Flowers& - February 2014

Flowers& FEBRUARY 2014 $5.50

www.MyTeleflora.com

CELEBRATING SPRING

Bunnies, chicks, and design tricks for Easter Easy techniques for the spring sales season

Pg 18 Pg 34

contents FEBRUARY 2014

features 16 30th Annual Flowers& Design Contest Announcing this year’s theme: Happy Anniversary!

18 Easter Treats Festive flowers for a moveable feast.

Floral design by Helen Miller AIFD, Flowers and Such, Adrian, Michigan Photography by Ron Derhacopian

34 Spring Forward Easy ideas for salable designs.

Floral design by John Hosek AIFD, PFCI Photography by Ron Derhacopian

48 Wreathed in Spring Floral dĂŠcor for springtime with permanent botanicals.

Floral design by Bert Ford AIFD and Rich Salvaggio AIFD, AAF, PFCI Photography by Liam Schatten

4 FEBRUARY 2014

pg 20

ON THE COVER The outside of a clear glass cylinder is beautifully dressed with fresh flowers in water tubes, which were added to the cylinder quickly and efficiently using Flex Wrap. The Flex Wrap also adds a decorative band of color and can be rolled into selfadhesive yarn. For a how-to on this design, see page 47; for more Easter designs by Helen Miller AIFD, see pages 18-33.

contents

departments 10

Focus on Design A Midollino Vase Cover

By Rich Salvaggio AIFD, AAF, PFCI

12

Creative Edge

pg 12

pg 14

Half a Dozen Times Three

By Hitomi Gilliam AIFD

14

Principles & Elements Element of Design: Form

By Kevin Ylvisaker AIFD, PFCI

56

Shop Profile Ruth Chase Flowers, New Milford, Connecticut

By Lori Mayfield

60

Fresh Focus Waxflower

63

Advertiser Links

64

Where to Buy

65

Industry Events

66

What’s In Store

68

Wholesaler Connection

Flowers& Volume 35, Number 2 (ISSN 0199-4751).

Published monthly by Teleflora, 11444 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064, 800-321-2665, fax 310-966-3610. Subscription rates: U.S., 1 year, $66.00.

Canada, 1 year, $90.00 (US currency only); Canadian GST registration number R127851293. Other foreign countries, 1 year, $102.00 (US currency only). Single issues, $5.50 each prepaid. Periodicals postage paid at Los Angeles, Calif., and at additional mailing offices.

Postmaster: Send address changes to Flowers&, PO Box 16029, North Hollywood, CA 91615-9871.

Copyright © 2014 by Teleflora. Printed in U.S.A.

6 FEBRUARY 2014

pg 11

Flowers& Publisher Editor Art Director National Advertising Director

Rich Salvaggio AIFD, AAF, PFCI rsalvaggio@teleflora.com Bruce Wright Tony Fox Peter Lymbertos

Publication Coordinator

Elinor Cohen

Contributing Editor

Bill McKinley

AIFD

U.S. Subscriptions

800-321-2665

Foreign Subscriptions

818-286-3128

Advertising

800-421-4921

On the Internet

www.MyTeleflora.com www.flowersandmagazine.com

ADVISORY BOARD Teleflora Education Specialists Susan Ayala

AIFD,

SAO Professional Design, Loma Linda, Calif., Tom Bowling

Fairfield, Ohio, Tim Farrell AIFD, PFCI,

Gilliam

AIFD,

Kansas City, Mo., Hitomi

AIFD, AAF, PFCI,

Phoenix Flower Shops, Phoenix, Ariz., Vonda LaFever AIFD, PFCI, AZMF,

Essexville, Mich., Julie Poeltler Iowa, Jerome Raska

Tom Simmons

AIFD,

Dallas, Texas,

Surroundings Events and Floral, Verona, Wisc., Alex Jackson

Fla., Joyce Mason-Monheim

AIFD,

AIFD,

Vancouver, B.C., Canada, Bob Hampton AIFD, PFCI,

AIFD, PFCI,

Farrell’s Florist, Drexel Hill, Penn., Bert Ford

Ford Flower Co., Salem, N.H., Jim Ganger

John Hosek AIFD, PFCI,

AIFD, AAF, PFCI,

AIFD, PFCI,

AIFD, PFCI,

Niceville,

Tucson, Ariz., Darla Pawlak

AIFD, PFCI,

Fountain of Flowers & Gifts, Lone Tree,

AIFD, AAF, PFCI, CAFA, MCF,

Blumz... by JR Designs, Detroit, Mich.,

Three Bunch Palms Productions, Palm Springs, Calif., Gerard Toh

Garden Trade Services, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Cindy Tole, Botanica Flowers & Gifts,

Greensboro, N.C., Kevin Ylvisaker AIFD, PFCI, Mukwonago, Wisc.

EDITORIAL COUNCIL Marie Ackerman PFCI,

AIFD, AAF, PFCI,

Teleflora, Oklahoma City, Okla., Tom Butler

Teleflora, Oklahoma City, Okla., Carol J. Caggiano

Jeffersonton, Va., Wilton Hardy

AIFD, AAF, PFCI, FSMD,

Palm Beach, Fla., Rocky Pollitz

AIFD, AAF, PFCI,

AIFD, PFCI,

AAF,

A. Caggiano, Inc.,

JWH Design and Consultant, West

Blue Jay, Calif., Elizabeth Seiji

AIFD,

Edelweiss Flower Boutique, Santa Monica, Calif.

Customer service: For service on your magazine subscription, including change of address, please write to Flowers&, P.O. Box 16029, No. Hollywood, CA 91615-9871, enclosing a recent address label. For faster service, call 818-286-3128; Teleflora members call 800-421-2815.

8 www.flowersandmagazine.com

focus on design

•❊

•

Floral design by Rich Salvaggio AIFD, AAF, PFCI

Photography by Ron Derhacopian

1. Cut midollino into equal segments just higher than the height of a cylinder vase. Place two rubber bands around the vase and insert midollino in vertical bands of color.

1

2. When the vase is completely covered, you still have the rubber bands to cover or replace.

3. To cover the rubber bands with braided midollino, first make the braid, using strands of midollino in contrasting colors. Beaded midollino is another option, one that adds further decorative value to the end result. Soaking the midollino or just dipping it in water will make it more flexible and easier to braid, but it can also be braided without soaking or dipping, as was done here.

Start the braid by taping or wiring three strands of midollino to hold them together.

Midollino makes a quick and colorful vase covering.

A band of braided midollino lends a crafted flourish to the look, which harmonizes beautifully and easily with flowers, adding value to designs at mini-

2

mal cost.

3

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4. When you’re done, wire the two ends of the braid together over the rubber bands, adding UGlu to make the decoration very secure. In this design, glued-on buttons cover the mechanics where the ends meet. Loops of beaded midollino at the top of the design help to marry the flowers to the vase. b

▲

•

For product information, see Where to Buy, page 64.

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FEBRUARY 2014 11

creative edge

Your customer wants a Valentine bouquet that’s affordable, but with a florist’s creative touch. You want a bouquet that’s quick to make, easy to sell, and profitable.

The answer lies in premade bouquets made in efficient, production-line multiples. Each of these features six ‘Freedom’ roses with baby’s breath.

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•❊

Floral design by Hitomi Gilliam AIFD

•

Photography by Philippe Martin-Morice

▲

ARRANGED IN FOAM Fill a 10-inch-diameter, round ceramic dish with wet floral foam. The foam should be about two-thirds deep but should fill the container all the way to the edges. Completely cover the surface of the foam with fully expanded white gel beads. Create a quick and simple armature with loops of midollino, taking no more than two or three minutes. Insert short sprigs of ‘Million Stars’ baby’s breath to make a circle just inside the armature. It should take no more than four stems cut up. Add the six roses into the middle of the foam, lightly supported by the midollino.

HAND-TIED BOUQUETS Using a premade Lomey wire collar is the first step in getting the effect of a full, round bouquet from just six roses plus baby’s breath. For bouquets of this size, you can split a six-inch collar in half. Insert the baby’s breath first. Here, two varieties were used, with contrasting textures: ‘Perfecta’ and ‘Million Stars’. Next, insert your roses. The wire collar keeps the stems spread out evenly. Bind the stems and re-cut them uniformly. Cut two six-by-six-inch squares of wool fabric and apply them to the underside of the bouquet, one to each side, overlapping and UGlu’d together. Further wrap the stem bundle, first with another piece of wool, then with silver bullion wire, and finally with wired wool. Tuck smaller squares of wool fabric into the bouquet to fill it out with an additional decorative element. Overlay with silver bullion wire for added sparkle and display in glass cylinders, in slanting style.

