Cars, travel and occasions · 10 guides
Florist: problems and fixes, explained by Jay
Jay Johnson is the only florist member of BNI Preston Center. These guides are written for a Dallas–Fort Worth reader who has the problem right now: what is happening, what to check, when to call, and what it costs.
- Wilted in two days: why fresh flowers fade early and how to make them last Most flowers that wilt early are not bad flowers. They are thirsty flowers with blocked stems, a warm spot or dirty water. Here is how to tell what went wrong and keep the next arrangement fresh far longer. Why fresh flowers give up earlyNormal fading or a sign something is wrongWhat is happening inside the stemA two-minute routine that adds days
- What drives the price of a custom flower arrangement, and how to spend it well A custom arrangement has no fixed price because it is built around the flowers, the size, the container and the occasion. Here is what moves the number and how to get more beauty for the same budget. The short answer, before the detailsThe flowers: variety, quality and how many stemsThe container and the hours you do not seeHow the occasion changes what you are buying
- The flowers arrived wrong, late or not at all: mistakes to avoid when sending them Most flower orders that go wrong do not fail in the design room. They fail on the address, the timing, the card or a detail about the recipient nobody checked. Here are the mistakes I see most and how to avoid them. Where flower orders really go wrongAn address that is almost rightTiming that works for you but not for themNot checking the hospital or the household first
- Sympathy flowers: what to send, where to send it, and what to write on the card Sending sympathy flowers is hard when you are grieving or afraid of getting it wrong. Here is how to decide where they go, which piece fits your relationship, when they must arrive and what to say on the card. The short versionFuneral home or family home: how to chooseThe pieces you will hear about, explainedWho usually sends which piece
- Silk or fresh: which flowers belong in which rooms of a home or office Fresh flowers belong where people gather and notice them. Well-made silk belongs where fresh flowers struggle or nobody has time to tend them. Here is how to decide, room by room. Which one, in a few sentencesWhat fresh flowers give you that nothing else canWhat well-made silk does wellWhy some silk looks cheap, and how to avoid it
- Is that flower website really a local shop? How to choose a florist you can trust Many flower websites look like the shop down the street and are not. Here is how to check who will actually design and deliver your arrangement, and what a good florist asks you before you pay. The quick test for a real local floristWhy so many flower websites look local when they are notFive checks you can do in ten minutesThe questions worth asking on the phone
- Holiday decor and client gifts without the December scramble: a yearly plan for a business Holiday decor and client gifts go wrong when they start in December. Here is a simple year-round calendar, what full-service decorating should include, how to keep a fresh tree safe in an office, and what the IRS says about deducting gifts. The plan, in a few sentencesA calendar for the whole yearWhat full-service holiday decorating should includeFresh trees and greenery in a commercial space
- DIY wedding flowers or a florist: what the work really involves before you decide Doing your own wedding flowers can work, but the labor lands in the two days before the wedding, when you have the least time. Here is what it takes, which pieces are easy to DIY and which are worth handing to a florist. The honest answer before you buy a single bucketCount the pieces before you count the costThe timeline that never appears on a mood boardCold space, buckets and the logistics people forget
- An outdoor event in Texas heat: which flowers hold up and how to plan around the sun In Texas heat, the flowers you choose matter, but when and where you put them matters more. Here is what heat does to cut flowers, which varieties tend to hold up, and how to plan an outdoor event so the arrangements last the evening. Plan for the heat first and the flowers secondWhat a hot afternoon does to a cut flowerFlowers that tend to stand up to a hot dayFlowers to save for the ballroom or a cooler month
- The lobby flowers are wilting and nobody owns the plants: plant and flower care at work A reception desk tells visitors what kind of company they are walking into. Here is why office flowers and plants fail, what to check before you call anyone, and how a weekly service takes the job off your desk for good. The arrangement from Monday is brown by Thursday, and the ficus is dropping leaves againWhy flowers and plants fail in officesWhat to look at before you call a floristWhen a weekly service makes sense and when it does not