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5 Trending Valentine’s Day Arrangements

Valentine’s Day is the biggest floral holiday of the year. But this year, give that special loved one something unique! It’s the perfect time to show your sweetie how much you care and surprise them with a twist on the traditional flower arrangement. Here are 2015 Valentine’s Day floral trends making the rounds to loved ones everywhere.

Roses in a Box
Scrap the vase altogether! Many florists have gift boxes available, so have them line up roses so your sweetie gets a lush, fragrant surprise upon opening the lid. When they receive the box, they’ll be expecting chocolates, but instead they will receive a unique floral arrangement that they can dry and keep as lovely potpourri. In this case, think inside the box!

Ditch the Red
With so many rose colors to choose from, you can always deliver a favorite. Maybe a pink or purple arrangement would be more fitting for your specific recipient–after all, you don’t have to use roses! If you do have your heart set on them, they come in just about every hue under the sun. Tell your florist about your significant other’s favorite color and let them help you make the right choice.

Tip: An orange rose signifies desire and passion–perfect for a new romance. For a friend, choose a yellow rose.

Hanging Beauty
Instead of a bouquet, consider something with a little more shape. Your florist can create a heart-shaped arrangement, like a wreath. Your loved one can display it on their front door or hang it as decor in their living room.

Bling Bling
If she likes sparkle, add some to her arrangement! Your florist has a lots of options to really make flowers pop. From heart-shaped pins to strings of shiny pearls, these can be added to the vase or the jewels can even be inserted into the middle of flowers for a surprise sparkle.

Florals to Wear
A trend that has continued from last year are floral crowns and jewelry. This stylish floral gift can be a classic take on Valentine’s Day flowers because she can wear her arrangement! What a better gift to give your significant other on the day of love than the opportunity to feel like a princess? She’ll love to wear her gift all day, whether it’s a headband, a bracelet, or a necklace.

There are many creative ways to shower your sweetheart with flowers this Valentine’s day. Plan ahead with your florist and give that valentine a unique floral gift.

 

Florists: How To Translate 2013 Trends To Floral Designs

“There’s no point looking at design trends, no one in my area cares.” I never want to hear any of you florists say this! If you care, then there is a point. When your designs capture the imagination and creativity of your audience, they will care and crave your work. How? Just keep reading…

How To Translate Current Trends To Floral Designs

First grab a notebook! Next you need to explore what trends are happening now. This is the fun part! Using the internet, Pinterest, magazines or anything else, you should start by collecting inspirations. These resources don’t have to have anything to do with flowers, they can deal with fashion, homemaking, hairstyles or even fingernail art!

Creating A Trends Inspiration Notebook (or Pinboard?)

Art deco designs by Crossroads Florist, Mahwah NJThese examples are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to collecting inspiration. Create your own process. You might choose to paste collages into your notebook, or if you’re more artsy, sketch them out. Take it a step further and use watercolors to remember the exact hues. If you’re more tech-savvy, consider making a Pinboard for your trendspiration.

Here are a few examples:

Fashion: Look for fashion interesting color or texture combinations. Jot down in your notebook what you like and what you don’t like. List any flowers you can think of that are available in the colors used. Take notes of any interesting shapes that may be used, such as a bow placement or collar style. Is the skirt long or short? How can you make this all come together in flowers?

Homemaking: When you look at a beautifully styled room, what inspiration can you draw from it in flowers? What style is being used? Is it modern, eclectic, sophisticated, high style, etc? What colors or patterns can you translate into flowers? For example: a room’s overall color is a blue with an accent wall covered in a chunky patterned wallpaper. Your floral design could be all blue with a blue vase and a contrasting patterned ribbon accent. Be sure to jot down everything that stands out to you in the room. You may even divide the room into sections of inspiration. It’s all about you!

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Cascade Bouquets Make A Comeback

Cascading Fall Bouquet By Monday Morning Flowers, Princeton NJ

Cascading Fall Bouquet By Monday Morning Flowers, Princeton NJ

The trends of wedding bouquets change just as often as any other fashion trend. In recent years, the round, hand-tied bouquets are practically all you see… until now.