ARRANGED IN CLEAR GLASS Fill a narrow, flared clear glass vase with water mixed with flower food. Cover the top of the vase with half a Lomey wire collar and insert the six roses so they stand up beautifully in the vase. Add a collar of baby’s breath. Place a wired echeveria rosette into the center of the design and accent it with loops of wired rhinestone garland. Finally, insert blades of lily grass through the wire collar and weave them through the design.

When any of these designs is created in multiples or in a production line, designers should easily be able to make four to six arrangements per hour. b

FEBRUARY 2014 13

•❊ • ▲

principles & elements

Floral design by Kevin Ylvisaker AIFD, PFCI

Photography by Ron Derhacopian

For product information, see Where to Buy, page 64.

Form

Every good design has a recognizable form—usually round, oval, rectangular, or triangular. In a closed form, the outline is filled in—as in the sphere of purple alliums and dendrobium orchids above. (Here, the nature of the closed form is playfully emphasized by perching the sphere atop a vase filled only with loops of midollino.)

In an open form, the shape is implied, not solid; it includes “negative space.” The design at right, for example, is easily recognized as triangular—despite the bright, wavy and diagonal lines that play against the underlying shape—because the eye automatically fills in the lines between the triangle’s three points, established by the tips of the heliconia stems, ti leaves, and orchid sprays.

Here’s the challenge: an open-form design tends to have high perceived value, because it allows you to “sell the space”—but it’s all the more important to make sure the form is well defined. A design that lacks form is rarely, if ever, pleasing to the eye.

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•

I

t’s hard to believe—but 2014 marks the 30th year for the Flowers& Design Contest! Every year since 1984, Flowers& readers have sent in photographs as entries— and every year, Flowers& readers have chosen the top three winners, using the ballot card bound into the August issue of the magazine.

Now: Imagine it’s your own anniversary! The kind you celebrate with a spouse or significant other. It doesn’t matter exactly

how many years you’ve been together. The point is, you’re going to lay the table for a romantic dinner for two, and you need just the right arrangement to set the tone. What’ll it be?

Your entry should be a photograph of just the design itself— no place settings or table accessories, other than a plain tablecloth. You have a budget of no more than $40 wholesale. How will you celebrate the occasion? Share your anniversary with us—and we’ll share ours with you!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY 30th Annual Flowers&

DESIGN CONTEST

HOW TO ENTER

Send a photo of a design that expresses this year’s theme, “Happy Anniversary!” The design must feature fresh flowers primarily. The wholesale cost of materials must not exceed $40. So that we can see the bouquet closer up in the photo, it should be no longer than three feet in any dimension. Make sure the entire bouquet is visible within the frame of the photo.

C A S H

P R I Z E S

1st Place:

$1,000

2nd Place:

$500

3rd Place:

$250

MORE ABOUT THE PHOTO We suggest you photograph your design against a plain, neutral background. Do not include props or persons in the photo. Send only one photo. Do not mount the photo, and do not write your name or address on the back. The photo may be either a digital photo or a high-quality print, at least 5 by 7 inches.

Digital photos must be taken at a high resolution and should be sent on a CD; digital photos must also be accompanied by a print, one with good color accuracy. Please call us with any questions at 800-321-2654, extension 3590.

SUBMITTING YOUR MATERIALS

Each entry must be accompanied by a fully completed entry card (at right). Photocopies of the entry card will be accepted. Only one submission per contestant is allowed.

Sorry, we are unable to acknowledge receipt of each entry. All photo-

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graphs become property of Flowers& and will not be returned. Send to: Flowers& Design Contest, 11444 West Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064.

JUDGING Winners will be selected through two phases of judging:

Phase 1 A preliminary screening by a panel of expert judges determines the 10 finalists. Entries are judged anonymously, according to the originality, color harmony, balance, mechanics, and overall design of each arrangement as well as on how well they meet the requirements of this year’s theme. Finalists are notified of their status as such by May 30.

Phase 2 The original photographs of the top 10 entries are featured in the August issue of Flowers&. Once again, the designers’ identities are not revealed. Voting by number, the magazine’s readers choose the first-, second-, and third-place winners from the 10 finalists’ designs, using a postage-paid ballot card included with the August issue. The winners are announced in the November issue of Flowers&.

DEADLINE Entries must be postmarked by Monday, March 31.

Easter Treats Festive flowers for a moveable feast.

Floral design by Helen Miller AIFD, Flowers and Such, Adrian, Michigan

For product information,

▼

Photography by Ron Derhacopian

see Where to Buy, page 64.

FEMININE MYSTIQUE To create this gorgeous bouquet, with its flowing crescent line, Helen first chose a stem of “misted” curly willow with several long, flexible laterals. She used the willow to establish the line, then bent it back and tied it to the vase with silver bullion. Hydrangea serves as a design grid, supporting other flower stems: lilies, roses, tulips, white heather, snapdragons, and Queen Anne’s lace, plus lily grass and bear grass, angled to reinforce the crescent diagonal.

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FEBRUARY 2014 19

Easter Treats

EAST MEETS EASTER Faux speckled eggs and blooming iris say “spring” in a subtle and sophisticated way. Helen cut sections of thick curly willow and wedged them into the rectangle to form a design grid in the style of hana kubari (the Japanese term for visible, decorative mechanics). Because the plastic eggs would otherwise float to the top, they are secured to the willow and the glass rectangle with snippets of UGlu. The willow and the eggs together help to position the iris stems.

SHORT SKIRTS In each of the two designs at right, Flex Wrap is used to create a quick-andeasy design grid, along with a decorative pleated skirt. The Flex Wrap is stretched across the top of the containers, and stems are inserted right through it. (For a how-to, see page 47.) For larger or softer stems, you may need to prepare the way with the tip of a design knife. In the design on the left, “misted” curly willow frames the bouquet; on the right, loops of variegated lily grass harmonize beautifully with ornamental kale.

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AUGUST2014 2010 21 FEBRUARY

Easter Treats

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EGGS ON HIGH At left, a custom-made, do-ahead decoration turns a potted azalea into a unique seasonal design. Helen covered a Styrofoam egg with decorative paper. She glued the paper to the egg with fullstrength white craft glue, then gave it a finish with a thinnedout mixture of glue and water.

She wrapped the egg lightly in twine and impaled it on a bamboo standard; then she wrapped a wire ring from a craft store in twine, covering it completely, and used the twine to attach the ring to the bamboo stake.

Finally, she added a wooden bead and pink ribbon streamers, placed the azalea pot inside a green glass cylinder, and dressed it with additional eggs and a burlap-ribbon bow.

BUNNY LOVE With ears and feet made of white and blue Flex Wrap, this hydrangea bunny’s google eyes and chenille-stem whiskers really come to life.

Handling Flex Wrap is much like modeling with Play-DohÂŽ: Helen simply cut the basic shape out of white Flex Wrap, using a double thickness, then pressed the blue Flex Wrap all around the outside of the shape. With a glued-on rosebud nose, the bunny sits in a patch of green dianthus and clipped bear grass.

FEBRUARY 2014 23

Easter Treats

MR. WHISKERS This ivy topiary comes with Easter features that are easy to add and easy to remove: bunny ears that came on a headband; whiskers made of chenille stems and a pink wooden bead (all attached to a wired wood pick); a pink bow and glittery faux Easter eggs. The cachepot is enhanced with an inexpensive, lightweight green placemat, trimmed to the correct width and tied on with fuzzy green yarn.

NESTING TIME A bundle of curly willow tips, loosely bound together with rubber bands, and a branching head of hydrangea provide the design grid for this bouquet, supporting tulip and forsythia stems. Helen wired the two birds’ nests to the willow and added loops of variegated lily grass along with a pale pink ribbon bow with long streamers; the ribbon helps to control two of the willow tips, but also adds its own decorative value.

The woodsy materials provide the perfect complement to the basket-weave lantern vase that comes with a clear glass cylinder inside.

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AUGUST2014 2010 25 25 FEBRUARY

Easter Treats

CABBAGE PATCH Leaves cut from a faux cabbage line a clear glass vase and harmonize beautifully with a hand-tied bouquet of green and white flowers including real ornamental kale.

