Industry Reflections
If you’re plugged into the floral world, you’ve likely heard the name Susan McLeary, better known as Passionflower Sue. A floral artist, educator, and all-around lovely human, Sue is one of those thoughtful creatives who, in her questioning of standard practices, gifts the rest of us the opportunity to not only marvel at her innovative designs, but invites us to interrogate our own methods. Sue recently wrote a piece and introduced the hashtag #iloveflorists to highlight people who are offering sustainably-minded, low waste, solution-based information for floristry and who are driven to participate in the betterment and advancement of our industry as a whole.
Like Sue and many other florists, I was drawn to the industry via a shared love of nature and the arts. While there’s unmistakable beauty in the work we do, anyone who’s worked in a shop or studio learns pretty quickly the physicality of the work. You’re probably also quick to realize that for an industry often categorized as one-with-nature, there is tremendous waste occurring behind the scenes. With more education available than ever, many florists find themselves at an ethical crossroads in balancing what they love to do, what the consumer demand is, and what our floral suppliers are providing at this time.
I’ve been in the floral industry since 2016 (a well-seasoned sprout by now) and I’ve had the great pleasure and privilege of learning alongside some badass old school florists who were slinging stems long before I was born. Talk about knife skills! While flora-culture is characteristically scrappy, the industry itself has historically followed various rules and commitments – mainly to products, wire services, and mutual understandings of how things should be done in serving customers and turning a profit. While the floral industry has kept its course for decades, the world has started to shift. With inflation at a 40-year high and an escalating climate crisis, those who peddle in petals are faced with a whole new set of challenges. As florists, we are tasked with responding.
Boyne City Harvest Fest installation collaboratively produced by Fresh Cut Design, Sweetwater Floral, Whimsical Wit & Designer Charles Sieradski. Chicken wire base comprised of fully repurposed and foraged product.
Are we willing to imagine new futures for our industry?
Are we willing to say “no” to designs that don’t align with our environmental values?
Are we willing to educate our customers and offer sustainable alternatives?
Are we willing to do the hard work of asking more of our wholesalers and fellow vendors?
Before you draw your clippers in defense – hear me out.
Locally-grown Michigan dahlias for a Sweetwater Floral wedding.
Two years after the pandemic brought domestic and international flower markets to a screeching halt — wholesale costs are at an all-time high, supply chain hiccups prompt more delays in hard good shipments, and as property, rent, and cost of living continues to rise, more flower shops struggle to raise wages for their hard-working employees (many without benefits or retirement plans). Some, sadly, have shuttered their doors altogether. In this way, both owners and workers hang in flower limbo doing what they do best — being resourceful and creative. And while we can certainly wallow in pandemic woes, there is great optimism to be found in the chasms. This is opportunity for reinvention.
100% compostable floral pumpkins designed at University Flower Shop in Ann Arbor, MI.
Yes, flower costs are higher than ever. Given this fact — let’s take this time to educate our customers and followers on why. Let’s also seize the opportunity to increase patronage to our local flower growers and advocate for agricultural subsidies to further support their efforts – and in turn supply ourselves with higher quality products with drastically lower carbon footprints. While reevaluating sourcing is not without its challenges and may be accompanied by particular geographic hindrances, efforts like these are already in motion, happening on small scales throughout the country (see examples from the Michigan Flower Growers Cooperative, the Slow Flower Society, and Gather Flora).
For some florists, the greater challenge lies in establishing boundaries on the type of work you’re willing to produce and educating potential clients on your reasoning. Becky Feasby of Prairie Girl Flowers, a florist and sustainability advocate based out of Alberta, Canada, does just that through her wedding offerings which eliminate foam-based designs, as well as bleached and dyed products and through her advocacy work with the Sustainable Floristry Network. In prioritizing the environment, Becky helps establish a new baseline of standard practices. The truth is most customers aren’t remotely aware of the sustainability issues at hand. And while it can be nerve-wracking as a proprietor to breach the topic, there is value-added in your honesty and ability to offer beautiful, mechanically-sound alternatives.
As the hard good industry continues to experience its own fluctuations in pricing and sourcing — might we encourage more rentals for events, incentivize customers to return their vases, seek and develop alternative vessels for displaying our arrangements? Again, these efforts exist in patchwork forms, but in order to stay relevant, we must commit to our own survival via adaptability. Which brings me to labor and an aging workforce of lifetime florists looking to retire on their hard work and sale of their shops.
While discussing the volatility of the economy a few years back, a wise florist once said to me, “People will always get married. And people will always die.” I adore the crassness of this statement in that there is so much truth and arguably - job security. While our industry faces a number of challenges at present, I don’t see our profession disappearing anytime soon. When you’ve looked into the eyes of someone who’s grieving or a young couple ready to celebrate – there is a lot of trust there. People come to us because through flowers and our individual artistry, we help tell the stories of a life or a love. It’s with this great trust and heart that makes our profession incredibly unique, valuable and attracts some of the kindest, most empathetic and hard working people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and working with.
“People will always get married. And people will always die.”
As I’ve made the transition from slinging stems for singular florists to servicing many different types of florists, I’ve allowed myself the opportunity to observe our industry from many angles, as well as gleam best practices. While necessity may require expanded offerings in the future, for now, I’m content prioritizing my freelance clients, delivering floral education like this, and taking on a select few events throughout the year. Read more about Fresh Cut Design services here and stay apprised of new posts by following on Instagram.