Cascading bouquets were extremely popular in the 80’s. Thank Princess Diana and her legendary wedding to Prince Charles. It’s easy to see why this type of bouquet was chosen for a princess. All of those flowers, the trailing cascade — it’s so beautiful.

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The Colors of Fall – Trends for 2012

Possibly the most beautiful season of all, the colors of autumn are something we look forward to all year. The rustic reds, dusty oranges, and saffron yellows tantalize our senses like no other hues. However, it’s often the POP of accent color that takes everyone by surprise.

Last year, a washed-denim blue was a popular favorite. It was everywhere you would see fall color — wedding flowers, fashion trends, and especially home decor. This fall, blue is back but in even more colors and shades. You will also see a lot of unexpected colors, such as: lime greens, purples, magentas and other jewel tones.

2012 Fall Flower Color Trends

Let’s take a look at a few fashion-inspired color palettes you can use for your fall flowers and decorating.
(4Florists: Create and promote designs using these trendy colors and you’ll do more than turn a few heads this fall!)

Early Fall - Fall color trends Contemporary Autumn Flowers

Early Fall

The colors of early fall give re-energize us and get us excited for the season to come. In the color palette above, you see an abundance of bright greens and yellows, just like the first stages of the changing leaves. Pops of rusty brown and burgundy really make this color scheme a big trend for the season.

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Best of the Best Floral Design Trends Of 2011

Best Floral Design Trends of 2011

Wow has it been a great year! So many incredible floral design trends — some new, some tried and true. We publish articles daily here at FSN, but today we are looking back through 2011 to find the best of the best in floral design trend posts.

The official color of 2011 is honeysuckle pink, which is fantastic news for florists and flower lovers! The luscious reddish-pink is available in many varieties of flowers, and looks great paired with almost any style. Pantone has been the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries for over 50 years.

Unique Wedding Bouquets

It’s no secret brides are looking for something out-of-the-box when it comes to their wedding. In the last three years, traditional weddings have declined by as much as 30%. Brides are opting for more of a personal and stylish look to make their dream wedding truly unique. While most brides keep with the traditional white dress, it’s the bouquet that really packs the punch of pizazz. In this article, we will show you some really unusual wedding bouquets spotted at florist conventions all across the US.

So many designs used the color, and why not? Yellow is the perfect color for summer! Sunflowers were one of the most popular flowers used. Brighten up any space with a bouquet of yellow blooms! Trendy yellow flowers keep us in a cheery mood, and are perfect for sending as a quick pick-me-up to someone who may be feeling a little blue.

I don’t know about where you live, but here I can’t go 50 feet without spotting someone with a hair feather extension!? Not just teens either — kids, moms, grandmas; even DOGS are getting hair feathers! It’s definitely the biggest new trend this year! Why not add a little feather to your summer flower power?

Creative Funeral Flowers

First of all, let’s think of the purpose of funeral flowers: to show one’s love, and support for the family and the departed. Flowers comfort and soothe us as we say our final goodbyes, but why stop there? Creative florists everywhere are using funeral flowers to construct personalized tributes to fallen friends.

Our florist friends on Facebook constantly keep us with our jaw on the ground. Each week they post some of the most amazing designs around! Because it’s wedding season, we’ve seen a lot of amazing fall bouquets! So let’s take a look at what trendy designs are popular for 2011 fall brides!

Fruit & Vegetable Floral Design Trend

Using apples, oranges and limes in floral design has become increasingly popular over the past few years, but now florists are finding new and innovative ways to use fruit like never before! At the recent Tennessee State Florist Convention, fruit and veggies in flower arrangements seemed to be a reoccurring trend, let’s take a look…

Floral pocket squares are a great alternative to wearing a boutonniere. Guys love them because it moves the flowers further from their face, and are sometimes a bit more durable. Libby’s Flowers, Gifts & More has taken the pocket square to a whole new level.

I am always astounded at the creative and out-of-the-box methods florists use to create incredibly unique holiday arrangements every year. No two are ever alike! The way florists keep it fresh every year stems from their creative abilities. I love these beautiful holiday flowers, and I know you will too…

We want to know what your favorite posts of 2011 were! Let us know in the comments below!