(Real cabbage leaves might release an unpleasant odor if submerged for long in water.)

The bouquet is collared with more of the faux cabbage leaves; a loop of bear grass tied off with green bullion adds a simple but important finishing touch.

SITTING PRETTY A rounded glass vase in a delicate shade of pink rests on a wreath made of grapevine and dressed with a stem of artificial pink flowers.

The wreath becomes a keepsake, along with the crocheted doily that adds a vintage, feminine touch to the bouquet. One branching head of white hydrangea serves as a design grid, supporting stems of tulips, spray roses, and alstroemeria.

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FEBRUARY 2014 27

Easter Treats

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WHAT’S UP, DOC? Did you know that Queen Anne’s lace is in the same botanical family as carrots? Here, a bouquet of Queen Anne’s lace and craspedia sprouts from a narrow cylinder vase, hidden among and held in place by the carrots, which in turn are secured with a single piece of aluminum wire that holds the carrots upright. Helen has used faux carrots, but the concept could easily be done with real ones—just be aware that carrot foliage wilts quickly and should be removed, in which case you could add a similar fresh foliage to the bouquet.

UP AND AROUND To create a design with an intriguing spiral pattern, Helen began with a bundle of birch twigs and equisetum, lightly secured with a rubber band so they would stand up straight, only slightly splayed. Placed in the center of the vase, the twigs and equisetum form a central column of straight stems that provides stability in the vase and contrasts with the outer, spiraling flowers and foliage. She took whole bunches of lily grass, still bound together at the bottom, braided them and placed them in the vase to establish the spiral. Adding the purple stock and white snapdragons, she placed the tallest flowers first, then others at staggered heights to emphasize the swirling, spiraling effect. At the base, “misted” pittosporum (painted graygreen so it resembles dusty miller) nicely harmonizes the bouquet with the sea-mist color of the vase.

FEBRUARY 2014 29

Easter Treats

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CHURCH WINDOW To create a dramatic setting for Teleflora’s Crystal Cross, Helen used a somewhat wider utility tray than the one that comes with the cross. She elevated the cross with an extra piece of foam, staked and taped into place on top of the rest of the foam, for better visibility. Then she created the equisetum church window, beginning with the two outer stems of equisetum that frame the window.

Each has a piece of heavy-gauge florist’s wire inside it. At the top, wire from one stem is hooked and inserted into the other, then it is further secured with floral adhesive. The inside pieces of equisetum are inserted in the foam and tied in place with gold bullion.

At the base, “misted” pittosporum and plumosus fern lighten the color scheme, along with natural dusty miller. Loops of sheer purple ribbon lend a transparent luminosity.

STRIPES IN ORBIT Wrapping gerbera stems with bright green Flex Wrap not only brightens the color (so they match the green striping in the Spring Serenade vase), but it also supports the stems and makes them easier to control. The Flex Wrap is waterproof and retains its adhesive quality when submerged. The gerbera stems are bound together here and there at the top of the design with green bullion.

Helen started by making a ball of wire with regular aluminum wire and Mega wire (a roll of each), with a stem that reaches down into the vase. She placed the wire ball, then the stemwrapped gerberas, then the green dianthus, and finished with a brightly colored butterfly.

FEBRUARY OCTOBER 2014 2013 31 00

Easter Treats

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LACE AND YARN At left, fuzzy lightgreen yarn adds color and intriguing texture to a head of white hydrangea; the hydrangea, in turn, serves as a design grid to support the remaining stems in the vase. The bouquet is collared with curled aspidistra leaves.

Each leaf is first split into two pieces along the spine—so easy you may be able to do it with your thumbnail. Then the two halves of the leaves are curled back and bound to the stem.

FEATHERED FRIENDS At top right, feathers add the perfect accent to the My Little Chickadee ceramic keepsake.

Rather than adding them one by one, Helen wound bullion wire around the feather stems to make a short garland and wound the garland around the outside top of the floral foam. On top of yellow carnations and a single white rose, she created a dome from crisscrossing blades of lily grass, topped with a craspedia button.

At lower right, a picket fence (a craft-store find) tied around the base of a small glass cylinder establishes scale for a pair of cute and lively creations, custom-made with Flex Wrap.

Helen wrapped Styrofoam eggs with white Flex Wrap, then added features, including wings, beaks, and a tiny bouquet, simply by cutting and shaping more Flex Wrap in different colors.

Because the Flex Wrap sticks to itself, no glue is required. Aluminum-wire feet, corsage-pin eyes, and a tuft of yellow feathers complete the look. b

FEBRUARY 2014 33

Easy ideas for salable designs.

Spring

orward F

Floral design by John Hosek AIFD, PFCI 34 www.flowersandmagazine.com

Photography by Ron Derhacopian

THREE’S COMPANY

These three designs aren’t

physically connected but compose one flexible composition; the vases can easily be moved closer or farther apart.

Midollino, soaked in water for even just a few minutes, becomes malleable, so you can wrap and weave it into a looped, curled mini armature. The loops of midollino not only lend their own color and line but support flower heads and stems; they can be used to control the geotropic motion of tulip

For product information,

▼

stems and heads. For more how-to information, see page 47.

see Where to Buy, page 64.

FEBRUARY 2014 35

Spring

orward F

GRASS STACK A unique design grid can be fashioned using nothing more than scraps of bear grass, ribbon, and bullion wire (for more how-to information, see page 47). Here, the grid is formed into a rough triangular shape, reinforced with bullion and midollino. Flower stems were pushed through the grid (John prepared the way for softer stems with a knife) and gathered into a bundle below, then placed in the vase. As a last-minute touch, bright gerbera petals were glued onto the surface of the grid for extra pop.

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BUTTERFLY MOBILE Butterflies float around a “cloud� of flowers, created by stripping the stems and encircling the blooms with midollino. Some of the midollino is threaded right through the heads of carnations, which hold it aloft. More midollino is then added, in wired loops, to hang the butterflies. The flower stems arise from a violet glass cube filled with foam wrapped in wool. The top of the foam is quickly covered with an aspidistra leaf; floral insertions are made right through the leaf.

FEBRUARY 2014 37

Spring

orward F

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THE BLUE EYE Another decorative armature is

PENCIL ME IN Whether for Secretaries Week or as

featured in the design on the opposite page—this one

a fun gift at any time of year, a glass cube wrapped in

made of chicken wire covered with peacock feathers.

colorful rubber bands is readymade for adding flow-

John cut the feathers into shorter pieces and applied

ers—inserting stems through the grid made by the criss-

them to the chicken wire with Tack 2000, adding a few

crossing rubber bands over the top of the cube—and

on the underside of the armature so the wire would be

pencils. Both the rubber bands and the pencils are

covered there too. He then simply wove flower stems

easily purchased in colored sets. The diagonal straight

through the feathers and the chicken wire and bound the

lines and bold colors make a great complement to

stem bundle below before placing it into the vase. A pair

round bright flowers packed together in a highly textured

of feathers on top adds the final touch. Bright orange

mound.

gerberas and green dianthus make a brilliant contrast in harmony with the feathers.

FEBRUARY 2014 39

Spring

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LOOPED Above, loops of bear grass, each secured with wire

MAGIC SPHERE A translucent sphere of delicate bullion wire,

and inserted separately into foam, create a foliage bed with lively,

lightly wrapped with beaded wire, lends height, glitz and mystery

rhythmic lines, into which John has inserted ‘Cherry Brandy’ roses

to this playful design, with stems inserted through the sphere into

and alstroemeria. (For more on how to make the loops, see page

the short glass vase in which it rests. (For more on how to o make

47.) John began this design by covering the foam quickly with two

the sphere, see the how-to shots on page 47.) It’s easy to make

folded aspidistra leaves; other insertions are made right through

holes in the sphere for stems to pass through, and niches for tuck-

the leaves. The bear grass will dry in place, curling slightly.

ing ribbon into the sphere as a decorative accent.

