In the hectic week before Mother’s Day, a glance at the day in the life of a florist seemed to be an appropriate topic for this month’s newsletter. Georgianne Vinicombe of Monday Morning Flower & Balloon Co. details the ups, downs and wonders of a day in the life of a florist.

I’ve noticed that what I love most about my job is something that an average person usually hates. What is that, you wonder? It’s diversity, change, constant evolution and sometimes even chaos. The day in the life of a florist is anything but boring or mundane.

Georgianne Owner of Monday Morning Flowers

I’ll bet if you asked someone what they thought it would be like to be a florist for the day, most would answer with cliché. The most common one I’ve heard over the years is “It must be fun to play with flowers all day”. Play? Who said anything about playing. Last time I looked it was my job to be a florist, not my hobby.

Another personal favorite is “It must be so calm and relaxing being surrounded by all the flowers”. Ok, anyone that says this has not been standing knee deep in floral debris with a pile of orders in front of them to be designed, with a delivery driver rushing you to hurry up, and all 6 of the phone lines are ringing at once. Ah… stress is holding me together! What would I do without it?

Is it always that hectic at a flower shop? Of course not, but the truth is that most people never experience that side of our industry. The day in the life of a florist is much more complex that anyone would imagine. There are flowers and supplies to be ordered, windows and coolers to be cleaned, balloons to be inflated, flowers to be prepped and arranged, plants to be watered, payroll, bills and taxes to be paid not to mention invoicing along with credit and collections. Orders and customers don’t just fall in our lap. There are marketing and advertising dollars to be spent wisely, websites to be updated, bridal consultations and proposals to be typed, phones to be answered and the list goes on.

Prepping Flowers At Monday Morning Flowers

Now, down to basics. There are certain tasks that get done day in and day out at a flower shop. First thing in the morning the flowers arrive, fresh from the wholesaler. That’s when the floral fun begins. Boxes and boxes of fresh flowers from all over the world are delivered to our door. Lots of buckets of fresh water are lined up as flowers are unpacked and inspected. A quick cut on the chopper and the flowers are placed into water for hydrating. I love this part seeing all the flowers lined up waiting to take their place in the cooler!!

Processing of fresh flowers happens everyday at my shop and it’s a revolving door of flowers in and out. Now we get to the fun part – flowers are artfully arranged in pretty containers of all shapes and sizes. Foliage, accent and focal flowers combined in various ways and then very carefully loaded onto one of delivery vans for a quick trip directly to the recipient! There’s nothing like receiving flowers, hand delivered by a uniformed driver. I don’t get to do it often but I still love delivering flowers. It’s fun to see peoples reaction!

“Why send flowers?” you may wonder. Flowers create memories. They attack all the senses at once. Color, fragrance and sentiment on a card. I’ve been in the business so long that sometimes it’s hard to think like a consumer or even a recipient of flowers. But when I do, in an instant, I am 5 years old again. It was my first dance recital and my mom had given me a sweet little nosegay of carnations and babies breath, tied with a pink bow. If I close my eyes, I can still smell those flowers and I feel instantly happy at the memory.

Monday Morning Flowers Staff

It’s finally my wedding day. The smell of the flowers, the carnations, the roses, the stephanotis… It’s funny on that day they remind me of what it felt like to be a little girl because the smell transported me back. Now, almost 24 years after my wedding day, the smell of carnations, roses and stephanotis reminds me the day that I truly became a woman. How did that happen, when did I grow up? Even though I didn’t know it then, I was born to be a florist.

Back at the shop, the fun continues as the designer hands are flying, support staff sweep up and the sales staff assist customers who need floral advice. Flowers in and out, phones ringing, computers spitting out orders and brooms constantly moving. Ah, the signs of successful flower shop!

What I love most about my days in the flower shop are the things that most people probably would avoid. No two days are ever the same. I never know what the day will hold. Maybe an old friend from high school will walk through my doors and ask me to do her wedding flowers or maybe the White House or a Celebrity will call with a flower order. Sound crazy? Those things have happened to me within the last six months. It’s what I love, the diversity of each day! The Life of a Florist – it’s not always a bed of roses but I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Georgianne Vinicombe is the owner of Monday Morning Flower & Balloon CO. in Princeton NJ and Yardley PA.  Not only is she an accomplished florist, Georgianne is a avid blogger as well.  On her blog Georgianne’s “Smile Blog”, she shares the challenges, inspiration and sheer joy of being a florist.

If you enjoyed learning about a day in the life of a florist, read Florists and the Wonderful Things They Do.

Want to learn more about how flowers create memories? Read Flower Memories
Thinking of Mom this week.  Great ideas for Mother’s Day are found in Flowers Spell Mother