Flower Buyer

Are you working around the clock in the weeks leading up to Valentine's Day and Mother's Day? What are the other rough times of year for you?

Asked by kathy k. almost 12 years ago

This is the busiest time of the year overall. There is an incredible amount of attention and pressure on growers’ red rose production. Is the crop on time, coming early or late and how has the weather been leading up to now? Many of the variables cannot be controlled and we simply must ‘do the best we can’ based on the scenario presented. Mother’s day is very busy, but demand is for all kind of flowers and also people will ship flowers early to Mom, but for Valentine’s day they need to be delivered ON VALENTINE’S DAY !!! (Also we usually don’t have to worry about snow storms across the U.S. for Mother’s Day, for V-day, this is almost a guarantee !)

I've used 1-800-FLOWERS and other online sites for Valentine's Day, Mothers Day, etc -- literally half of these deliveries failed (arriving days late or not at all). Is that simply the nature of the business, or am I just using bad vendors?

Asked by ARGH almost 12 years ago

There are a lot of options out there for you to choose from when sending flowers and there are some that are better than others. Some companies have local florists fulfill their orders, some ship them from warehouses where they are made and stored prior to being sent and some companies ship direct from farms in South America directly to you. Having flowers show up only 50% of the time or late is not the nature the biz, you may have picked the wrong one to fill your order. If you want to learn more about the various models used to fill your order, you can checkout a blog I wrote last year around this time about this http://www.flowermuse.com/blog/valentinesordersone/

If I am a very anal person, do you think this job will suit me well? Also, can I work by myself? I really don't feel comfortable in the company of others. I have an A type personlaity. I don't want to seek psychological help, just a job that suits me

Asked by TYPEA almost 12 years ago

No. We deal with a perishable items and weather plays a big role. You can have the most important biggest order and it HAS to ship today, but flowers aren't ready so you have to ship tomorrow.... you have to be flexible in this business.

Given that you buy flowers professionally, does that increase the pressure on you to come up with something really original and special when you give flowers to a loved one?

Asked by myra bella almost 12 years ago

Great question! I have told my wife "I could have been a lawyer and brought home depositions all the time, but instead I get shipped samples of flowers". My wife loves all flowers, peonies a lot , which is my favorite too. Peonies are not grown all year round, so it is fun to find a new source on items like this and if I find something interesting, you better believe I ship them to my wife and family members! I found some peony growers in Alaska last year and ended up shipping peonies the end of July (no one else in the world is growing them at this time of the year) and they were amazing ! I ending up traveling to Alaska in August to meet with them and look forward to doing more business with them this year.

Am I entitled to a refund if flowers I sent don't look as pretty as they do in the picture?

Asked by JC almost 12 years ago

Be sure to read the fine print on web sites or ask the local florist their policies on refunds, they vary. The goal of the florist or any .com is to make you or other recipient 'happy', this does not happen all the time, but that is the goal.

I never understood how EVERY vendor in the FTD network could offer the same bouquets? What if they don't all have the same flowers? It says that some flower substitution may occur, but how often does that happen?

Asked by Gwen almost 12 years ago

FTD, 1800 and Teleflora provide marketing and many other services to 10,000 + shops in the US. In order to 'market' for this large number they need to offer bouquets that can be filled by a very large majority of these shops on a regular basis which is why many of these offerings contain more common flowers. Yes, substitutions can and do happen, I am not sure how often, but I know is does occur.

What kinds of flowers retain their aroma the longest?

Asked by sweetsweetjane almost 12 years ago

I would say Oriental lilies hold their aroma for the longest. The aroma will vary from variety to variety in its strength.

How do flowers that you buy from overseas stay fresh? Do you get them sent by plane? How long after they're picked are they in a shop?

Asked by smola almost 12 years ago

Flowers are shipped for the most part on airplanes. If you ever fly out of Amsterdam, Quito or Bogota and you look out the window while waiting to take off you will see large pallets of flower boxes getting ready to journey all over the world. There are some flowers that are shipped via sea containers, yes sea containers ! The flowers have to be prepped for the long trip, sometimes 2 weeks or more, and only certain kinds of flowers do well with this method. The second part of you question can vary dramatically depending on how/where the shop buys their flowers. The link below may help explain this some http://www.flowermuse.com/the-farm-direct-difference/

How do I make my flowers last longer? I've tried a million different recommendations from friends and websites involving watering, cutting, room placement, and it still seems like a crapshoot.

