Presenting

52 June | 2023 Business AFFORDABLE "EVERYDAY" FLOWERS OFFER GREAT POTENTIAL AND POSSIBILITIES FOR CREATIVE FLORAL DESIGNERS By Nita Robertson, AIFD, CFD Budget- friendly Flower ere are so many beautiful cut fl ower options that are budget friendly but still enable fl oral designers to achieve a modern look. e key is how one presents them. For example, designers can incorporate a few premium blooms into the focal areas of their designs, to draw attention and create a higher perceived value, and they can group fl owers by type to create a greater visual impact. Also, when designing with lower-cost blooms, using one's creative fl air with foliages, decorative wire and other elements— can add artistry to their designs. I spoke with David Dahlson, fl ower specialist and R&D manager at Mayesh Wholesale Florist, and he shared some interesting thoughts on budget-friendly fl owers. "Etched into my mind is an incredible fl oral display from 1995, installed in the restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif.," he recalls. "We walked into the main dining room, and in the center was an amazingly simple yet resplendent arrangement of large boughs with lavender fl owers. It was spectacular and made an impression on everyone. Yet, it was late summer, and the season of blossoming branches had long since passed. e arrangement consisted of large Magnolia boughs, 8 feet tall and full of glossy dark green foliage with their intrinsic brown suede reverse. Peppered throughout the branches were sprays of beguiling lavender blooms, which, upon closer examination, revealed themselves to be humble lavender daisy spray mums. " e keys here are in the preparation of the fl oral materials and the context," Dahlson continues. " e most crucial step in elevating what are essentially 'cheap and cheerful' ingredients to another plane is the conscious editing of those products. In the case of the lavender blossoms cited above, the stems were cut short, all

• Cover