids at wholesale prices as the best value in orchids for any event or occasion. Orchids come in 19 different types and many different colors. These colors range from purple to yellow to blue to white and even speckle. The most popular types of orchids are Dendrobian, Paphiopedilum, Cymbidium, Lady Slipper, Vanda, Brassia, and Vanilla, to name a few. Using orchids can brighten any room and add simple beauty to create an accent piece. One stem
of orchids will do because of their size, but exceeding more than three in a piece can look overwhelming. Orchids also require sunlight and water to survive and florish. Select an orchid based on the growing conditions in your home. This matters because each type of orchid has different requirements, dependent on the orchid’s origins. Always read the label accompanying the instructions to make sure the plant is suitable for your home and garden conditions. Orchidaceae are one of the largest families of flowering plants, and as such there are many sub-families, or variations, and they have different watering requirements. What might be parching to one species risks drowning another. Generally, water your orchids every five to twelve days depending on what type of orchid you have, what the temperature is, and the time of year—–or more in summer, less in winter.
For more orchid tips and tricks, visit floret.com
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F L O R I C U LT U R E [ f l o h r- i - k u h l - c h e r ] noun 1. the cultivation of flowers or flowering plants, especially for ornamental purposes.
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With a surge in demand for flowers and floral arrangments, the flower industry is booming at a rapid pace. In today’s floriculture job market, there is a growing demand for trained professionals who have strong business skills as well as horticultural knowledge. The almost $20 billion annual floral sales include fresh cut flowers, cut cultivated greens, potted flowering plants, foliage plants and bedding/garden plants. The top states for growing include California, Florida, Michigan and Texas, but every state offers opportunities to work in the floral industry, such as retail or wholesale florists, garden centers, supermarkets, mass market stores andcolleges and universities.
and Educators. The floral industry offers career and salary advancement based upon experience, education and an individual’s motivation and willingness to learn. A wide variety of entry-level positions are available above the hourly minimum wage. According to GrowerTalks magazine’s 12th Annual Wage and Benefit Survey, December 2007, the average starting salary for horticulture/floriculture employees with college degrees ranges from $25,000-$40,000.
Floricutlure can be broken down into Commercial Growers, Floral Wholesaler, Retail Florist, Importers, Suppliers, Researchers,
Floral designer’s are now able to mass produce and create arrangements to meed
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T the demand of clients. Small flower shops can now keep up with larger companies. Floral designers are now also creating flower arrangments that are constantly changing. Designers are applying flowers to different mediums, they are dying the flowers, submergging them, and as well as attaching them to anything they can get their hands on.
my polyhouse to 1000 sq ft.,” he says.
assured that ingredients for their cosmetics have been sourced through community fair trade practices and they are made to pay a huge premium for that. So while a small pack of normal cold cream may cost you Rs 40, the ones with essential oils, et al, will come for nothing less than a grand. We don’t say they don’t work; of course, they do – they are resulting into rapid conversion of agricultural lands into cosmetic-sourcing turfs.
“FLORAL DESIGNERS ARE NOW ABLE TO MASS PRODUCE” Witnessing a surge in demand for floriculture products in domestic as well as international markets, Indian farmers are increasingly taking up commercial floriculture. To meet the global demands, India plans to double its production by 2013. While utilizing natural resources like water and land can be justified for growing food crops, what justifies growing flowers? Is it just another wish for a sustainable planet surrendering to economic benefits!
Many farmers of Nainital district in the northern state of Uttarakhand are switching to flower cultivation from the traditional wheat cultivation. Not that our wheat demands are going to decrease, but farmers, like corporate, have every right to think of economic benefits. So what if due to their act, more forest land will be cleared to make way for wheat cultivation at some other place? We mean it; it’s not their headache, but the government’s!
As it is more lucrative, traditional crops are increasingly giving way to floriculture. It’s not that Indian farmers are new to do so. Vast swathes of fertile Steppes in Europe have been converted to flower growing lands, while Europeans live on imports from the third world. They sell their technology for billions, while force the third-world countries into selling raw materials like food-grains in millions. Who said the world was fair? There’s a reason people like Diwan Singh have to be happy. It’s not just people giving away roses on birthdays, or ornamental and medicinal purposes, flowers are now being used in many intuitive was – cosmetics, bathing soaps and production of essential oils.
Take for example Diwan Singh. He invested in a climate-controlled greenhouse last year to grow exotic flowers like lilium, chrysanthemum and gladiolus. This helped him cultivate flowers worth five lakh rupees in one year.
So while a girl in Africa might not have two meals round the year, an old hag in England must have a vanishing cream with essential oils from tulips – all to a dramatic effect – to make her look like a cosmetic shop.
“The returns from floriculture are good. I own a 600 sq. ft. polyhouse and my turnover is around Rs. 5 lacs. I easily make a profit of Rs. 2 lacs per year. Now I am planning to increase the size of
And then they have a new jargon to befool somewhat benevolent consumers; consumers these days are
Today, land under flower cultivation in India is growing at a rate of 20 per cent annually. According to the National Horticulture Board, the amount of land dedicated to flower production in India jumped 55 per cent to 1,83,000 hectares in the past five years. Indian floriculture industry has grown by 50 per cent in the last three years. Adds Jasvir Singh, a scientist at the Flower Research Institute of Himachal Pradesh: “Farmers are opting for floriculture as their main business. So, I hope that in the coming years, they will earn more profits. There is greater scope for growing exotic varieties of flowers and there is a demand for them.”
MEN’S GUIDE TO FLOWERS
THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO BUYING YOUR LADY FLOWERS
01 FLORET
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