What's the best filler flower with roses

[BJBouquets]

I'm curious what other high-end florists use as filler (if anything) with their standard dozen LS roses.

We are planning to change our look for standard 12-roses, and I'm interested to know how you do yours.

 

[SpringCity]

I like to use waxflower if it's looking nice and not shedding.
Not a fan of caspia... (too stinky)
I also like bupleurum as a filler w/roses.

Am looking forward to other replies.

 

[roysecityfloristand gifts]

While I prefer the elegance of an all around vase of beautiful Freedom Roses with only greens, nice palm, salal, LL, treefern. Tall and wide.

If I must use filler I love Waxflower. I order thru FB, and it doesn't come up often, but love it. I do not use BB, haven't for about two years (like the open look of Perfecta but it tangles so easily, Million Star is just to much).

With Orange roses (one of my personal favorites), I love the look of orange Montbrecia. Once again when it's available.

Limonium also lovely in purple for white roses.

Curly Willow is lovely, but at what price...

Our basic 65.00 year around price is the greens only, unless I know the customer expects a filler, then its got a little Wax.

 

[geebf]

I usually go with Grasses, gums, palm, etc

This week though I went with Blossom and grasss wrapped in a lotus leaf wrap.

 

[Carrieann]

My fav. would be bupleurum with any color rose. However, we rarely ever carry it due to cost in our area.

We use a lot of sunglow limin. doesn't have a lot of smell to it and has a nice soft color which is nice with any color rose.

 

[shannonlovesflowers]

well we all sorts of stuff....


first we use a few different types of greens

we get and usually have on hand, queen ann's, wax, hypericum, etc. nicer stuff than bb.

When it's available, I like, calcynia, boronia, heather (if it's long enough), snowberries, ilex, lysimacia, veronica, etc.

I have no problem with using more than one filler. We also will use curly willow, or pussy willow, or kiwi.

I Really love a few uluhe added for interest, people love those.

I have no "set" way I make the girls do the roses, just so long as they look good and they charge for everything they use, I don't care. People love getting roses from us because they are interesting, not the same old same old. our roses must look different than the dozens at the grocery store. If they didn't, why would them come here?


The one thing I loath is acetate ribbon, or big "florist" bows. Not really a fan of ribbon period, I will use it, it's just not my favorite.

What to hear something horrible??? The shop where I got my start in this biz in New Mexico (I swear on my life) would use white crushed styrofoam filled up to almost the top of the vase. Usually a 4088 or 4089 or the like. Then we would put a chunk of oasis on top of that. Then run a piece of green wet tape over the top and then run more tape all around the lip of the vase to hold the tape down. And we'd only get 50cm roses, so needless to say the roses did not go to the bottom. We still wired the roses back then too. We would only use leather and myrtle and a big ugly "forever yours" red bow aka "foy" we sold those for $48.50, If you wanted bb, it was $5 more.
ahhh, the good old days.

FYI, I have evolved since then, hope that shop has as well, but I don't know for sure.

I wonder how many people STILL wire roses????

 

[SpringCity]

oooh Shannon, forgot about boronia. That is a FAVE. Smells so good. Also love calcynia, montbretia and hypericum.

No acetate ribbon here either. I do like satin "tiffany bows" on reg. arrangements but a lot of times for doz roses around here people feel like it needs some kind of large ribbon to make it pretty. There are lots of options that don't scream "grocery store", though.
Heh.

 

[RWK]

When it comes to wiring roses.....I am of this opinion. In today's market, with the variety of roses being grown, and the availability of floral preservatives, quick dip, and all the other solutions.....there is really no reason to wire the rose EXCEPT for one reason......If the roses have NOT been cared for properly, and there is no alternative at that time......IF THAT WIRE in that stem will keep my customer and recipient from complaining.....then I will wire that rose. But, it all boils down to what will make my paying customer the happiest.

 

[RWK]

As far as fillers - Baby's breath does have it's place ( However, there are good and poor varieties )

Million Stars - strong stems, delicate blooms, not a good holder
Paniculata/ Perfecta - weak stems, easy to tangle, good holder
New Love - strong stems, fluffy blooms, good holder.

Unlike a lot of designers, I do not have an animosity toward baby's breath.....however, I do have an animosity when it is used incorrectly and amateurish and used to hide poor technique, and poor skills.
When it is used well, baby's breath can and does look gorgeous.

My personal favorite with roses

Reds - Caspia, White Statice
Yellows - Solidago,
Whites - Queen Anne's Lace
Konfetti - Solidago

 

[wildflowerschicago]

I try to coordinate the filler with the color of the rose and the time of the year. I love hypericum, wax, calcynia, boronia, buplurem(I know I spelled that wrong). We also use a variety of greens. I too am a big fan of willow, birch or kiwi with roses!!!!