Asked by One Surly Mom almost 12 years ago

Dear Mom, The key is finding a supplier who provides you with fresh product. Now everybody will tell you their product is fresh, but you will be the judge of that. For example, lilies should arrive in bud stage (closed) and then you or the recipient gets to enjoy the whole blooming process. Buy from a farm direct supplier when possible. Also, typically using cut flower food, if provided, is a good idea. It contains sugar (food) for the flower and an antibacterial agent to keep the water clean for the flower to have efficient uptake. I think if you try some different sources for fresh flowers, you will find one that fits your needs better and turns that frown upside down (and you will need a new alias)!

What's the best flower to buy for someone if I want to get something a little different that will impress them, but show that I didn't just buy the same old thing?

Asked by Looking to Impress almost 12 years ago

This is a tough one to answer- I would find out if there are certain colors or types of flowers that special someone likes/dislikes. I look at flowers everywhere I go, supermarkets, big warehouse stores, florists, on tv shows, etc..... Personally I like sending or using one type of flower for a bouquet,for example only roses, I will find two colors that work together like red and a dark pink and mix them. Try one combo and then the next time you send them try a different combo. You should have fun sending the flowers !

What was your background that got you into the flower world?

Asked by Celia almost 12 years ago

I have an undergraduate degree in Botany and went on to get a Masters in Landscape Architecture. I had no idea when studying botany, the science of plants, that I would end up in the flower business, but it does help me understand issue growers have with production.

Not to sound like a total idiot male, but WHY are women so infatuated with flowers? They're pretty for a few days and then die, doesn't seem like there's much value there.

Asked by Lucky777 almost 12 years ago

Because women are cool and flowers are cool! Sending or giving that special someone a gift that will only last a short time shows that you care. A small bouquet can liven up any room. Side note: Flowers should last more than a few days. Mini callas last for 2-3 weeks Lilies, if you get them still in bud stage when you buy them will last 7+ days easily!

Is the flower business relatively recession-proof? I'm guessing that Valentines Day = flowers no matter what the economy looks like.

Asked by 2Tents almost 12 years ago

No, unfortunately. Consumption will always be strong for holidays like V-day and Mother's day, but no company can survive just on these holidays. Consistent week to week business is needed and we definitely see consumption decrease when the economy is not strong.

Flowers from Orange tree in big quantities. What demand and price to expect ?

We used to sell oranges as fruit but they give us so little price, last year we left them on trees. I just bumb to you, so what you thing, Can we sell them as flowers ?

Asked by Kleopatra, almost 12 years ago

I have seen branches of pomegranates and oranges sold.  I would check with wholesale florists in your areea to see if they see a market for it.  You would also have to figure out good packaging.

 

What's the most creative bouquet or floral arrangement you've ever seen?

Asked by samantha almost 12 years ago

Sorry, it took me so long to answer this one...Valentine's Day is here !!!! (for everybody in the flower industry - Don't forget to order you flowers) The first thought I had when I saw this question was about an arrangement I saw in Holland at a flower show probably 15 years ago. The designer had used Amaryllis, which is a large blooming flower with 4 blooms on a tall hollow stem. They had the flowers hanging upside down and had the stems filled with water so they would survive for the 5 day show. there were about 50 stems hung above the booth at the show...definitely got my attention. I thought this was very unique and I have seen it copied often since then.

Why is it so hard for flower delivery services to guarantee a reasonable time-frame for delivery on Valentine's Day? I get that it's the busiest day of the year, but can't they temporarily staff up to compensate for that?

Asked by the angry czech almost 12 years ago

This is not really my area of expertise, but I think most shops do add additional staff for v-day, but it may be hard to find good people to add for just 1 day. Since most people ask for it to be delivered on Vday and not one day before or one day after. Many companies now use Fedex or UPS to deliver flowers for them and the one advantage here is you can track the order if you have the tracking number.

How much does weather affect the floral industry? Do droughts, for example, make a year less profitable?

Asked by shedigsflowers over 11 years ago

A ton !!!!

