Florists cut and place flowers in floral arrangements. The arrangement
could be a corsage, a funeral wreath or a whole room full of floral decorations.
Florists usually work in small flower shops or flower retail outlets as
designers, managers or owners. Growing numbers of floral designers work in
floral departments of large grocery stores.
Wherever they work, the duties of florists are similar. They purchase live
flowers from growers; cut, clean and care for them; design arrangements for
customers and price them appropriately. Floral designers also work with dried
or artificial flowers.
This is a good career for people with excellent listening skills. Florists
often work in retail stores, where they deal with customers by phone or in
person. When they design arrangements like bouquets, wreaths and baskets,
they often take the customer's wishes into account. They consider the occasion,
the customer's choice for color and type of flower, and a price limit.
"When a customer calls or stops by to order an arrangement, they usually
have an idea of what they want," explains florist Ida Bloemon. "You have to
be attentive, listening to what they're saying, and then ask the right questions
to clarify the design you have in mind."
Creativity is also essential in this field. Designing floral arrangements
involves more than just sticking some flowers together -- an artist's eye
and a knack for combining colors are necessary.
"It's the ability to incorporate a potato into a St. Patrick's Day bouquet
and make it look classy, or to come up with an exquisite funeral wreath at
the last minute when you have no flowers left. That defines a truly good florist,"
says florist Jeannie Scott.
"If you're not going to be creative with your floral designs, people might
as well buy their flowers at a supermarket," agrees Hollywood florist Richard
Rousse.
Florists must also have an extensive knowledge of the flowers and plants
they use. They should know the best way to care for them and understand their
limitations in an arrangement.
"Some flowers will last a whole lot longer than others. You don't want
to put a flower that will probably last four days with an arrangement of flowers
that last 10 days," says Bloemon.
About one-third of floral designers own their flower shops, so business
savvy is an important part of the job. A florist who owns a store may do almost
everything from growing flowers to keeping books.
Since most florists work in retail stores, their hours depend on the shop
hours. Floral designers usually work eight-hour days, five days a week, and
this may include Saturdays and Sundays. Owners and managers can expect longer
hours, since their level of responsibility is greater.
There are no special physical requirements to become a florist. Flower
designers who own their own shops, however, may need some strength to lift
large containers of flowers as well as load and unload deliveries.