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FEBRUARY OCTOBER 2014 2013 41 00

Spring

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TIED OVER IN KNOTS THE MOON At left, a At left, spray rosesaround make the bear-grass treatment a perfect “filler” for interest standard cylinder vase gains and roses, floating over a fluffy a graceful flair at the base when carnations andends youbase haveoffirst knotted the hydrangea in aamix pinks, of the bear grass, few of blades A white at apeaches time. Toand addcream. the grass to with the box vase,container it’s helpful to half-moon use not verticalbands: window justcutouts two butand threea rubber orange sand andon the reveals one in the middle stays crushed the glass in the bottom underneath grass, providing of antoinset The traction helpglass keep vase. the grass fillers color fromvase sliding upcomplete and downthewhile they stabilize the youstory workwhile it underneath the other of the stems. twoposition rubber bands.

These hold the grass in place only until it’s tied withRICHLY ribbon; then they can be cut ROMANTIC away.

The grassofwill dryroses, nicely in A confection pink place, curling it does so white lilies,asand light so; lavender will stock, the rose petals glued birch surrounded by atocollar branches with floral adhesive. of rolled aspidistra leaves, would make an impressively romantic gift FRAME all by itself; gold A KEYHOLE crinkle paper, gold crushed Nothing could be easier to make and dangling teardrop thanglass the geometric armature vase composed jewelry send the look at right, of loops of theand top.midollino Gerry poured the bearover grass twisted crushed the moistvase together intoglass a ring.into John the midollino bottom; then he added enedat the slightly to theitcrinkle making make flexible;paper, tension alone strategic to show off the holds the ringfolds in place within reverse side in silver. the paper’s rectangular vase.

Stems of The lilies waterproof paper sits Asiatic and gerberas are directly in thethe water. inserted through loops; the stem bundle may be bound at the top with wire or ribbon. Butterflies add a lively natural touch to this distinctive design.

FEBRUARY 2014 43

Spring

orward F

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CURLS AND STREAMERS At left, colorful spring ribbons un-

PLEATS AND RUFFLES Ruffles of wool fabric at the center of

derscore and complement the cheerful palette of a pink and yellow

a compact bouquet provide a focal point with eye-popping color

bouquet. The streamers are tied to a square of chicken wire; some

and contrasting texture. John pleated the twin pieces of wool by

are curled with scissors. Filling the chicken wire with plenty of rib-

holding them side-by-side and pushing aluminum wire through

bon knots and streamers is the first step. From here, you can either

both of them at once. He pulled the fabric into a fan shape, twisted

rest the chicken wire on top of a vase and insert stems through

the aluminum wire so it would stay, pulled the ends of the wire

it—or, for a more polished look, gather the stems into a bundle

down like a stem, and added flowers on either side of the fan,

below the ribbon-filled wire grid and bind them before placing the

using spiral hand-tied bouquet technique. Loops of bear grass

bouquet in the vase.

round out the look.

FEBRUARY 2014 45

Spring

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FUZZY FRUIT A bright, cascading garland made of wool fabric, cut into geometric shapes and pierced with aluminum wire, lends line, color and texture to a hand-tied bouquet.

In places, John twisted the aluminum wire into continuing coils using a needle-nose pliers. Mega Beads and buttons add points of contrast and texture, as does the collar of looped bear grass.

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Handy How-To’s for Spring, Easter, and Everyday Designs

GRASS STACK (page 36) To make a design grid out of bear grass, leave the

ON THE COVER Strong and self-

grass out until it’s dry; then cut it into

adhesive, Flex Wrap makes a handy

short pieces a few inches long. If it has

tool for many floral design functions.

browned, you can spray it with colors

To attach water tubes to the outside

or metallic paint. Make a pile of it on

of a clear glass cylinder, first wrap

top of a plastic trash bag and spray the

the cylinder tightly with Flex Wrap. If

pile with Tack 2000, then toss the grass

you make the ends of the band over-

THREE’S COMPANY (pages 34-35) To make a

a little and spray some more. The bear

lap, it will need no adhesive. Next,

quick armature, soak or mist some midollino to

grass makes a good foundation because

fold more pieces of Flex Wrap in half

make it flexible. Take about a quarter of a bunch,

it sticks to itself easily, but you can also

lengthwise and wrap them around

hold one end of the bundle in your hand and wrap

add decorative materials like ribbon or

your water tubes. Simply press firmly

it around the fingers of your other hand. Bring the

bullion wire. When it dries completely, the

on the folded Flex Wrap bands

ends of the bundle back together and bind them

spray adhesive loses its tackiness. Before

and they will adhere securely to

with thin wire. At this point you can pull the loops

using the grid in design, wrap it lightly

the first band. For the cover

out and twist them into a fanciful curling shape.

with bullion, leaving it somewhat loose

design, with the water tubes in place

so that you can continue to shape it with

and set at an angle, Helen Miller

your hands.

AIFD added tulips, spray roses, and wax flower to them. As a final touch, she tore pieces of Flex Wrap from different-colored rolls and rolled it to make something like yarn. The strings of Flex Wrap retain their adhesive quality, which makes them

LOOPED (page 40) To make bear grass loops that

easy to add into the design. Helen

can be used as a sheltering device, start by wrapping four or five blades of bear grass at a time

MAGIC SPHERE (page 41) To make a

around your finger to break down the fiber and elim-

transclucent sphere out of bullion wire,

tions and as a mechanical aid to

inate kinks. Bind the loops together with a medium-

simply inflate a five-inch balloon and

control the tulip stems. Inside the cyl-

used them both as colorful decora-

gauge wire, like 22-gauge wire, and trim the ends

wrap the bullion around it until it feels like

inder, a pillar candle nestles among

as necessary, leaving as much of the

the wire will hold the shape on its own—

Deco Beads that match the color of

attractive cream color as possible.

then pop the balloon and withdraw it.

the Flex Wrap band.

SHORT SKIRTS (page 21) To use Flex Wrap as a design grid, cut a piece of it into a shape that matches the rim of your container, but somewhat larger. Lay it over the container opening and secure it with another piece of Flex Wrap, folded lengthwise until you have a band of the appropriate size. As a decorative option, fold more Flex Wrap into a pleated skirt and incorporate the skirt into the banded grid. The self-adhesive quality of Flex Wrap makes all of this easy to do without glue or wire, tape or rubber bands. To insert stems through the Flex Wrap, prepare the way with the tip of a design knife. b FEBRUARY 2014 47

48 www.flowersandmagazine.com

Wreathed in Spring Floral dĂŠcor for springtime with permanent botanicals.

Floral design by Bert Ford AIFD and Rich Salvaggio AIFD, AAF, PFCI

Photography by Liam Schatten

Permanent botanicals and accessories from Plus One Imports / A Division of the Garcia Group, www.floramart.com.

NATURAL CHIC Sprucing up the house with flowers feels just right when spring arrives—and permanent flowers offer the long-lasting value that many customers prefer. A rectangular twig wreath fits perfectly into many decorating niches; it can be accented quickly and gracefully with orchid sprays. Rich borrowed foliage and roots from a different orchid spray and glued all these components directly to the wreath, covering the mechanics with moss. Being wired, the sprays and foliage can be curved as desired to define an elegant line.

FEBRUARY 2014 49

Wreathed in Spring

IN THE ROUND Like many floral supply items, the vine wreaths seen here come in a nested set of three, which Bert has combined in a single design. The distinctive feature of these wreaths is the mix of light and dark colors—which called, Bert felt, for simplicity in decorating them. He achieved the look he wanted by limiting his materials to sunflowers, both large and small, and variegated ivy, with a bird’s nest in the focal area.

50 www.flowersandmagazine.com

RED MOON This “wreath� is really a hanging crescent-shaped basket, easily filled with mini succulents in glazed ceramic pots.

Rich began by wiring the branches of dramatic red quince to the basket, which was easier to do while he could still reach inside.

Then he partially filled the basket interior with Desert Foam wrapped in moss. He used the foam to create tiers on the top surface, such that the succulents in back would be elevated above those in front. He glued the pots to the foam and, for a finishing touch, added tufts of foliage on the sides.

FEBRUARY 2014 51

Wreathed in Spring

OFF CENTER Combining two square wreaths of unequal size creates an opportunity for contemporary style with pleasing asymmetrical balance.

The wreaths are made of mossed nito vine, easily pierced with Cowee picks, which provide a secure bond when both ends are dipped in pan glue. Rich mounted the smaller onto the larger wreath with five of these picks. The bond is additionally secured with flower stems, some of which go all the way through the top wreath into the back one, again reinforced by dipping the stems into glue.

