What do you use instead of Leather?

lil_goldie

lil_goldie

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Apr 15, 2009
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Chatham, Ontario, Canada
www.pizazzfloralsandballoons.com
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Since we are such cash and carry shop, a lot of people come in wanting an inexpensive arrangement.
Our average sale on a walk-in arrangement is about $25-$40.
As a result we use a lot of leather, carns, daisies, minis, snaps, liatris, etc.

I see that most of you aren't using that much leather.
How do you effectively green a vase or container while keeping costs to a minimum? What do you use in place of leather?
 
I've been using Israeli Ruscus (love it and buying from FB less expensive) as well as seeded Ecu and var. pitt...... I've added $3.00 to vase set ups with these greens but customers seem to like the variation of textures of the different greens.
 
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Rhonda said:
I've been using Israeli Ruscus (love it and buying from FB less expensive) as well as seeded Ecu and var. pitt...... I've added $3.00 to vase set ups with these greens but customers seem to like the variation of textures of the different greens.
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Dito Rhonda's post
 
Salal, pitt, isreali ruscus, seeded euck...I have in the last few years learned that less is more in the greens arena...and have learned that once your flowers are all arranged you really didn't need much along the lines of greens anyway, so now they get used more as flowers to add texture and interest, than basing material
 
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lil_goldie said:
We do use a lot of salal and pit, but my designers still love leather for some reason!
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Old habits. That's the way we used to do it, I would use a half bunch of leather for one vase of a dozen.

Something that could help you is to start encouraging designers to design for the camera. If they make something and then THEY go and photograph it, they will quickly see that less is more.

Just a thought
 
I use Italian ruscus--Israeli ruscus and lemon--NEVER use leather (except eheb we add it to Tipi and Emerald in a traditional funeral basket)
Use larger single leaves of Israeli ruscus as a leaf behind all bouts with a swirl of bear or lily grass
 
We like texture here, too, so rose vases get myrtle, 2 or 3 salal, 4 leather, seeded euc, sometimes bear grass or lily grass. We try to use at least 3 different greens in every design. Do the math on leather and count your stems--it's no longer cheap!
 
As you can tell from the posts so far, choices for affordable greens are relatively limited in U.S.A. The key is not necessarily which green, but to use a variety in each design and use it sparingly. I recently terminated a designer that liberally used leather leaf and salal when greening arrangements, the result was, my other designers picked the slack, and my payroll and greenery cost per design is down measurably.
 
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I think leatherleaf does serve a purpose in the normal flower shop. It is not my personal green of choice, but, do use it when necessary.

I find that if most of us will just look in our own yards, there are many greens that we can incorporate into our designs. I use springerii, pittusporum, equisetium, nandina, oleander etc on a daily basis. Nearly all yards have some usuable green that adds a distinct and lovely addition to your arrangements.
 
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Good point! I forgot to mention that we use lots of ivy from my garden all spring and summer. In the winter, we use boxwood and various pine from my yard as well.
 
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I was looking forward to using my hostas in cylinder vases this weekend, however the japanese beatles have ruined every single leaf.....how rude!!!!
 
We also use a lot of lemon leaf (salal) I still use leather leaf as part of the flower grid for vases. But I try to use it so it does not show much in combo with salal and other greens (gunni euc, and this time of year with a lot of my garden greenery) My customers are not big fans of leather, so I try to mix it up.
 
I think you're right, it is just old habits.
Most vase arrangements we do have 2-3 types of greens in them. Each and everyone does have leather. I just hate the look!

Wholesale prices must be much cheaper in the states, because I've been looking at a lot of your websites and the prices are just so so much lower than ours. (independent sites, not TFTD sites).
 
I hate leather. Cannot stand it.

my staples are aspidistra, lily grass and israli.

My fun stuff is fatsia japonica, seeded euc, plumosa, phoenix palm, and lots of others.....can't wait for crimson myrtle!

I wouldn't dream of bringing leather into the shop.
 
My only question with this is do you have to use more flowers when using less greenery? Especially in the lower wider mouth vases? I guess I have a phobia with an arrangement being too loose in a wider mouth vase. You must have to charge more?
 
Carol, I totally agree with you, I always try to use leather minimally basically for a grid and I try to use It so It doesn't show' With accented other greens. This time of year I have acccess to a lot of beautiful garden greenery. My local variety of the bush cedar is great, It looks beautiful in garden and victorian arrangements. I love the unusual greens, but I do have to have some leather for the mechanics of the arrangement. I also think it helps with the cost.
 
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Rhonda said:
I've been using Israeli Ruscus (love it and buying from FB less expensive) as well as seeded Ecu and var. pitt...... I've added $3.00 to vase set ups with these greens but customers seem to like the variation of textures of the different greens.
Click to expand...
So do I. It is so fresh and inexpensive from Flower Buyer and last so long. I love ferns, but, in our climate they dry out so quickly. And, I guess I've been a
florist for too long. I put leather and orgonia in the same category. Overused and outdated? It's all we used in the 80's when I started.
I love interesting greens and sell them as a focal, not a filler.
I buy assorted aspidistra , lily grass and ruscus by the case. Sometimes it is less than $1.00 per bunch. Locally I will buy the unusual greens and berried
branches.
 
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