Florist News

Genista that is the whole problem when it comes to regulating florists. i am myself bench trained and very good at my job. but i have said many times. you could go to college for years and be able to demonstrate the basics down pat, but ask that person to make something beautiful and they fall flat on thier faces. floristry was traditionally learned on the job, i see no reason for that to change as some of the best florists havent ever been to colloege. you either have a feel for it or you dont, all the will in the owrld wont make you a good florist if it isnt in you

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Never say never.

Well, unless your sure.

My sentiments precisely - i personally don't give a toss where my floristry help have been trained, its the work that counts (and it had better be good). What gets my goat is when they come in for a job and shove all these papers at you, and when you ask them to make something basic, they get all sh....y with you. Am I wrong or didn't we all get a job that way?

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If we had been meant to eat all our greens all our teeth would have been in the front

absolutely and unless they are realistic, they probably will think that bleaching the buckets is beyond them.

really not having a go at college trained florists. jsut watching the back of us benchers

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Never say never.

Well, unless your sure.

I think it doesn't really matter where you train - if you don't have the will for the work and the eye for the design, no florist in a shop or tutor in a college is going to teach you. Unfortunately, I discovered when I was in my last year they only get paid for the youngsters (who get it free) once they pass. So not much more to say on that one, is there? If they get paid on results they will give them results.

But I can see the logic in studying the science and business aspect of floristry - just think it should be mandatory that they work in a shop at least 16 hours a week and then do the rest of their training in college. JMO

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If we had been meant to eat all our greens all our teeth would have been in the front

just been reading through this thread again,,have to agree with the last few posts,,does my head right in when folks come straight from college and think that bucket scrubbing is beneath them,,got to get your housekeeping right,,and,,when they are doing say,, a wreath and customers come in or the fone rings,,they don't seem to be able to grasp that they are sometimes required to stop doing said wreath and go serve or answer fone,,its like you give them something to do and they think thats their little thing then and they go into their own little world and become oblivious of all else!!

I have noticed that some colleges don't teach the basics,,and I have a student every year so I speak from experience here,,why the hecky peck don't they start by teaching them the basics?? A body that can make a nice ht or gw is far more use to someone like me than a body who can spend hours plaiting grass or fiddling with wire,,no offence there anybody but thats just what I need in my shop,,I know plaited grass and twisted wire has its place,,but not when I have dozens of orders to get out! Save that for quieter times or expensive orders.

It makes me very cross when I see dirty buckets,,I scrub mine religiously,,I love the thought that they are clean and hopefully relatively germ free,,and my display vases too,,I had one student who said she had worked in a shop that never cleaned their buckets and told her not to bother when she started to do them!! No excuse at for that.

And yes,,you can do all the courses in the world but if you aint got it you aint got it. Thankfully we all seem to have "it" in abundance here don't we!!

Sorry if I ranted,,got my passionate head on today.

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live long and prosper

I don't think this is only true of 'students'. I have worked with many over the years who become totally absorbed in their task and ignore the customers craving attention in front of their eyes. From my experience, old people are the worst for this. In fact, I'd go as far as to say they believe everyone should stop what they're doing to pass them wires/foliage etc.

I think it comes down to individual motivation and character, not a college discipline.

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i for one am glad to see that there are so many good or rather GREAT florists out there that havent had college tutoring!! there is indeed ALOT to be said for trainig in the enviroment, and yes i also agree that unless you have both the natural talent and desire to learn your craft no amount of "PROPER" training is going to teach you enough to withstand this competetive industry, 4 months on and for me i am loving it more and more my skills are getting better, and our customer base is growing (maybe not fast enough) but it is definately growing. i take my hat off to everyone here whatever their method of education for those who have been to college and university with diplomas and even degrees, and for those who were born with pot tape and vase solution in thier hands, and even those who gave up their safe jobs to follow and chase their dream of becoming a florist, you all WE all deserve a well earned pat on the back, big love xxx

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jake hehehehe ehhehe ehehe.

I think the problem with these sorts is that they only interested in playing with flowers, they aren't interested in all the other aspects of working in a successful flower shop . The good'uns are a real rarity.

.....Hope I'm not included in this......I got down and dirty with the rest/best of 'em.......I was never above cleaning the bog, making the tea, sweeping and mopping the floor.....if a job needs doing, get on and do it....then we could all play 'flowers'.......

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nothing plastic about me!

so have the days gone where you started off at the bottom and worked your way up ???

I cleaned,conditioned, moped, was the tea and coffee maid, grott sorter and box squasher..................

And now you are luck to find a newly qualified college florist who knows how to condition flowers !!!!! and handle them, i know this comes with experiance, but come on colleges its not just bums on seats when all said
i know at college there are serial conditioning dodgers lol
if you dont do it or turn up 2 hours after the DM has been your not going to learn.
Newly fledged florists are hopeing to play with our flowers bought with our hard earnt cash and it scares me.

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