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On the Level with Neville: October 2010
Preparing for Floral Emergencies |
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Written by Neville MacKay
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My heavens, time is a sneaky old crow. All of a sudden he or she has once again run out on you, leaving a pile of work to get done and no one around to help! It’s bad enough when, say at Christmas, you’ve got 15 “special little arrangements” (translation: cheap) to do for last-minute Marjorie, but they all have to be good to go in 20 minutes. Don’t forget you have other work coming in as well. It makes my stomach turn just writing about it.
“Always Be Prepared!” Now, is that from the Boy Scouts, or did I hear it on an old Charlie’s Angels episode? Wherever I heard it doesn’t matter; it really does make sense. We in the floral industry never know when someone will drop dead, pop out a baby, or decide it is time to get that party organized, so we really do have to be ready to roll at a moment’s notice. As I started writing this, someone came in and ordered 14 wrist corsages for right away (really though, who forgets to order fourteen wrist corsages?). And didn’t Emily Mays drop into town for tea, too! Anyway, the corsage-a-rama sounded like a perfect job for [one of my designers] Danielle, so off to the gardens Emily and I went – being the boss sometimes has its perks!
There are many things we can and need to do to be better prepared for any and all floral emergencies, last minute parties and holiday pile-ups. Besides having all the stock needed on hand to look after what you need to do (floral foam, wire, tape, containers, glassware, Tylenol, a swear jar, etc.), let’s talk having a design strategy in place as well.
Knowledge is power, my darlings, so when you get a “quickie” on the phone or in the shop, you can suggest a wonderful design using what you have in stock. One thing we try to do here when on the phone at peak times is to answer calls with the knowledge of what we can get done right away. If it’s crazy in the design room, we can suggest a cut bouquet, or if we glance back and see no activity, then let the arrangements begin!
Labour equals money. The more time an arrangement takes to create, the more it will cost you, so by having a series of quick, easy labour, attractive design recipes on hand (or at least in your head), you will spend less time not only at the design table, but also taking the orders. One of our favourite arrangements here is a selection of assorted seasonal blossoms (which leaves you wide open), clustered and placed in a glass vessel, upgrading it by the addition of decorative bullion wire as a veiling over it. It’s a design that is universal enough for any designer to do, as its simplicity allows each designer to be creative and unique. This can be done for very little money, with little effort, and can be made in a variety of sizes and colours, ready to suit any budget.
Another look I love to see in the fridge is a collection of smaller arrangements done as hand-tied bouquets in assorted glass vessels. No doubt, you’ll get someone in who “really likes that little one, but would rather not have the vase.” Ha! Now we’ve fixed it – take it out and wrap it up! Done! We always try to keep a vase or two in the fridge that we can use as an arrangement or as a cut bouquet in a pinch. This look is such a great way to not only have a good selection of ready-to-go pieces on hand, but you can make some at your average prices that can also be customized or upgraded to suit orders as they come in. This really helps out the designers when they are stressed out trying to fill all those pokey little centrepiece orders you took an hour ago. It’s a dangerous thing to put too much pressure on people who are working with knives.
A lot of shops pre-green containers as well. Be sure, if this is something you do, that the containers are kept cold and away from all the flowers as well, for obvious reasons like bacteria, ethylene, etc. During the Christmas season, we like to pre-chop greenery and keep it in bags so when we need it we can grab a handful and run. This works very well with boxwood and cedar in particular, especially when you know you’re going to make a lot of centrepieces. We also prepare containers when possible with floral foam, so when it’s time to rumble, we are ready.
Here’s a final tip for those of you who just need a little push (or a good shaking!). Use the resources out there to get ideas, learn designs and get yourself ready. Have a look at the Oasis Idea Channel on YouTube, see all the great ideas on www.canadianfloristmag.com, and go to design shows in your area. Oh, and prepare your staff! I have some very talented designers here who know the tricks of the trade that will make for a quick ready-set-go arrangement for that “hurry-up!” customer. (I call them, among other things, a “great-I-am!”). We’ll be better florists, designers and businesspeople when we better prepare ourselves for what’s to come.
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