We do not carry gyp, or even limonium (except for the green I really like the green).


I was updating the filler and geens price list at Valentines day and was seriously considering changing to alstromeria as a filler...$3.00 per bu is much easier to swallow than $10.00 for wax!!!! I couldn't do it though. Does anyone use alstro for their roses? Or does anyone have any other less expensive suggestions for rose accents (for the people who don't want the deluxe, kicked up ones)?

 

[cherrie]

Jade Trachelium and rolled aspidistra leaves. Love it, love it.
Also Buplurem. I grid my vases, cover with a little angel vine, insert a pave like grouping of varigated pitt to hold roses in place, then trachelium. I sometimes use baby's breath with red roses - but clustered, not spread throughout the arrangement. Also use hypericum alot - seeded euc - parvifolia, sometimes honey bracelet. My roses generally look very unique.
Right now, I am absolutely obsessed with having a despined ti leaf or two inside the clear vase. Just not like looking at stems. Funny how our perceptions change with time.

 

[lizzie ann]

anything BUT baby's breath or limonium.I prefer a creative mix of greens

 

[shannonlovesflowers]

oh and BTW, we don't call it "filler" flowers anymore...

Lets all class it up and call it "accessory" flowers. Can't remember where I learned that


Hey Cherrie.. What's wrong with stems????

And to Ricky, I like party time and new love if I have to use BB. Most people in Durango don't like it. I DON"T KNOW WHY, they were like that when I got here. And the staff wont use it, so I quit buying it.. Once in a while I will though.

 

[Biscotti]

I also would have to say anything but baby's breath. I love bupleurum also. I tend to use something that would compliment the color of rose that I'm vasing. My favorite though is alstromeria. ( when you can get a good deal on it.)

 

[lori042499]

My customers love BB. I like new love and million star(never had a problem with it holding). I also love to use solidago, wax, caspia. Never use hypericum, trichelium, or any of those as filler too expensive...My market will only bear $55.00 a dozen and they like them traditional...When I first opened I was using 70cm huge nice roses and all types of fillers rangeing from 65-75 a dozen. Needless to say I didn't sell many roses.. I have a kabloom in my town and 2 grocery stores, roses are a commodity at 12.99-24.99 a dozen...Most florists get 45-55 dollars a dozen...

I did not want to skimp on the nicer lenghth, head size and quality so I cut back on the amount of greens and fillers. My thoughts are someday when people realize my roses are better than everyone else's, I may be able to add in the nicer fillers and added greens. Otherwise my customers are getting the best roses their money can buy either way...

 

[Carrieann]

oh and BTW, we don't call it "filler" flowers anymore...

Lets all class it up and call it "accessory" flowers. Can't remember where I learned that

We call them "accent" flowers!!

Learned that from a Tim Huckabee article.


Like Lori, my market will only allow for a dozen roses at $59.00, so the expensive "accent" flowers are out for me also.

It's funny this thread came up now as I have been thinking about re-inventing our standard dozen roses as well. Ours is very traditional right now. My market won't let me do anything drastic right away but I may be able to ease my way into something different.

 

[RWK]

If you are wanting to change the styling of your rose arrangements - try this tip.

It is time that we should be thinking at least a little bit about the next VD holiday. So, why not do this - do 12 different styles of a dozen roses arranged. Place them in a nice interior display just before the holiday week begins - and let customers pick which style they like best. They might surprise you.

I did that one holiday and I was surprised, the amount and number of differently styled rose designs outsold standard traditional almost two to one. Also, On the basic style of roses in a clear glass vase I had three versions - one basic style using bb and leather (75.00 doz), 1 using seeded euc, beargrass, and italian ruscus with caspia (100.00), and 1 that had seeded euc, italian ruscus, ti leaves, curly willow, pittosporum, and used mixed fillers(125.00).

The high-end roses( 125.00 ) also outsold the basic (75.00 ) almost two to one

So, try adding a choice of different styles and price ranges.....you might be surprised. However......having a sample design OUT where IT CAN BE SEEN is the key. If you try to describe over the phone.....unless you have the vocabulary of webster's and the presentation of a Michael Polychrones......You cant convey with your voice alone the differences of the three.

 

[marigold]

Generally, our "standard" dozen roses are designed in a tall, rectangle black matte
vase. They are designed all around, only more paralle. We offer a tall, American style or a low, lush European style. The low is offered in a black black matte square.
Our accent flowers are different kinds of foliages and leaves, grasses, curly willow and when money is not a problem, we upgrade with hydgrangea.

 

[Brad]

I am with Amy love using hypericum with nice greens especially this time of year.:yourock:

 

[flowerkid]

We use bupleurum, arabicum, queen ann's, different types of green, luec as well, to name a few.