52 www.flowersandmagazine.com

OUT OF THE WOODS A leafy faux manzanita branch springs from a setting created with a forest-chip wreath and matching orbs. The feeling here is of old, dried wood coming alive with bits of greenery and two blooming vanda orchid sprays. Green orchid seedlings reinforce the vertical line and the sense of new life thrusting upward. The wreath and orbs are made on a Styrofoam base, which made it easy to secure the orbs with picks and glue, and to burrow a hole in the wreath to insert the manzanita.

FEBRUARY 2014 53

Wreathed in Spring

GROWING WILD A vine wreath mounted on a metal stand provides the foundation for a design well suited to a sideboard or mantel. Bert added the lantern, tying it to the wreath at the top; the lantern door swings open at the front, making it easy to replace or light the candle (here, a wax-coated LED votive from Candle Artisans). Blooming viburnum vine is wrapped around the wreath and allowed to creep and trail at the base; the thicker, lower end of the vine loops over the wreath at the top, lending height and a natural line. b

54 www.flowersandmagazine.com

shop profile

•

by Lori Mayfield

A new owner and a new location took Ruth Chase Flowers from fizzling to sizzling sales.

W

hen it went on the market in 2008, Ruth Chase Flowers still had plenty of name recognition—but sales had plummeted in recent years. “It was perhaps two weeks away from going completely under,” says Luisa Amaral, who purchased the business June 1 of that year.

Open since 1946, the shop occupied an old colonial building in New Milford, Connecticut— a sizable town within reach of many others, both rural and suburban, in Connecticut’s picturesque Litchfield County.

Luisa resurrected the business, and sales had begun to turn around for the florist, but she struggled with the location. “The building had character, but it was not well cared for,” she notes. “The building’s owner would not fix anything. It was very frustrating and difficult to focus on my business under such conditions.”

And to top it off, Luisa adds, “The rent was really high.”

So when a historic former firehouse went on the market a few blocks away, in the heart of New Milford’s town center, Luisa jumped at the opportunity to purchase the building: “When this building came available, it was a no brainer,” she says. Interest rates and property values were relatively low at the time. The decision to buy proved to be a wise one: Ruth Chase Flowers’ new location in the quirky firehouse has paid off handsomely with sizzling sales. In 2012, the shop earned the Connecticut Florist Association’s Award for Florist Improvement.

A FRENCH TWIST Luisa’s passion for flowers is rooted in her childhood in France. She is from the town of Pau, near the northern edge of Pyrenees in the southwestern part of France. “From

56 www.flowersandmagazine.comersand

•

Photography by Marc Isolda Photography

an early age I had a passion for flowers. As a young girl, I could not resist to cut a beautiful flower in my mom’s garden—or any of her friends’ gardens!”

She grew up to study banking but when her path crossed with American landscaper Tony Amaral in 1985, the two married and moved to Connecticut. There she helped her husband start a landscaping business, A & L Landscaping, in the neighboring town of Bridgewater.

Yearning for a business where she could focus on just flowers, Luisa was delighted when the opportunity to purchase Ruth Chase Flowers came about. She kept the original name, but went about infusing the business with her own style: “I revamped it completely to make it my own.”

Luisa had never studied floral design or taken a business class.

She counted on her passion, deterNew Milford, Connecticut mination, and innate sense of style Owners: Luisa and to get her through. “It was not easy,” Tony Amaral she says, looking back. “I thought I knew everything there was to know, Space: 3,000 square feet but obviously, knowing a little bit about arranging flowers and running Staff: five, plus holiday help a business are two very different things.” She has two other designers www.ruthchaseflowers.com besides herself on staff, along with three drivers, and adds part-time help during seasonal busy times.

So how does Luisa carve out her own niche in the floral design business?

“Maybe it’s because I grew up in France,” she explains. “I bring a different perspective to flowers. I like to create a different style.

And I want to make my shop appealing to customers.”

Ruth Chase Flowers

Since relocating in an old firehouse, built in 1890 and facing the town hall, Ruth Chase Flowers has experienced a surge in walk-in traffic. The shop interior features high ceilings, wide-open spaces, and a central staircase leading to a cozy bridal consultation area in the basement. Luisa Amaral purchased the business with her husband, landscaper Tony Amaral, in 2008, and has had success in turning it around.

VINTAGE STYLE The new digs certainly reflect a unique style for a flower shop. “I love it here, and it’s made a remarkable difference for us,” says Luisa. “It has totally transformed my business. The building and the location are both perfect for a flower shop.”

The vintage firehouse is registered with the New Milford historic society. Built in 1890, it faces the town hall. “We have so

FEBRUARY 2014 57

shop profile

many more walk-ins now,” Luisa adds.

“People curious about the quaint building want to peek their head in to see what’s inside.” Once there, they aren’t disappointed.

To say the building has character would be an understatement: high ceilings, wideopen spaces, and gorgeously preserved wood floors that once supported fire engines.

The old fire bell at the top of the building can be seen from the street. The 5400-square foot firehouse (3000 of which she uses for retail space) includes a finished basement, which provides a private, cozy spot for bridal consultations. A central staircase adds yet another touch of unique character.

It’s easy to see why her shop earned the Connecticut Florists Association award in March of 2012. Luisa takes advantage of the opportunity for increased walk-in traffic by changing window displays and adding new gift items every season, so that passersby have good reason to stop by and see what’s new. Walk-ins now make up about 30% of her business. Phone orders still account for more than 50%, online orders for about 15%.

DESTINATION WEDDINGS Just as the shop’s location in New Milford is ideal, the town itself is conveniently located for serving surrounding areas as far away as Danbury, Connecticut (about half an hour away).

Situated on the western border of the state in the beautiful Housatonic Valley, New Milford is the largest town in Connecticut. Just an hour and 45 minutes from Manhattan, it is surrounded by gorgeous scenery, making it

58 www.flowersandmagazine.com

a top wedding destination in the Northeast.

Many of those weddings take place at the Mayflower Inn and Spa in nearby Washington, Connecticut, a nationally ranked destination spa in Travel & Leisure magazine. Flowers are supplied to the Mayflower weekly by Ruth Chase Flowers—a relationship that serves to elevate the flower shop’s brand. “We also do a lot of business with a nearby hospital, funeral homes and churches,” says Luisa.

Gushing online reviews have boosted wedding business for Ruth Chase Flowers. What do Luisa and her designers do to make brides happy? They listen carefully for the details of a bride’s vision for the ceremony and the reception. And then they take a position of tactful authority when it comes to making suggestions for the flowers, giving sound advice about which flowers might not hold up if it’s hot and tips on how to keep all the flowers fresh. “We try to educate our brides along with providing the best quality and service,” says Luisa.

her designers is particularly skilled in making silk floral arrangements.

WHAT’S IN YOUR VASE? Premium, topquality flowers—some from local wholesalers, some ordered direct from Dutch suppliers—are popular with Ruth Chase customers, including roses, hydrangeas, callas, cymbidium orchids, and tropical flowers. In addition to fresh flowers and plants, Luisa’s shop does a fair number of gift baskets, including fruit baskets, gourmet food (cheese and crackers, fine chocolates), stuffed animals, balloons, and home décor items like fine pottery and ceramics. One of

THE BOTTOM LINE The most important strategy for any florist, Luisa feels, is not to compete with supermarkets and other massmarket retailers on price, but to maintain a competitive edge with consistent quality, using only the freshest flowers, even if it means asking for a higher price. “In the end, this is what keeps customers coming back,” she says. And with that kind of philosophy— along with a great location and aggressive marketing—Luisa can expect to keep sales sizzling for years to come. b

MARKETING MIX Getting the word out has always been important to Luisa. “We advertise like crazy,” she says. “We’re sponsors for all sorts of sport teams in the area. And yes, we do social media. I didn’t expect Facebook to work so hard for us! I post a lot of pictures every time we do a wedding.”

She also participates in an area wedding show and hosts an open house once or sometimes twice a year. Her daughters, both recent graduates of area high schools, have served as a resource: “They were good about bringing in business during prom time and from the sporting teams they were involved with.”

Word of mouth is also serving Luisa’s shop well. “Yesterday we had three people walk in who had heard from someone else about us or saw our flowers at a wedding and wanted to come and see us,” she tells.

“It’s nice that way.”

831-728-5392 info@callaco.com www.callaco.com

Now We’re Everywhere...

Run an Ad in Flowers& and Join Us! Call Peter @ 800-421-4921 www.flowersandmagazine.com

fresh focus Romantic and longlasting, the new waxflower hybrids offer fantastic value.

