floral designs

It’s the season of love and stress! In the floral industry, January is preparation month for Valentine’s Day. At Virgin Farms we begin planning as far back as December. We look at trends and statistics from previous years to project this year’s goals, make improvements, and prebook inventory with our farms. We always recommend florists to book as early as possible throughout January. As we draw closer to February, the colors or varieties you may need will be limited.

Tips for Valentine’s Day 

• Book your flowers early.
• Return your order confirmation form promptly.
• Start advertising! Consider Facebook ads, as they are effective and inexpensive.
• Clean up your shop and order your supplies.
• Hire seasonal staff for deliveries, cashiering, or designing.
• Plan your delivery routes. It saves time & gas!
• Relax! Even though Valentine’s Day is a stressful season make the best of it. Take breaks every 90 minutes if possible. Stay hydrated & eat healthy snacks that boost energy. Drink plenty of vitamins to keep your immune system strong under stress.

Floral Expressions Box 2016

Floral Expressions Box

Our most popular boxed floral package is ‘Floral Expressions.’ This box contains assorted varieties of fillers and focal flowers to create unique designs that express love in a myriad of ways. Most of the varieties such as kale, hyacinth, callas, lisianthus and such are from our partner farms in Holland, which have been in the floral industry for years and supply the freshest and highest quality flowers internationally.

If you are interested in the Floral Expressions box or any other floral special, please call 1.888.548.ROSE.

For inspiration and design concepts for Valentine’s day floral arrangements, follow us on Pinterest! Our friend at Marathon Florist styled flowers for a beachside photoshoot courtesy of Care Studios. Pin our latest additions to your boards to keep those ideas in mind when you’re designing.

Pinterest: Virgin Farms Direct

In a few months, teenagers will be attending the most awaited event of the year—prom! High school seniors and juniors save up every penny to splurge on dresses, tuxedos, shoes, hairdos, makeup, corsages, boutonnieres—and maybe a limo service to arrive in style.

For florists, prom is a great opportunity for company exposure and to reach the younger market.

Choose floral varieties that are small enough for a wrist or to pin on a tuxedo. Corsages and boutonnieres are a delicate accessory, so keep it simple but elegant by using eye-catching flowers such as cymbidiums. Also keep in mind teens will be dancing the night away—work with blooms that are sturdy enough to withstand the harlem shake!

(Suggested varieties for corsage and boutonniere designs)

Focal flowers: spray roses, mini cymbidiums, ranunculus, mini callas, alstroemeria, and mini carnations. 

Filler flowers: hypericum, solidago, astilbe, wax flower, and gyp.

Promote your Flower Shop

Begin promoting your shop as a source for corsages and boutonnieres a couple of months ahead of prom. Teens should have their dress or tux narrowed down by now, which means they’ll begin looking for color schemes and floral varieties to match their ensemble. Design samples to use as display pieces at your shop and take plenty of photos. Mix and match flowers, ribbons, wrist bands and jewels to showcase what you can create for their special night. You can offer a packaged deal  or discount for teens purchasing both a corsage and boutonniere.

Social media is changing the way we advertise by creating a closer—and a more personable connection—with your customers or target market. 

Teenagers are heavy social media users, and it is the perfect opportunity to market your shop as a resource for their floral accessories. Post pictures of sample designs on Instagram, and use hashtags so your photos appear when they use the search bar to discover users to follow. For example #corsages #prom #boutonnieres #promflowers #promcorsages could be popular tags.

On facebook, you can post content with photos, run contests, and announce special offers to promote your shop during prom season. Shortstack is a great resource for ideas to keep your facebook page fresh with new content and tab apps to grow your fan base. Ask teens to share photos from prom night on social media, and have your followers vote on the best entry. Award a prize to the participant who had the most votes. Not only are you getting exposure and word-of-mouth, but you’re also encouraging others to interact on your social media sites and attract possible shoppers.

Wishing you a busy prom season!

Follow us on Instagram @virginfarms and use hashtag #VirginFarmsFlowers to show us your #floraldesigns for prom season.