We watch the weather channel all the time and are checking weather in Colombia, Ecuador, Holland and the whole US.

We have to deal with weather affecting the crop as it grows and the flowers as they are shipped to shops or the end consumer

Do you see the flower markets moving back to more fragrant varietals as opposed to the hardy strains bred for hardiness to bring to market - and do you have the power to influence it through your position?

Asked by dcboyla almost 12 years ago

Fragrance is very important and unfortunately has been bred out of flowers, not on purpose, but as a result of looking for longer vase life. I think with continually improving ways of getting flowers direct from farms to the end consumer, we will see more growers looking again at flowers like garden roses and peonies, which have fragrance as commercially viable crops. The industry will continue to develop and improve flowers which last longer too. There is a market for the fragrant blooming flower that last only 4 days and there is a market for flowers which last 2-3 weeks and have no fragrance. I do make suggestions to growers on what crops make sense for them, based on who they are selling to - supermarkets, wholesalers, retail shops or designers.

What's the best bang-for-the-buck flower? I used to get orchids, which I always thought bloomed well and lasted ages, all for under $20.

Asked by Tori almost 12 years ago

The key for 'bang for the buck' bouquets is to get something fresh !

If you are getting these at the supermarket, ask them when there shipment arrives.

In the winter, Tulips are a great flower to add color, in the spring go for some Peonies (my favorite).   I like to try different flowers and remember the more you take care of the flowers- change the water and recut the stems, the longer they will last and make you happy

What's the most you've heard of someone spending on flowers for their wedding?

Asked by Luca over 11 years ago

The most would be a wedding for a Saudia Arabian Prince. They contacted a large Dutch export company that I worked for and the order was in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. That was just the cost of the flowers, not the design work !

Do florists or growers dye flowers? Can a flower type be bred to be any color you want?

Asked by Kim almost 12 years ago

Yes, growers and florist do dye flowers.  There are Rainbow Tulips and Rainbow Roses

I have included a link to a photo of the roses below:

http://www.flowermuse.com/bright-rainbow-roses.html

The process is very labor intensive to do a multi-color flower, you have to slice the stem bottom in 4 sections and then sit each section in a different dye.

Some flowers can be spray painted, yes sprayed with a vegetable based dye to change the color. This process is used for hydrangea many times.

Breeders are constantly looking for new colors. You may have a yellow rose that has great qualities and you want to see if you can have the same rose, but in an orange colors- sometimes they cna make this happen and sometimes they cannot. 

How does one get into the business of flower buyer? Are there courses to take? Do you have to know someone?

Asked by Flwrlvr over 8 years ago

Hello Sir, My name is Sreekanth, I am from India. I am planning to export flowers from India to Aalsmeer flower auction, please guide me. khadriexports@gmail.com

Asked by Sreekanth over 7 years ago

How do you become a flower buyer? What do you research? Do you need a degree?

Asked by Jade almost 8 years ago

My company has been contracted to find US buyers of cut stem roses from Ethiopia, any idea how I can go about finding a buyer?

Asked by Gabe about 9 years ago

how much does a flower buyer with 2 or 3 years of experience make?

Asked by alias999 about 8 years ago

Is your profile picture the new hybrid sunflower??

Asked by Margaret Forbutt almost 8 years ago

I AM A WHOLESALE FLORIST. I RUN BUCKET TRUCKS TO ALL THE FLORIST IN MY AREA. THE PRICES OF FLOWERS ARE KILLING MY BUSINESS. CAN I BUY CHEAPER FLOWERS FROM DIRECT FROM FARMS IN SOUTH AMERICA INSTEAD OF GOING THROUGH BROKERS ?

Asked by DWAN over 10 years ago

Hi, very nice website! I'm working for flower importing company in Japan for a year now. How can I improve forecasting/creating demand skill? I'm looking for opportunity to study?systematically on horticulture and business management. Any idea?

Asked by Ayako over 10 years ago

Hello,I am also a flower buyer. I work directly from Ecuador helping wholesalers get their flowers direct from farms from both South American and Europe. Contact me if interested in my services as a flower buyer :)
paolagrandaflowerbuyer@hotmail.com

Asked by Flower Buyer over 7 years ago