|
|
 |
On the Level with Neville: A Market That Never Dies
A market that never dies |
|
Written by Neville MacKay
|
I was doing a presentation the other day for a group of older ladies and was asked how to clean and “refresh” plastic flowers! Now, I know many of you have never seen or heard tell of this ancient phenomenon, but believe me, there were such things on the market. I, in all the grace and gentility that I am known for, simply told this dear soul to place these faded glories in a black plastic bag (so no one would see her!), toss them out, and hang her head in shame.
Times have changed, thank goodness! Now, we have the most incredible material to work with, limitless colour choices and a vast range of prices. When I first started designing with permanent botanicals years ago, (don’t call them “silk” no more . . .it ain’t right!) I did many little traditional centrepieces, with a DTM (dyed to match!) look. Boring! These days, we are using permanent botanicals and dried flowers as not only accents for homes, but for corporate installations as well.
Many of us use permanent botanical designs as a way to show the type of work we are capable of doing in the store. When folks come in to chat about weddings, it’s often a good idea to have a few sample bouquets ready to show made with permanent botanicals or dried materials. This way, potential brides can get a clearer idea of what they may be getting from you. Now, if we only had a magic mirror that can let them see how crazy they are acting . . . .
For seasonal changes or themes, have pieces done up and on display that reflect and create the look. Design springy arrangements with forsythia and tulips in the store in February, or twiggy branches and autumn leaves for the fall season, or whatever may strike your fancy! I find that when we do big colourful designs and displays in the windows, it always draws people in, often enticing them to purchase a few stems, maybe some fresh flowers, or have a piece designed for their home.
I know the market for permanent botanicals has softened over the last few years for many, but don’t let them go altogether! These are a vital part of the floral industry and it’s up to us as florists and designers to showcase them to our best advantage. Single stems are not as easily sold as cool arrangements, so make some to not only fill space between seasons, but to truly showcase your talents.
Many shops use permanent botanicals as a staple for headstone designs. Good on you! I see a lot of these tributes sold at flea markets (how lovely that is, and what a thoughtful gift that would make!) and caution that there are a lot of backyard Bettys doing these, so keep a step or two above them. As we can’t (and shouldn’t!) compete with these, I suggest using good quality floral and plant materials instead of the dollar store cheapies. Charge more for them of course, telling your clients why they are more costly than the ones they saw sitting on a picnic table with a cardboard “for sale” sign.
Another thing we as designers can do is to include permanent botanicals and dried materials in with our fresh pieces. Let’s say you have a client that has to have a bit of blue in her arrangement or her life will be ruined! Rather than painting a flower blue (I have issues with that!) you may think of adding a stem or two of fabric flowers in her desired colours. These can be also sold as a keepsake for a special event, so when the natural blossoms fade and drop, the receiver will always have the permanent botanical stems. Offer your customer the option of coming back to have the permanents re-designed for a tablepiece, corsage, or toilet paper roll cover . . . whatever makes the sale!
One day, a sweet old lady stopped in the store and smelled every fabric flower we had, remarking how lovely they all were. I let her have her time with them, as I didn’t want to embarrass her, choosing to laugh ’ til I cried after she left the store! Oh, and the very best was the day I had a new employee go and water the arrangements in the fridge. She was gone and gone, and I got busy with whatever it was I was doing and didn’t notice she had re-filled the watering can three times! What a mess we had when I realized she had watered all the permanent botanical arrangements in the store! These examples just go to show that in the eyes of some, the only difference between natural and permanent botanicals is that permanents are the stems that will continue to last long after the natural botanicals have wilted.
Neville owns and operates My Mother’s Bloomers in Halifax and lives close to Peggy’s Cove with his partner, David, three cats and an overgrown garden. For more info on Neville or to book him for a show or talk, check out www.mymothersbloomers.com .
|
|
|