Feathers: Biggest Trend of the Year

Hair Feather ExampleI don’t know about where you live, but here I can’t go 50 feet without spotting someone with a hair feather extension!? Not just teens either — kids, moms, grandmamas, even DOGS are getting hair feathers! It’s definitely the biggest new trend this year! Why not add a little feather to your summer flower power?

Feathers have been taking over hair accessory trends since January. Everyone, including Miley Cyrus, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Selena Gomez, Ke$ha, Hilary Duff, “Glee” actress Jenna Ushkowitz, and many more stars have been seen with them. You can wash and even curl the feathers, and they will last in hair for months.

The feathers are real rooster tail and hackle feathers that are normally used for fisherman bait. The way they are placed in the hair is by using a metal bead in the hair and clamping it down on the feather. Check out this YouTube video for how to clip in a hair feather.

The purpose of these hair feathers is to add just a little more PIZAZZ to your hair; the same thing can apply to floral design. Don’t get me wrong, florists have been using feathers for years, but why not play up this trend of small colorful rooster feathers?

Feather Flower Arrangement

Feather flowers make fantastic gifts for kids, teens and young adults. Imagine a brightly colored arrangement filled with hot pink Gerbera daisies and thin, spiky blue feathers.
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Fruit & Veggie Floral Design Trends

Oranges and Cloves used in Floral Design

Using apples, oranges and limes in floral design has become increasingly popular over the past few years, but now florists are finding new and innovative ways to use fruit like never before! At the recent Tennessee State Florist Convention, fruit and veggies in flower arrangements seemed to be a reoccurring trend, let’s take a look…

The best thing about using fruit in flower arrangements is the incredible smell. Check out the above picture of oranges and apples being used. Notice not only are the oranges being used in whole forms, they are also sliced or have been covered in delicious smelling cloves. This adds a bit of spice to the mix.

Orange Clove Arrangement Oranges and Cloves used in Floral Design

How absolutely perfect would this look adorning your Thanksgiving buffet table?

Hedge Apple Texture With Flowers

So, just what is it that draws florists to fruit? Well, the smell for one is fantastic, but also texture is a big part of design. Florists look for textures they can use in anything and everything, and fruit is another available resource for them to use to construct their floral masterpieces.

Take a look at the above picture, do you know what those green fruits are? Hedge apples! While they aren’t readily available, I can see why a florist would actively seek out this fruit with such incredible texture. It’s rough surface is a direct contrast to the delicate petals of flowers, which creates interest, while keeping it all natural.
[Read more…]

7 Great Ways To Keep Up With Trends

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In this fast-paced world, it can be hard to keep up with the latest and greatest floral design trends. Here are 7 easy ways to keep up with the latest in the floral design industry.

1. Attend Design & Trade Shows -Nothing gets the creative juices flowing like attending a design or trade show. Being in the presence of industry leaders and talented designers you are sure to bring home tons of new ideas.
2. Follow Industry Leaders on Social Sites
– Are you into social networking? So are you favorite florists and others involved in floral design! Flower Shop Network on Facebook is a great example of a Facebook Page every florist should follow. We update our page daily with great tips, ideas, pics and even videos. (Our design videos on YouTube are a good way to learn new techniques from expert florists!) Other great Facebook Pages to follow are: AIFD Group, SAF Page or check out Flower Shop Network’s Favorite Pages for more.
3. Attend Workshops & Educational Classes – Just like with any type of art and design, the styles are constantly changing. A floral design class or workshop is a great way to stay in touch with the latest trends in the industry. Floral design schools, universities and even conferences can be a great place to look for floral design classes. Most of these workshops you can finish in a weekend, but you’ll return with a lifetime of new design ideas!
4. Subscribe to Floral Magazines – An easy way to stay up to date with trends is by subscribing to floral design magazines. [Read more…]

Riding High in Hybrid Delivery Vehicles

Ok, small or hybrid vehicles.

