Who are Florists?

Floristry is a term used for describing the profession of trading flowers. It involves flower care and handling, floral design or flower arranging, merchandising, display and delivery. People who deal with the art of floristry are termed as florists. Wholesale florists trade bulk flowers to clients and professional sellers. Retail florists trade fresh flowers and related products and services to consumers. Florist shops, along with online stores are the main outlets but some supermarkets and gasoline stations also deal in flowers. Generally, a florist's shop contains a large array of flowers, sometimes displayed on the street or a large plate glass window displaying the flowers. Education, both formal and informal, is another important aspect of the floristry industry. Established floristry designers and artists impart knowledge about their craft to students interested in floral design as a hobby or career. Courses are generally available in community colleges, via private post-secondary vocational schools and through professional florist trade associations. The floristry business has a significant importance in the corporate and social event world as flowers play a large part in the decoration of special events and meetings. Centerpieces, entrances, reception tables at hotels, bridal bouquets and wedding halls are a few examples of how flowers contribute in the business and social event settings.

What Do Florists Do?

Florists work all around the globe, from huge warehouses which ship flowers internationally to small roadside shops or stands in rural areas. Many people use the services of a florist at some point or the other in their lives to gift their lover, to show sympathy towards the hospitalized, during funerals and weddings and so on. Florists work with cut flowers, although some may sell potted plants as well. The cultivation of flowers is left to gardeners and horticulture loving people who have individual contracts with florists to deliver flowers on a daily basis to ensure that fresh flowers are supplied daily. A good florist should have an excellent judgment about color and the aesthetics of flower arranging. A florist must have multitasking abilities because he or she might be making arrangements for a big wedding while handling day to day customers. The primary task of a florist is to arrange flowers. Most florists sell from a selection of pre-arranged flower bouquets at fixed prices for people who simply want to walk in and purchase floral arrangements. They also work on individual orders where the order is prepared according to the customizations selected by the client. Arrangements may include fresh flowers, dried flowers, ribbons, foliage, other plant material, and other ornamental features. Knowledgeable florists often know a great deal about the symbolism of the flowers they work with. Different flowers have different symbols and meanings in different cultures and traditions and proper understanding of these styles and symbols is a must for florists.

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