What's the best filler flower with roses

[clay]

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.

Hey BJ. I believe that you high-end filler option(s) decision has a lot to do with your arrangement style of your standard 12-roses. If it was more of a traditional spread out style, then I would say some really interesting colors of wax flower. If it was more of a compact, trendy cube/round vase....I think a high end look for a filler would be hypericum (they come in some really neat colors).

While we are not a high end shop, I sometimes go to the websites of other high end flower shops (like Dr. Delphinum as an example, and of course Randy's) for some design inspiration.

Post an image of whatever you come up with as your standard dozen. Thanks.

 

[BJBouquets]

However......having a sample design OUT where IT CAN BE SEEN is the key. If you try to describe over the phone, you cant convey with your voice alone the differences of the three. [/COLOR]

Or put the three pictures on your website. If you're on the phone, give them the address of the page with the pictures. If they're in the store, bring it up on your own screen and show it to them.

It's great to have the roses in person in the store, BUT most of the Valentine's orders come in over the phone for us. Also, the roses in person won't look great forever. The picture will.

Nice idea, Ricky. Thanks for presenting it.

 

[shannonlovesflowers]

I was totally going to say the same thing BJ

 

[Beth]

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

Shannon,

One of my ex-bosses still wires roses. Yuck.

 

[fleurtatious]

i'D USE A MIXTURE OF FOLIAGE- SALAL , EUCO, ARALIA, ASPIDESTRA AND I LIKE USING HYPERICUM AS WELL AND IF I USE HYPERICUM I THREAD SOME BUDS ON TO STEELGRASS IF NOT I USE PEARLS

 

[Carrieann]

Shannon,

One of my ex-bosses still wires roses. Yuck.

First time I ever heard of wiring roses was on here. Thank GOD no one at my shop does that anymore.

One of my designers has been in the business for 50 years. I will have to ask him if he ever wired roses, bet he did, he loves to talk about "how we used to do it"

 

[Lizi]

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????

OMG, thats exactly what the lady I learned under did. She has finally learned to do it without all of that but still uses the huge bow and a bundle of babys breath.

We use either heather, leptode, bupulerum, waxflowers, monte, curly willow, decorative greens, depending on the person I have used babys breath or alstros. Sheer ribbon tied tiffany style if the vase needs one.

 

[cherrie]

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.

Hi Shannon,
That pic was taken for my new site. The roses are organic and the trachelium sustainably grown. The perspective was looking down unto the roses.
As far a showning stems, sometimes I do. I do however like to keep the roses as close to their water source as aesthetically allowed. Those pink intutitions will sometimes last almost three weeks if close to the vase and have proper care. I've tested them. My customers love that my roses last so long.

 

[shannonlovesflowers]

Hi Shannon,
That pic was taken for my new site. The roses are organic and the trachelium sustainably grown. The perspective was looking down unto the roses.
As far a showning stems, sometimes I do. I do however like to keep the roses as close to their water source as aesthetically allowed. Those pink intutitions will sometimes last almost three weeks if close to the vase and have proper care. I've tested them. My customers love that my roses last so long.

what do you mean by keeping the roses as close to the water???

Does that mean you cut the flowers short??

 

[marigold]

what do you mean by keeping the roses as close to the water???

Does that mean you cut the flowers short??

I was wondering the same thing.
I think being close to water is a good thing when you are a flower.

 

[Carol Bice]

what do you mean by keeping the roses as close to the water???

Does that mean you cut the flowers short??

Any time your design lets you cut the stems short, it keep the water flow up the stem at a minimum and therefore, the flower will last longer. Always try to keep the stem long enough to reach the bottom of the vase.

This is a good selling tool if a customer is really in to how long the arrangement might last.


Carol Bice

 

[Kristine]

right now we are using wheat celosia in several colors.
foliages: plantain, artemesia esp silver, sedum, sage,

does anyone have any experience using some of the fall blooming clematis?

 

[shannonlovesflowers]

Yeah, I know. We tell people this all the time.

However we get 2 to 3 weeks out of our roses as well. We don't cut them short though. I think it has to do with how we process them.

And I have found that if I put Christmas greens in with vased ros arrangements, they die quicker. I think it has to do with sap.

 

[Hollywood]

Different greens of different shapes, (at least 3).
Astromeria of different colors matching the color of the roses, except for red roses, white or green astro,
OR... to be really nice and fragrant......stocks....white, lavender and yellow, (5 stems).
All around $ 80.00 in a very pretty and no so expensive vase (G106)
from Floral supply syndicate.
:jester

 

[RWK]

Shannon - when you use evergreens and roses in vase arrangments.....do you clean the foliage off the submerged portion of the stem ? If so, How do you clean the stems.

If you damage the bark, then there will be some resin (sap) in the water and that can have an adverse affect.

I would use greens that have a bare stem anyway - like holly, white pine, etc.
greens with foliage over most of the stem...like firs, cedars, etc......I tend to avoid when making clear vase arrangements.

 

[shannonlovesflowers]

yeah, I figured out that I don't like cedar or other christmas green in vases, period.

Also I'm super allergic to holly. I vowed 3 years ago that i would never touch it again, so no holly to be had at Schluter Floral. I hate holly with a passion

 

[BJBouquets]

Euc yuk

Yeah, I know. We tell people this all the time.

However we get 2 to 3 weeks out of our roses as well. We don't cut them short though. I think it has to do with how we process them.

And I have found that if I put Christmas greens in with vased ros arrangements, they die quicker. I think it has to do with sap.

I find the same thing, and also the gum from Eucalyptus seems to speed senescence.

(Senescence is my new favorite vocabulary word.
Vocabulary: use it or lose it.
Looking up a word yourself will help you remember the meaning in the future.)

 

[Flowerchatter03]

Regarding the accent flower question, I love most types of accent flowers. Some of my tops are:
1. Boronia Heather (heaven in a cut)
2. Blue Success Limonium (smells like genestra)
3. Genestra
4. Solidago
5. Waxflower
6. White Monte or Purple Monte
7. Babys Breath

I love most flowers so depending on the season (and price), those are my tops. People in my area still love the babys breath AND ribbon. I find that if you use shear or a smaller size ribbon, it can look updated but still traditional.

Regarding the subject of how people used to do arrangements, there is a flower shop about 50 miles from here. They are very well known LONG established shop. I went in there one day to see what all the hoopla was and everything in there was designed like it was the 80's. Green foam in clear vases with roses (3 sided), funeral basket in the traditional #92 with the 5 points, secondary carns and accent flowers. I was really shocked.

 

[floraldesignson99th]

To bb or not to bb

Elderly customers (especially at valentines day),when offered different options, will specify bb.
Try a collar followed by a collar of greens. Seems to satisfy them.
My mantra to customers, for longevity, is "if you wouln't drink the vase water...don't expect your flowers to" . They all smile or giggle....but..i think it hits home !

 

[RWK]

That brings up a good point in care and handling. I always told people to make sure those buckets were clean enough to drink out of. While I was helping out s shop just recently, one person had cleaned some buckets.....I asked them to drink some water out of the bucket....of course than answer was no...." I said, If the water and the bucket is not clean enough for you to drink, then it is not clean enough for your flowers.