As part of the BFA magazine article that Country Baskets have completed on an insight into the trends behind flower shops, we visited some florists that gave us some information into how they merchandise and advertise certain products. One of the florists that we spoke to was Sharon from Purple Orchid who says she focus’ on the idea of creating a welcoming place for her loyal customers.

Experience
Sharon has 36 years in the floristry industry and opened her own shop just over 3 years ago, where she has a well of knowledge on complimenting colours and innovative ways to use flowers. Sharon commented on how busy her store is but loves how much there is to do, describing it as a constant working progress.

Inspiration
When talking about inspiration, Sharon said her main source of inspiration is the flowers she works with and the occasion for which the arrangement will be used. There is also a lot of focus put on colours in the arrangements that Sharon creates, as contrasting and complimentary colours are a big importance to her creations.

Current Work
Most of the work that Sharon does is event dressing and arrangements for events, a lot of this being funeral or funeral home decorations. This is where her inspiration from the flowers comes from, as she needs to be aware of the situation in which the arrangement will be used and also make it appropriate to this event.

The Shop
Something that became apparent when visiting Sharon was how much pride she takes in her shop, although she’s described it as quaint it’s also a very creative space for her and her staff. The constant buzz of the shop and the working progress feel that Sharon mentioned, makes it a very welcoming place. This is also apparent in the amount of regular customers of hers, who trust her judgement and expertise when creating the arrangement.