What does a florist do and what skills do they need?

Lifestyle

An essential thing for a florist is that they like flowers. It is only possible to have a job surrounded by flowers and foliage if you are interested in flowers or partial to a flower arrangement. Other qualities include having some creative flair, good customer service, strong colour coordination and organisation skills.

Florists sell flowers, cards and other gifts and are highly creative individuals who make floral arrangements for various functions and gifts, such as Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day bouquets, funeral wreaths, and wedding flowers and corsages. Some florists also provide arrangements for local hotels and businesses so that guests and customers can enjoy the delights of a lovely floral centrepiece all year round.

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The arrangements can be as small as a bowl of flowers to fit on the centre of the table to a larger living wall display or floor-standing podium filled with flowers and foliage. Florists must know how to care for the plants in their stores and how they will look next to other items in the arrangements. For advice from Florist Gloucestershire, contact a site like Flower Shed.

For weddings, in particular, couples will be looking for guidance on which flowers will look best in a bridal party bouquet, along with those that will complete their chosen colour scheme for floral arrangements during the ceremony and for the wedding breakfast and evening gathering.

You may also find that some florists will create an arrangement for local floristry competitions, with some also competing in national events. This is where they can stretch their creativity and display their plant knowledge and design skills. Taking part in these types of competitions can elevate a florist’s business and bring in more marketing and customers.

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Plant care is another element of Florist Gloucestershire day to day tasks. This is much more than just ensuring the flowers are regularly placed in freshwater. The varieties of flowers being cared for include everything from native flowers and foliage to more exotic species that may require more care. Using flowers for arrangements needs careful timing as you don’t want the flowers to have started to wilt by the time the arrangement is presented, and equally, you don’t wish for buds that have yet to flower. This is where the knowledge and skills of the florist come into their own.