Thankfully, some very efficient florists have found a clever way to save money and go green at the same time. Many florists are turning lemons into lemonade by switching to smaller or hybrid delivery vehicles. These smaller vehicles save on fuel costs for day-to-day deliveries. This also makes it very cost effective to simply rent a large van for major events.

The ability to save money by lowering fuel costs is a huge advantage for any florist. Consider the amount of fuel used to power a large van during the course of a year. Even a five or ten mile-per-hour (mph) difference can add up to hundreds of dollars during the year! That’s reason enough to switch to more fuel-efficient delivery vehicles.

Just as many local florists want to “green” their flower shops. The trend toward smaller delivery vehicles is one that can be adapted rather quickly and with little more hassle than any similar activity for the shop. With all that extra moolah at stake, switching to fuel-efficient delivery vehicles is well worth the consideration!

I recently spoke with David Strong of Piano’s Flowers & Gifts in Memphis, Tennessee about his recent switch to a more eco-friendly delivery vehicle. According to Mr. Strong, his customers have only rave reviews about the new van, citing things like “Leave the van. Keep the flowers.” Mr. Strong was very pleased to be getting 29 miles to the gallon for his in-town deliveries. Having spent a significant amount of time in Memphis traffic, I would be too!

What I found very interesting was that the design of Piano’s new vehicle was actually a customer’s idea. Knowing a little bit about your customers is what keeps them coming back, and apparently creating fantastic designs for each new delivery vehicle!

Have you already adopted these trends in your flower shop? Tell us some of the ways that you are reducing your fuel costs with “green” vehicles or send pictures of your hybrid delivery vehicle.

Florists Can Blossom During Prom Season

It’s hardly news to anyone that prom remains one of the biggest events in a teenager’s life. These young adults, with their mass of disposable income, spend months planning the perfect evening for themselves and their prom dates. To them, prom would be incomplete without the perfect dress or tuxedo, shoes, hair, ride, and matching corsages and boutonnières. This is where the florist can make the difference between fancy trimming and shabby accessories.

Prom Wrist Corsages

Florists often pass on prom business while many realize this sudden inward cash flow to be a profitable staple from year-to-year. The March 2008 issue of Floral Management includes an article that showcases some of the reasons florists may want to reconsider this youthful venture. Teenagers still have extreme purchasing power and choose to spend a hefty chunk of it on prom and homecoming. Being the chosen local florist is not only a profitable honor in that year but for the remainder of that teenager’s life. Taking the time to nurture the desires of your young customer will bring him or her back for their wedding, birthday, anniversary, and other floral needs.

Now that you are assuredly on the prom flowers bandwagon, here are some tips for making this prom season a big hit.

  • Be prepared! Phone a contact inside the local schools for the event dates, colors and themes, and other things that may make preparing easier.
  • Make the most of the Internet! This generation’s prom goers are increasingly tech-savvy. Most are more comfortable shopping online initially. This is a convenient trend as it reduces many costs to the florist including manpower and sales tracking.
  • Spice it up! Proms and prom attendants are now decorated to the hilt with lavish colors, sequins, glitter, boas, anklets, jewelry, and other accessories to make every vision of the evening a creative statement about themselves.
  • Show off your ideas! Let your customers see a line of possibilities first, then sell a more personalized version if necessary. Be creative! Make it fun! Organize a Corsage Bar!
  • Get your customer involved! A popular practice among florists is to let the females bring in their dresses to get a better match or to test different ideas.
  • Get to know formal wear and dress shop owners! An alliance with local dress shop owners is a fabulous way to get your name known. The customers are already in prom shopping mode and reminding them about their need for prom flowers while in the store can’t be beaten as the way to stand out.

When attracting prom customers be sure to capitalize on word of mouth. Parents, siblings, neighbors, and friends have a huge impact on who the teenager is likely to choose. You’re likely already the best around so let them know! Also, great tips for targeting young people in your area may come from the same people that give you the color scheme, themes, and dates of the proms. These people are sure to know where these young people hang out and where they’re going for their prom needs. Now you’re ready to take center stage as the go-to florist for prom and homecoming needs!