They'rrrrree Baaackkk!!!!

[OB1]

This weeks wedding will have 9, count them, 9 bouquets!
And all of them are composite flowers.
Thankfully, the bride chose glamelias.
So, I learned how to make them in '71, and I knew i had better check my skills before Friday. I wired one the old fashioned way...but the 2nd one I used oasis adhesive.
Took about 20 minutes to make a 9" diameter with the adhesive, as opposed to about an hour, and a lot less headaches. Best news, I left them both out on the bench, and they they both held up well...the glued one actually looked pretty good 4 days later, out of the fridge.
Todays appointment, and what does the bride want?.....a dutchess rose!!!
Oh, yeah, they're back, and I don't mind one bit.
Takes very little material, can easily charge the labour because so few people know how to make them, andit's something new, at last.
It's about time.
JP

 

[dlnfloral]

Do you like punishing yourself? Just kidding,I know how to make them also but don't offer them unless I have to.

 

[sloan]

how did you charge for the glamelia, and what is a Dutchess Rose? I'm assuming a composite rose?

 

[RWK]

yes Sloan.......the Dutchess rose is a composite rose...........Us old timers used names like that to make them sound more expensive.

Glamellia, Dutchess rose, Princess tulip, Royal Lily ( all terms for composite flowers )

 

[OB1]

how did you charge for the glamelia, and what is a Dutchess Rose? I'm assuming a composite rose?

The sample I made took 6 glads, but to be safe I will order 10 per bouquet. The cost of all 10 will be charged to the bouquet. I allow 1 hour labour ( this includes the time to process, and take care of them as they open up, as well as the actual time to create the bouquet) Then, because this is an unusual style that not everyone wants, or knows how to make, I add a fee for my creativity and knowledge.
JP

 

[lori042499]

I made a composite lily bouquet recently and it took 1/2 hour....so very easy with the oasis adhesive..no more bruising of soft petals and having to do petal aftre petal over because your big fat overly strong fingers squished them(I hate that)...so easy, i will sell those til the cow's come home...

 

[BobbiR]

Pictures Please--
and yes, we oldtimers know the composite rose--I once had a bride want a very cheap bouquet--she brought in a pic of a composite rose--said--"I only want to carry one rose how expensive could it be?!?"--she was expecting 10.00 !!!!!!!!!!

 

[Snapdragon Studio]

I can't wait to see pictures! I've only done composite bouts and corsages, never a bridal bouquet. LOVE the look of gladiolas in a composite!

 

[dlnfloral]

Joanne's right - use to make glamellias all the time - it was very popular and like all styles it usually comes around again in one form or another.
Better get some pictures up for them to see

I'm going to experiment with the oasis glue. Thanks

 

[RWK]

with the oasis glue.......they are so easy now..........I'll do them in a heartbeat. But I too learned how to wire and tape those petals too.

When it came to a dutchess rose though.........I used another little trick. I would take a small square of cardboard....bend it in half, thread the wire through it, and then take the rose petals, sandwich them between two rose leaves, and then sandwich all of that between the cardboard and staple together.

 

[rewolf]

yes Sloan.......the Dutchess rose is a composite rose...........Us old timers used names like that to make them sound more expensive.

Glamellia, Dutchess rose, Princess tulip, Royal Lily ( all terms for composite flowers )

The terms seem to be used loosely now but can any flower petal be used for a glamelia, dutchess rose, princess tulip and royal lily or are they flower specific?
Do the four named composites have different shapes? Just curious because when a bride come strutting in with a picture it would be nice to know what I'm talking about...

 

[RWK]

really in truly.....any flower CAN be used for a composite flower...........the names were just creative ways of SELLING the things to the bride.....Let's be real here.........A Princess tulip sounds a lot better than a composite tulip.......A Royal Lily ( using stargazer lily petals ) sounds a lot better than a composite lily.

You could use your own names for them.......I will say that a composite flower is flower specific......I have never seen a composite flower using more than one flower petal type.

 

[anytimeflowers]

Recently though, I think it was Lori, posted a picture of a composite rose corsage. I believe it was Cory's prom class, and there were snippets of ribbons layered in as "petals" so there are upgrades in that way, too.

I was taught that a dutchess rose was simply a reflexed rose, not composite at all, so I'm still learning. That is why it's so important to take your lessons from a number of people. The florist I learned that from back in the 80's had already been in business for 30 years so there would have been no reason to doubt. If I was not in touch with this forum, I would STILL be calling a reflexed rose a dutchess rose.

Food for thought.

 

[OB1]

Recently though, I think it was Lori, posted a picture of a composite rose corsage. I believe it was Cory's prom class, and there were snippets of ribbons layered in as "petals" so there are upgrades in that way, too.

I was taught that a dutchess rose was simply a reflexed rose, not composite at all, so I'm still learning. That is why it's so important to take your lessons from a number of people. The florist I learned that from back in the 80's had already been in business for 30 years so there would have been no reason to doubt. If I was not in touch with this forum, I would STILL be calling a reflexed rose a dutchess rose.

Food for thought.

Huh.
Learn something new every day!
JP

 

[Sarah Jane]

I've been noticing this trend recently. I actually thought it was a new thing. LOL. Learning stuff already around here.

 

[DFlorist]

With all this talk of composite bouquets, I decided to try it out...

I only have 1 picture since my phone died afterward

Some of the petals are marked. I didn't want to use more roses then I needed to just for a practice bouquet..

I put it on the front counter in the shop today, and almost everyone that came in made a comment about it!

 

[OB1]

Beautiful! How did you finish the stem?
JP

 

[DFlorist]

Beautiful! How did you finish the stem?
JP

I finished the underside of the bouquet, covered all the mechanics, then wound tape around the wire part of the handle to give it a bit of bulk, then made a simple wrap with a sheer brown ribbon with some trails. Nothing too fancy..


Forgot to add. I also hid a waterpick in the bottom end of the handle so the rose in the center had a source of water

 

[RWK]

This was shown at a recent AIFD symposium......I got this off the Dutch-Creations site. This is an incredible example of a composite flower design created out of white lily petals.

 

[lori042499]

Recently though, I think it was Lori, posted a picture of a composite rose corsage. I believe it was Cory's prom class, and there were snippets of ribbons layered in as "petals" so there are upgrades in that way, too.

I was taught that a dutchess rose was simply a reflexed rose, not composite at all, so I'm still learning. That is why it's so important to take your lessons from a number of people. The florist I learned that from back in the 80's had already been in business for 30 years so there would have been no reason to doubt. If I was not in touch with this forum, I would STILL be calling a reflexed rose a dutchess rose.

Food for thought.

That was actually a broken up mokara orchid and ribbon snippets...I did post a royal lily bouquet a few months back also...