Florist News

Ok, i'm going to put my hands up and confess to being just a little uneducated here. (but i don't care!) Could someone, anyone, who is currently or recently been attending college or whatever, explain to me in detail what it is you learn. I would like to try and evaluate for myself just how prepared someone will be to work in a retail environment after gaining the qualifications.

ok.....can we rule out 'reading' and 'writing' ?

Having just started college in september I have been looking on the internet for ideas & information & today came across this website so i logged on. How rude to say we cant read & write!! I was just interested in learning a new career & it was the only option to take without giving up work as there are still bills to pay & what if i dont enjoy it?? I agree experience is essential in any industry but everyone has to start somewhere!!

Hi there,
I've been doing my NVQ 2 since November. The way it works is you have to work your way through various arrangenents from button holes to double ended funeral sprays and so on. You get a couple of practice go's and then you have to do final attempt which is passed or not. You keep at it until you are passed on it. The course is quite good but involves alot of traditional stuff ie arrangements made out of dried and silk flowers. May be people do ask for these? You really need to do work experience with it or else you wont have a clue. Has anyone in Brighton/Worthing way got a space for me??? Have been in one shop but they really didnt have the time and I felt I was in the way and there is only so much conditioining you can do before you feel you will go crazy. Anymore questions on the college thing let me know. I think you really need day to day practice. It could be along time before you have a go in the real world.

Have given up well paid job to train as florist so have very scarey days.

Dear Nuttybush,
I do apologise if you have taken offence. I can assure you it was not meant to be an offensive remark. I was just a little frustrated that it appeared no one had read the post or responded to it. Perhaps I should have worded it differently. I can also assure you that my time spent here is with the sole purpose of offering help to people such as yourself in any way I can. I don't use it as a way of killing time. I just don't have spare time. I don't do it for laughs, I'd prefer to watch 'Little Britain' for that.
I had this conversation with admin about a week ago when we discussed the purpose of the forum. I think we agreed that it could and should become a valuable resource for people such as yourself who are embarking on a new career. You will probably find that help and advice is a little hard to come by in this country, as opposed to the USA where florist forums are very active. I don't fully understand why, but it's probably down to "I don't want to teach the competition". I can't accept this view as I strongly believe that the industry needs to encourage new talent and give it as much help and advice as possible. Otherwise, it's all downhill from here and the mass marketers will have a field day.
I don't claim to be an expert and I don't claim to be able to answer all your questions, but if i can, i will.

hi fli2hi apology accepted perhaps i got the wrong end of the stick it just appeared after reading a few other posts that college was a waste of time. Having been searching the net for a few weeks this appears to be a great site, any advice or help is greatly appreciated. thanx.

College training is important, you get to learn the basics and about the mechanics of floristry, some of the stuff on the curriculum is past it’s best but I have heard on the grapevine that sometime soon this should change and more commercial and up to date techniques will be introduced (hoorah!). If you are serious about your floristry you will definitely need shop experience and this is where the problems occur, read my post in ‘working from home’. Yep I admit to feeling bitter after my experience and this was compounded when I found it so difficult to find a replacement florist. I am passionate about my work and would love to be able to pass on my experience and knowledge without fear of being shafted. I am in a small town competing against 2 other florists, 2 supermarkets (with another large chain coming this next year), a weekly market with flower seller and at least 3 people I know of working from home. Competition is tough and we are all fighting to stay afloat and if that means me being wary about teaching anyone else the trade to protect my business then that’s the way it has to be. I agree with you Fly2hi about the industry needing new talent but we need it in our shops not behind garage doors otherwise the mass marketers will have won and more of the small high street shops will close. Good luck to you all looking for work experience, hopefully you will find something and despite what's happened in the past I am considering taking someone for w/e for Christmas - mind you she does live over 15 miles away - fairly safe I think

Hi just responding to your post Fly. I am currently on a diploma course in floristry and it has been really interesting to not only learn how to do the practical stuff, but to learn about the industry itself. I am sure I will find this invaluable when I qualify and am able to set up in business as a florist. I am somewhat surprised to think that many "experienced" florists, turn their noses up at qualifications. Yes I know floristry is a form of art and you really do need to have some creative flair in order to do it well. However, there surely are differences between those that have studied to qualify in their professions as florists, as opposed to those that havent. For myself, I already have a degree (completely unrelated to floristry). It was my intention to learn as much as I could on a course and from experienced florists. I am not so naive to think that being good at arranging, packaging and wrapping are the only pre-requisites that people need to do the job; and call themselves florists. I look forward to finding out about customer care, marketing techniques, as well as "flowers" themselves. There is an awful lot to floristry and the creative processes that are behind creating an arrangement. It is up to established, experienced florists, (such as yourself), to share your knowledge with and appreciate students who need guidance and teaching. Only then will floristry begin to be recognised, as a skilled, creative profession by those other than florists themselves. Who knows? maybe better salaries and improved working conditions are not far away!? Lets hope so. (good topic! im sure many ppl will post )