W

hat do you want in a filler flower? Dense clusters of small yet abundant blooms, perched at the top of sturdy yet flexible stems? A romantic, fivepetaled flower form, surrounded by attractive yet unobtrusive piney foliage? A range of blush colors that harmonize beautifully with roses?

Waxflower can offer all of these, plus— when it is properly grown and prepared for market—an excellent vase life. Old-timers in the industry may remember when it was not uncommon to open a box of waxflower and find that most of the blooms were on the bottom of the box. That’s rare nowadays. But wax is a flower that varies widely in quality and price, from one supplier to the next as well as seasonally and by variety. It pays to be a savvy buyer.

WHEN AND WHERE Waxflower has two seasons. It is native to Australia—and in the land Down Under, it is harvested from July through December. During that time period buyers in the U.S. and other countries in the Northern Hemisphere also receive waxflower from South Africa and Peru. The second season is from January through June; this is when wax blooms on flower farms in southern California, Portugal and Israel.

“Waxflower requires a very specific, semiarid climate,” says Steve Dionne, president of Wafex USA, a company formed as a sister company to the largest exporter of Australian native flowers, also called Wafex. “You need sandy soil, hot days in the summertime, certain temperature ranges in the winter months, and no excessive rainfall.”

Southern California has one of the environments perfect for growing waxflower, as growers there realized about 35 years ago. That’s when southern California avocado and citrus farmers

60 www.flowersandmagazine.comersand

Esperanza

Painted Lady

Madonna

Revelation

Majestic Pink

Romance

My Sweet 16

Chantilly Lace

Sarah’s Delight

Moonlight Delight

Strawberry Surprise

•

by Bruce Wright

CALIFORNIA FAVORITES Different waxflower varieties peak at different times all through the California season, says Diana Roy at Resendiz Brothers, a grower specializing in wax along with other flowers (www.resendizbrothers.com): “We start with some of the hybrids as early as December, and by the time we get to May or June the assortment has probably changed three or four times.”

Among the favorites are ‘Madonna’ and ‘Revelation’—both hybrids that have been on the market for a while, but remain very popular. ‘Majestic Pink’ sports especially large blooms (as does its sister variety, ‘Majestic White’). ‘Romance’ is intriguing because it offers mostly white and mostly pink flowers on the same stem. Like some other varieties, says Diana, “the longer you leave it on the bush, the more colorful it becomes. ‘Purple Pride’, for example: when it first starts to bloom, it’s lighter, but the longer it’s left on the bush, the deeper purple it becomes. Even some of the varieties of white eventually start to blush.” The vase life is not affected by waiting longer to harvest, but most growers won’t wait to let the color develop.

NEW FROM DOWN UNDER New waxflower hybrids from Helix, a division of Australian flower exporter Wafex, offer bigger, more densely clustered blooms that are more shatter-resistant than in the past. Some Helix hybrids are already being harvested in California as well as in Australia, South Africa, or wherever waxflower is grown; others are only just coming into production, or are as yet available only as imports. ‘Chantilly Lace’ is as dainty and white as the name suggests. ‘Moonlight Delight’, a blue-ribbon winner at the SAF Outstanding Varieties Competition, offers extra-large white flowers with a crimson center in early to mid spring; when the closed red buds are still present, they add to the appeal. ‘My Sweet 16’ begins as a mass of pure white flowers that mature to a rich red shade; in between, both white and red blooms may appear on the same stem. ‘Sarah’s Delight’ is a vibrant pink with a crimson center; ‘Strawberry Surprise’ is a mid pink with a frilly appearance, like a semi-double. Of true doubles, there are only a handful of waxflower varieties; they include pink ‘Dancing Queen’ (not shown), with extra-long stems. More at www.helixaustralia.com.au and www.wafex.com.au.

also began to diversify into other Australian and South African native flowers like proteas, leucadendrons, and pincushions.

Waxflower harvest in California starts officially in January (sometimes earlier), but peaks February through early May. So, the two seasons for wax, north and south, overlap—but just barely, meaning there is extra demand for varieties that bloom early and late in the season, wherever they are grown.

A CHANGING MIX OF VARIETIES The mix of available varieties changes quite a bit over the course of the season. “We grow over 40 different varieties, but they peak at different times,” says Dave Clark, director of sales and marketing at Kendall Farms in Fallbrook, California—the largest grower of waxflower in the U.S., with over 200 acres. “Some are the new hybrids, some are the old-school types. But it’s only by growing different varieties that we’re able to start shipping at the beginning of the year and go all the way to the middle of the year. If for purple wax we had only ‘Purple Pride’, for example, we’d be cutting it in March and April, and that would be it. But during the season, we’ll always have some wax variety in purple, pink or white to satisfy designers’ needs.”

CONSIDER THE SOURCE Some wax varieties are grown worldwide, others are more strongly associated with certain countries.

“California and Australia grow more of the newer hybrids,” according to Steve Dionne.

“Peru and Israel are much heavier to the standard varieties”—some of which (‘Purple Pride’, for example) retain an important niche in the market everywhere.

But when you compare the waxflower that comes from different countries, other factors also come into play. At Resendiz Brothers—another California grower specializing in wax along with proteas and other flowers—Diana Roy notes that “California bunches” have a reputation as thicker and taller than imports: “When you’re shipping overseas, freight is expensive, so the growers will often cut stems shorter to save on freight.” Import bunches average 24 inches

long and 300 to 350 grams in weight, she estimates, where California bunches are often 36 inches or longer and 400 to 500 grams. Also, some growers, when they harvest, are inclined to remove some of the laterals. At Resendiz Brothers, the laterals stay on the stem, for a fuller bunch.

LATERAL THINKING Those lateral stems are what make wax such a great value, whether you’re making bouquets or arrangements, argues Steve Dionne. “If you’re making bouquets, one stem gives you pretty solid coverage on the surface of the bouquet, with as many as three to six flowering laterals on top of the main stem. But if you’re making arrangements in foam, you can clip those laterals off the main stem and use them that way. So you get a very high usage on a per stem basis. I think that’s one reason people like waxflower so much.”

TINTS AND TONES Another reason could be the colors: from white and cream to pinks and reds to lavenders and dark purple, as well as stunning two- and three-tone combinations. “There are no natural blues or greens, yellow or oranges,” says Steve. “But waxflower takes a stem dye beautifully, so in the fall, my sales go crazy on fall-colored tinted wax: yellow, orange, red, bronze.” And it’s not only white wax that is tinted: “Our best-selling tint is called Aussie Gold,” Steve explains. “They take ‘Purple Pride’, which is a plum purple with a white ring around the center, and they tint it with yellow dye.

The purple takes up the yellow and turns a rich bronze, while the white ring in the center turns pure yellow, so you end up with a bronze bloom with a yellow ring in the middle.” The dye doesn’t affect the longevity of the bloom, according to Steve. “Fall-colored filler flowers are hard to come by,” he adds, “so this is a very popular option.”

NO BEARDS Sometimes, especially toward the end of the season, waxflower grows a “beard”: the foliage grows an inch or two past the flowers, which gives a grassy effect not generally considered desirable. Warmer

FEBRUARY 2014 61

fresh focus

Sunny slopes like these at Kendall Farms (www.kendall-farms.com), with well-draining soil and no excessive rainfall, offer the perfect environment for growing waxflower. weather or extra rain might stimulate this added growth. “It’s the plant starting to go back into its growth stage,” says Diana Roy. “If it happens, we’ll just prune it, clean it up. But we don’t have as much of a ‘bearding’ problem with the newer, hybrid varieties; it’s more the standard varieties.”

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62 www.flowersandmagazine.com

LASTING LONGER With proper treatment—both in the field and after it has been harvested—waxflower is a hardy crop. Like other Australian natives, it is built to retain moisture (hence the “waxy” flowers and needle-like foliage) and hold up in the heat. But wax has two enemies: botrytis mold and ethylene.

“Botrytis is probably the number-one problem,” says Kendall Farms’ Dave Clark. “It’s an airborne mold, and it’s everywhere. When the wax gets wet, at cerWaxflower tain temperatures the botrytis will bloom, and Chamelaucium that’s what causes the most damage later on. uncinatum But if you treat the flowers on a regular basis out in the field then you lessen the likelihood Availability: Year-round of botrytis being a problem in the bucket or Colors: in the box.

