Cut Flowers and Bouquets

Cole_Robbie · March 28, 2018

I am planning to transition to mostly flower sales in 2018. I did ok with container flowers last year, but I don't know anything about cut flower sales. I am especially ignorant when it comes to making flower arrangements.

My cut flowers will be mostly zinnias, then later in the summer I will have cosmos and celosia. The only companion I can think of to match with the zinnias is baby's breath, which I have never grown. I just read that it takes two years to grow from seed, so I will need to buy some plants. I do not know of any other companion ideas for bouquets, so I welcome other suggestions besides baby's breath.

A previous cut flower vendor who has since left my market for family reasons did well using a mason jar as a vase for his cut flower sales. I think he usually sold the jar with the flowers. I can get jars like this one for about 30 cents each:

I can also get plastic sleeves from China that fill with water and look like vases, but I don't think they would hold up well to any wind while at market.

I also don't know how to tie the bouquets together. Floral wire, I presume?

Here is the celosia I ordered (sorry if this gets pic-heavy)

My Cosmos:

And my zinnias:

March 28, 2018	#1
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	Cut Flowers and Bouquets I am planning to transition to mostly flower sales in 2018. I did ok with container flowers last year, but I don't know anything about cut flower sales. I am especially ignorant when it comes to making flower arrangements. My cut flowers will be mostly zinnias, then later in the summer I will have cosmos and celosia. The only companion I can think of to match with the zinnias is baby's breath, which I have never grown. I just read that it takes two years to grow from seed, so I will need to buy some plants. I do not know of any other companion ideas for bouquets, so I welcome other suggestions besides baby's breath. A previous cut flower vendor who has since left my market for family reasons did well using a mason jar as a vase for his cut flower sales. I think he usually sold the jar with the flowers. I can get jars like this one for about 30 cents each: I can also get plastic sleeves from China that fill with water and look like vases, but I don't think they would hold up well to any wind while at market. I also don't know how to tie the bouquets together. Floral wire, I presume? Here is the celosia I ordered (sorry if this gets pic-heavy) My Cosmos: And my zinnias: Last edited by Cole_Robbie; March 28, 2018 at 07:29 PM.