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About florists and flower shops Floristry or
flower arranging is the art of creating bouquets and
compositions from flowers, foliages, herbs, ornamental
grasses and other botanical materials into floral
designs; often the terms "floral design" and "floristry"
are considered synonymous. A person who designs flower
arrangements is known as a florist.
A notable example is ikebana. The latter term actually
became an informal synonym for this type of art,
nevertheless many nations have their own distinctive
traditions of flower arrangement. Ikebana represents the
Oriental style of floral design, which features
simplicity and purity of lines and colors. In contrast,
European style features mass and color richness and
variety.
Floristry is most often understood as referring to the
cultivation of flowers as well as their arrangement,
rather than to the business of selling them. However,
the floral industry is the basic drive behind floristry.
Florists are people who work with flowers, generally at
the retail level. Florist shops, along with telephone
sales and online stores, are the main flower-only
outlets, but supermarkets and garden supply stores have
gotten into the business, selling flowers as one of
their large range of products.
The World Wide Web has had a significant impact on
traditional florists within the North American market;
experiencing a more than 20% decline in traditional
independently owned flower shops since 1998. Brick and
mortar retail arrangement purchases for gift giving are
slowly being overtaken by online flower delivery
ordering and floral wire services.
Generally, a florist shop will contain a large array of
flowers, often spilling out into the street, or will
have a large plate glass window to display the flowers.
To keep them fresh, the flowers will likely be kept in
water, generally in plastic bulbs, sleeves, or other
containers.
The craft of floristry involves various skills. These
include selecting flowers that will look good together
(based on principles of design or general instinct),
knowing how to cut, treat, and arrange flowers and other
stock plants so they will remain fresh as long as
possible, and (as explained above) selling them, which
involves knowledge of customer requirements and
expectations. Knowing how to form wreaths, bouquets, and
other more complicated arrangements is also important.
The flowers sold in florist shops typically represent
the varieties abundantly available in the season but
also include blossoms flown in from around the world.
Basic varieties include roses, tulips, irises, and
lilies.
Fashion plays a very major role in floristry; what is
considered the flower that everyone needs to have today
can change very quickly.
The floral market is seasonal and is heavily influenced
by the following holidays and events: Christmas,
Valentine's Day, Mothers' Day, weddings and funerals.
These occasions make up the largest part of the
business, with the sale of house plants and home decor
being a much smaller, but more constant, part. Flowers
for personal enjoyment as well as those selected to
celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, thank-you's and to
send get well wishes are also a significant portion of a
florist's business.
Another basic requirement of florist shops is the
purchasing of flowers to replenish their stock. The
flower market, like other agriculture markets, is
subject to many fluctuations due to natural factors,
supply and demand, and fashion. Learning how to buy in
such a way as to continue to make a profit is not a
simple skill.
Wreaths can be made out of many different types of
flowers and plants. Typically, a florist will organize
flowers by season and holiday. Most shops branch out
into gift baskets, fruit, and chocolates as well as
flowers and wreaths.
Flowers have various different meanings in different
cultures. The holidays and events for which flowers are
used vary. Poppies are used to remember fallen soldiers
only in England and the Commonwealth countries. The
cultural meaning of colors also strongly affects the
choice and use of flowers. People often prefer flowers
that are associated with their ethnic group or country,
and various colors may have special meanings of luck or
death or love or other basic human traits. A flower such
as a red rose might to some mean love, but to others it
might be considered indecent or simply puzzling. The
vastly divergent views on the color white can lead to
major flower issues. White is viewed as standing for
death in many Asian cultures but is considered a symbol
of purity and innocence in many European and American
cultures. Such differences can lead to difficult issues
when a bouquet of white lilies, for example, is
delivered.
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