White, cream, pinks, “The second huge problem is ethylene,” purples, rose-red Dave continues. “We can’t always control the Vase life: 5 days up to amount of ethylene that waxflower is exposed three weeks to in shipping, but we use EthylBloc to help Ethylene protect it, and also TransportCare, which is a sensitivity: High paper infused with chlorine dioxide, to protect Bunch size: against botrytis. Those are the two things that Grower bunches make the buds drop from waxflower.

“Once we harvest it, we cool waxflower to 34 degrees F and store it at that temperature until it goes on a refrigerated truck. With all those steps, we very rarely have to give credit to a customer on our wax. If we do, generally it has to do with the cold chain being broken somewhere down the line: a reefer being turned off, or a box sitting out on a dock.

“Overall, I think standards have really improved in the past few years,” says Dave. “EthylBloc has been around for a while, but the

advertiser links WAXFLOWER • Look for stems without brown spots or yellow leaves; avoid stems that are dropping or shedding either flowers or leaves. These symptoms can result from botrytis mold or ethylene gas. Ask your supplier about whether the waxflower you purchase has been treated for protection from botrytis and ethylene, and whether it has been kept at proper low temperatures during storage and transport.

• Purchase stems with at least a quarter and up to four-fifths of the flowers fully open.

• Remove any leaves that will be below the surface of the water.

Recut stems and place into a flower-food solution. Store, if necessary, at 32-34 degrees Fahrenheit.

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chlorine dioxide sheets are newer. And with the newest varieties, the breeders have done a lot to combat the problems that people have associated with wax flower in the past.”

CREATING CHOICES Well more than 50 varieties of waxflower are being grown commercially today—out of more than 400 named hybrids and varieties in existence. “There will always by a place for the standards, because they’re ubiquitous, and they’re aggressively priced,” says Steve Dionne. “But the future of wax lies in the new hybrids.”

Developing new varieties always takes patience and persistence. Still, breeders have been hard at work, and as a result, buyers today have more choices than ever before: “At the peak of my impact season, I had easily over 20 varieties available,” says Steve. And if there’s one thing flower buyers appreciate, it’s having more choices—all of them good ones! b

ROSEVILLE FARMS

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ROYAL FLOWERS

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SEMINOLE

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TELEFLORA

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FEBRUARY 2014 63

where to buy SPRING FORWARD,

For more information on merchandise featured in Flowers&, contact the supplier directly. Direct links to most suppliers can be found on the Flowers& website, www.flowersandmagazine.com. Use the links under “Advertisers in This Issue” or the link to our searchable, online Buyers’ Guide at the top of the Flowers& home page.

FEATURED SUPPLIERS

pages 34-47

THREE’S COMPANY, pages 34-35 Midollino, Accent Décor.

Mini vases, Teleflora.

Accent Décor, Inc. Call 800-385-5114 or visit www.accentdecor.com.

GRASS STACK, page 36 Nine-inch glass vase from Trio Bouquet Vase Assortment, Syndicate Sales.

BUTTERFLY MOBILE,

Candle Artisans.

Call 908-689-2000 or visit www.candleartisans.com.

page 37 Violet glass cube, Teleflora.

Wool fabric, Accent Décor.

Butterflies, Reliant Ribbon.

ON THE COVER

Green Point Nurseries.

Call 800-717-4456 or visit www.greenpointnursery.com.

Flex Wrap and clear glass cylinder, Syndicate Sales.

Deco Beads, JRM. Coral pillar candle, Candle Artisans / Pete Garcia.

CABBAGE PATCH, 8-inch Optic Trumpet Vase, Syndicate Sales.

Bronze pail, Syndicate Sales.

FOCUS ON DESIGN,

SITTING PRETTY,

page 41

pages 10-11

page 27

Midollino, beaded midollino, and buttons, Accent Décor.

Cottage Collection vase, Syndicate Sales.

Bullion and beaded wire, Smithers-Oasis.

Ribbon, Reliant Ribbon.

Short glass vase, Syndicate Sales.

PRINCIPLES AND ELEMENTS,

WHAT’S UP, DOC?,

A KEYHOLE FRAME,

page 14

Heliconia and dendrobium orchids, Green Point.

Mega Beads, Smithers-Oasis.

Tall clear glass cylinder, flared cylinder, and red Kuwa Sticks, Accent Décor.

EASTER TREATS,

pg 26

page 26

page 28 Cylinder vase, Syndicate Sales.

Narrow (2 by 6 inches) cylinder vase, Accent Décor.

Aluminum wire, Smithers-Oasis.

Deco Beads, JRM.

UP AND AROUND,

LOOPED, page 40

MAGIC SPHERE,

page 43 Clear glass rectangle, Syndicate Sales.

CURLS AND STREAMERS, page 44 Ribbon, Reliant Ribbon.

Sophia Vase in raspberry, Syndicate Sales.

page 29

Floral greens throughout, Wm.F.Puckett.

FEMININE MYSTIQUE,

CHURCH WINDOW,

pages 18-19

page 30

Cottage Collection vase, Syndicate Sales.

“Misted” curly willow, Wm.F.Puckett.

Crystal Cross, Teleflora.

“Misted” pittosporum and plumosus fern, Wm.F.Puckett.

PLEATS AND RUFFLES,

page 21

STRIPES IN ORBIT,

page 45

Flex Wrap and Vintage Jardin Mason jars in tinted Vintage Blue and new Cottage Collection pastel purple, Syndicate Sales.

page 31

Wool fabric, Accent Décor.

SHORT SKIRTS,

EGGS ON HIGH, page 22

Flex Wrap, Syndicate Sales.

Decorative wire, Smithers-Oasis.

Spring Serenade vase, Teleflora.

Butterfly, Plus One / Pete Garcia.

Cottage Collection vase, Syndicate Sales.

LACE AND YARN,

BUNNY LOVE,

Cottage Collection vase, Syndicate Sales.

page 23 Flex Wrap and Cottage Collection vase, Syndicate Sales.

NESTING TIME, page 25 Lantern vase, Syndicate Sales.

64 www.flowersandmagazine.com

page 32

FEATHERED FRIENDS,

Pete Garcia Company.

Call 800-241-3733 or visit www.floramart.com.

Plus One Imports / A Division of the Garcia Group.

Call 800-241-3733 or visit www.floramart.com.

Reliant Ribbon.

Call 800-886-2697 or visit www.reliantribbon.com.

Cottage Collection flared glass vase, Syndicate Sales.

“Misted” pittosporum, Wm.F.Puckett.

pages 18-33

JRM Chemical.

Call 800-962-4010 or visit www.soilmoist.com.

Smithers-Oasis.

Call 800-321-8286 or visit www.oasisfloral.com.

pg 45

Syndicate Sales.

Call 800-428-0515 or visit www.syndicatesales.com.

FUZZY FRUIT, page 46 Wool and buttons, Accent Décor.

Aluminum and bullion wire and Mega Beads, Smithers-Oasis.

Nine-inch glass vase from Trio Bouquet Vase Assortment, Syndicate Sales.

page 33

WREATHED IN SPRING,

My Little Chickadee ceramic keepsake, Teleflora.

Flex Wrap and Cottage Collection purple glass cylinder, Syndicate Sales.

Permanent botanicals and accessories, Plus One / Pete Garcia.

pages 48-54

Teleflora.

Call 800-333-0205 or visit www.myteleflora.com.

Wm. F. Puckett, Inc. Call 800-426-3365 or visit www.puckettfern.com.

industry events For the latest additions to Teleflora Unit Programs, go to MyTeleflora.com and click on Design Education to access the Floral Event Calendar in the Unit Program section.

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL FEBRUARY 1-6, NEW YORK, NY NY Now, the Market for Home + Lifestyle, Javits Center. Call 800-272-SHOW or visit www.nynow.com.

MARCH 23, PIERRE, SD South Dakota Florists Association, program includes Sympathy Designs with Jerome Raska, Ramkota Inn. Call Jenny Behlings at 605-673-3549.

MARCH 26-28, CHICAGO, IL World Floral Expo USA, Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont. Visit www.worldfloralexpo.com.

NORTHEAST REGION

MARCH 10-14, WASHINGTON, DC

MARCH 8-9, GROTON, CT

SAF Congressional Action Days, Capitol Hill. Call Laura Weaver at the Society of American Florists, 800-336-4743, or visit www.safnow.org.

