Business

BLOOMING ASPIRATIONS

Florists in Oklahoma work hard to dream up one-of-a-kind creations for their clients.

Florists often order products from around the world for their creations. Photos courtesy New Leaf Florist

A DAY IN THE LIFE

Ralph Waldo Emerson famously said: “ e Earth laughs in owers.” With a bit more normalcy returning to life, people are searching for ways to beautify their personal spaces. Whether you’re interested in brightening up a room with a splash of color or you’re planning a major event, owers are always a smart choice. But the life of a orist takes hard work – just ask Toni Garner, owner of Toni’s Flowers and Gifts in Tulsa.

Flowers are ordered from all over the U.S. and from as far as South America and Europe, she says. When they arrive (usually every Monday), arrangements are designed and produced. Many shops like Toni’s have an idea of what each arrangement will look like, and Toni says her shop has its own personal style of design.

Her sta , she says, are all truly passionate about oristry and have decades experience between them. ey do like to keep their designs fresh, so a lot of time is spent perfecting ideas seen on social media outlets like Instagram and Pinterest, as well as ideas from specialty magazines. Another large aspect of the job involves marketing and keeping up with their own social media presence.

“Every day is di erent, but we stay busy,” says Garner. “ ere is an art to oristry.” eir busiest times are the big holidays: Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, followed by Easter and anksgiving. Wedding seasons have spread out some, so while June remains a popular time to tie the knot, the fall has sprung up as another in-demand season for nuptials – meaning consistent business for orists. But you don’t need a speci c holiday to enjoy fresh owers; Toni’s has arrangements for all occasions and budgets.

LEARNING THE ROPES

Jaykob Janes, manager of New Leaf Florist in OKC’s Casady Square, says that oristry is a passion, and it’s best to learn in a more hands-on environment rather than a classroom.

“ ere are avenues to take, like oral design at OSU, but if oristry is something you’re passionate about, come spend a busy holiday week in a shop,” he says. “If you love it, that’s half the battle.”

Marketing classes would also be helpful to a budding orist, says Janes.

Recently, New Leaf partnered with Infant Crisis Services for Mother’s Day and donated a portion of proceeds to the cause. To Janes, giving back is a de nite bonus, especially after the last year full of turmoil.

“It’s so ful lling to have the ability to use owers as my art, and giving back to the community is equally as important,” he says.

Whatever the case – be it a wedding, birthday or holiday, it’s safe to say there is a ower or an arrangement for every occasion. Florists like Toni Garner and Jaykob Janes are more than willing to dream up and create the perfect piece for you. ERIKA BROWNING