Today I want to introduce you to a wonderful group of people…the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers (ASCFG). If you grow flowers for commercial sale, you will be particularly interested in ASCFG. They offer information on growing, pricing and marketing your flowers. You can foster friendships with other growers and attend farm tours, seminars and conferences focused on growing. I actually attended one of these conferences as a member years ago when I first entered the flower industry and the knowledge I gained was priceless. The ASCFG newsletter, called The Cut Flower Quarterly, provides helpful information on production, post-harvest care and marketing of cut flowers.
You might be wondering how you can benefit from the ASCFG as a floral designer. I have several inquiries a week from floral designers asking if I know of a good source for a particular flower variety in a particular area of the country. Here’s where the ASCFG website can be of great help to you…they publish a Buyer’s Guide each year to help you locate growers by flower variety and location. Simply search for the flower of your choice. You will find a list of growers by state that grow that particular flower. Then contact the farm directly using the contact information provided for details on purchasing. This process is a win-win for the grower and the retailer. I know many of the designers who read Botanical Brouhaha already buy locally grown flowers when possible which supports our growers. I’m sure they would thank you!
Check out the ASCFG home page here.
Search for a flower variety here.
Click here for the Buyer’s Guide.
Look here for a sample of The Cut Flower Quarterly.
I encourage you to explore the whole website…lots of helpful information for growers, wholesalers and floral designers.
Now to follow up on a previous post…
We talked a little bit about wedding booth design a few weeks ago and I have since found some other booths I think you’ll like…
From Just Bloomed…
…love the photographs on the back wall, the logo repeated on the floor and the gorgeous floral arrangements…and, of course, all the interested customers!
From Punch…
…great vintage chic look…love the signage…
From Woodland Flowers…
…gorgeous cut paper backdrop…love the sign and the sophisticated florals…
From Darryl & Co…
…look at the height on that sign!…love the flower edged lighting…
…using a large shot of one color draws attention to this booth…again, the height of the canopy secures the booth’s presence among the other vendors…
If you have questions about ASCFG, please feel free to email me. I know many of you are participating in wedding shows in the coming weeks and months. I would love to share photos of your booth…just send them my way!
Happy Wednesday!
image via Sweet Pea Floral Design
image via Not Just Flowers
image via Quatre Coeur
image via Floral Design by Jacqueline Ahne
image via More Than an Image
image via Adrienne Gunde Photography