Northeast Floral Expo, Mystic Marriott Hotel. Call the Connecticut Florists Association at 800-352-6946 or visit www.northeastfloralexpo.com.

JUNE 18-24, DALLAS, TX

SOUTHEAST REGION FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 2, ATLANTA, GA Georgia State Florist Association, program includes Sympathy Designs (3/2) with Hitomi Gilliam, Century Center Marriott. Call Randy Wooten at 912-383-6223 or visit www.georgiastateflorist.com.

MARCH 2, MONTGOMERY, AL Alabama Unit, Wedding Designs with John Hosek, Horton Wholesale. Call Earl Goodwin at 800-884-9598.

MARCH 2, NORFOLK, VA Colonial Virginia Unit, Wedding/Body Flowers with Joyce Mason-Monheim, Norfolk Botanical Gardens. Call Stephen Morrin at 757-404-2747.

Holiday and Home Expo (temporary exhibitors, June 19-22), Dallas Market Center.

Call 800-DAL-MKTS or visit www.dallasmarketcenter.com.

MARCH 12, PATCHOGUE, NY

APRIL 4-6, ST. SIMONS, GA

Big Apple Unit, Wedding Designs with John Hosek, American Legion Hall. Call Andrea Lawlor at 631-475-4894.

AIFD Southern Conference, Sea Palms Golf and Tennis Resort. Call 410-752-3318 or visit www.aifd.org.

JULY 3-7, CHICAGO, IL

MARCH 16, WATERVILLE, ME

AIFD (American Institute of Floral Designers) National Symposium, Hilton Hotel. Call 410-752-3318 or visit www.aifd.org.

Maine Unit, How to Survive in Today’s Economy with Jerome Raska, T & B Celebration Center. Call Monica Theberge at 207-725-2461.

CENTRAL REGION

SOUTH CENTRAL REGION

MARCH 7-9, SPRINGFIELD, IL

MARCH 11, PHOENIX, AZ

Illinois State Florist Association, program includes Wedding Designs (3/9) with Joyce MasonMonheim, Crowne Plaza Hotel. Call Frankie Peltiere at 314-740-0338.

Arizona Unit, Wedding Designs with Gerard Toh, S & S Floral. Call Martha Deyden at 480-430-8833.

MARCH 7-9, GRAND RAPIDS, MI

Northeast Louisiana Florist Association, program includes Everyday Designs with Cindy Tole, West Monroe Convention Center. Call Christine Cosby at 318-267-2350.

Great Lakes Floral Expo, program includes Wedding Hands-On Workshop (3/8) and Permanents for the Home Stage Presentation (3/9) with Darla Pawlak, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel and DeVos Place. Call Rod Crittenden at the Michigan Floral Association at 517-575-0110 or visit www.greatlakesfloralexpo.com.

MARCH 9, WICHITA, KS Valley Floral Company, Spring Open House with Kevin Ylvisaker, Valley Floral Co. Call Jerry Yocum at 800-657-2553.

MARCH 18, INDIANAPOLIS, IN Indiana Unit, Every Day’s a Holiday with Tom Simmons, Kennicott Brothers. Call Nina Peterson at 812-275-6422.

MARCH 16, WEST MONROE, LA

JULY 18-20, AUSTIN, TX Texas State Florists’ Association, Annual Convention, program includes Tropical Handson Workshop (7/18) with Gerard Toh, Salute to Education (7/19) with Rich Salvaggio, Tropical Designs (7/20) with Gerard Toh, The Renaissance Hotel. Call Dianna Nordman at 512-834-0361 or visit www.tsfa.org.

WESTERN REGION MARCH 8-9, SAN BERNARDINO, CA AIFD Southwest Chapter, “Love Is in the Air” Workshop (3/8) and Wedding Program (3/9), National Orange Show Events Center. Call Michael Quesada at 805-996-0302 or visit www.allabouttheflowers.com.

MARCH 9, GREAT FALLS, MT Montana Big Sky Unit, Prom Corsages/Spring Flower Designs with Julie Poeltler, Great Falls Civic Center. Call Leslie Darling at 406-892-4069.

MARCH 16, WINDSOR, CO Rocky Mountain Unit, Wedding Designs with Joyce Mason-Monheim, Austin’s Homestead. Call Peggie Lipps at 970-686-2400.

Flowers& Subscribers!

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Find out how!

Go to the digital library link at www.flowersandmagazine.com

FEBRUARY 2014 65

what’s in store

SINGING STRIPES A six-inch-high, hand-blown glass vase with handapplied green and pink striping is featured in Teleflora’s Spring Serenade Bouquet, promoted for Easter and Secretaries Week and an appealing option for year-round sales. Call 800-333-0205 or visit www.myteleflora.com.

CUDDLE UP The latest catalog from Aurora features more than 180 highest-quality plush products geared for this year’s spring and Easter season. Standouts include adorable pairings, like this bunny and chick, featured in the “Unlikely Friends” collection from Miyoni™. Call 888-287-6722 or visit www.auroragift.com.

66 www.flowersandmagazine.com

RADIANT CANDLES Looking for accessories that harmonize with Pantone’s 2014 Color of the Year, “Radiant Orchid”? Colonial Candle’s new spring collection includes pillar candles, tea lights, and a variety of other products in Plum Orchid—both the color and the delicious fragrance. Call 866-445-9993 or visit www.mvpbrands.com.

WINGING YOUR WAY Guest towels embroidered with flowers and butterflies make beautiful additions to a spring gift basket, or charming accessories at any time of year. Available in a set of six with two designs, and priced to retail at $66. Call Peking Handicraft at 800-872-6888 or visit www.pkhc.com.

emporium ACCESSORIES

To advertise in Emporium contact Peter Lymbertos at 800-421-4921

SCHOOLS

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FEBRUARY 2014 67

wholesaler connection

ATTENTION Flowers& magazine distributors

FLORAL WHOLESALERS

ARIZONA PHOENIX Conroy Wholesale Florist The Roy Houff Company CALIFORNIA FRESNO Designer Flower Center INGLEWOOD American Magazines & Books OAKLAND Piazza International Floral SACRAMENTO Flora Fresh SAN BERNARDINO Inland Wholesale Flowers SAN DIEGO San Diego Florist Supplies SANTA ROSA Sequoia Floral International FLORIDA PENSACOLA American Floral Wholesale of Pensacola Carlstedt’s, LLC GEORGIA OMEGA Hornbuckle Wholesale Florist HAWAII HONOLULU Flora-Dec Sales ILLINOIS CHICAGO Bill Doran Company The Roy Houff Company NORMAL The Roy Houff Company PEORIA HEIGHTS Bill Doran Company WHEELING The Roy Houff Company

KANSAS WICHITA Valley Floral Company KENTUCKY LOUISVILLE The Roy Houff Company LOUISIANA BATON ROUGE Louisiana Wholesale Florists LAFAYETTE Louisiana Wholesale Florists MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON Jacobson Floral Supply MICHIGAN WARREN Nordlie, Inc. MINNESOTA MINNEAPOLIS Koehler and Dramm ROSEVILLE North American Wholesale Florist, Inc. MISSOURI ST LOUIS LaSalle Wholesale Florist NEW YORK CAMPBELL HALL Henry C. Alders OHIO DAYTON Nordlie, Inc. NORTH CANTON Canton Wholesale Floral PARMA Cleveland Plant & Flower Company

PENNSYLVANIA PITTSBURGH Keystone Ribbon & Floral Pittsburgh Cut Flower Company SOUTH DAKOTA SIOUX FALLS North American Wholesale Florist, Inc.

we promise!

TENNESSEE NASHVILLE The Roy Houff Company TEXAS DALLAS American Agroproducts, Inc. HOUSTON Pikes Peak of Texas Southern Floral Company LUBBOCK Lubbock Wholesale Florist UTAH SALT LAKE CITY Ensign Wholesale Floral VIRGINIA NORFOLK The Roy Houff Company RICHMOND The Roy Houff Company WASHINGTON TACOMA Washington Floral Service CANADA BURNABY, BC Kirby/Signature Floral Supply

Sell Flowers& in your store! for extra profits Select any quantity— no minimum Whatever you don’t sell we buy back!

Yes, it really is that simple.

Call Elinor Cohen at 800-321-2665

MALAYSIA SELANGOR Worldwide Floral Services SINGAPORE Worldwide Floral Services

68 www.flowersandmagazine.com

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