J. Miller Flowers and Gifts in Oakland, California, relies on a group of volunteers to help the business assemble bouquets for Petal It Forward.
Participating in the Society of American Florists’ annual Petal It Forward event on Oct. 18 won’t break the bank or overwhelm staff — especially if you take a page from the playbook of experienced participants. Here, Petal It Forward veterans show how the event can be done economically and stress free so that everyone — you and your staff included — can experience the joy this popular flower giveaway creates.
Work With Suppliers
Florists who have good relationships with wholesalers can often find ways to work together. For instance, Valerie Lee, co-owner of J. Miller Flowers and Gifts in Oakland, California, works with growers who donate all the stems needed for her event — and she is sure to thank them in any publicity she receives.
This year, floral supplier Syndicate Sales is supporting the Petal It Forward by offering up to five free cases of bud vases to hand out with flowers. (Register for the vases here.)
“I like to think that including a bud vase with the flowers is helpful to the recipient because they have something to put the flowers into,” says Jessica Kegerreis, senior marketing and creative manager at Syndicate. “Most of the time they are receiving the flowers on the street during their lunch break and they may not have anything back at their office, so a simple bud vase is perfect!”
Keep it Simple
Don’t overthink the arrangement, says Molly Meulenbroek, general manager of Studley Flower Gardens, in Rochester, New Hampshire. She creates a simple recipe that’s easy to assemble for the 200 bouquets that they hand out.
Some participants have success ordering pre-made bouquets. And others, such as Nanz & Kraft Florists in Louisville, Kentucky, found success when when they teamed up with a local sunflower grower to give away two sunflowers (one for the recipient to keep, and another for them to give away), says co-owner David Kraft. They’ve also had success pairing two stems of daisies, or three roses together in a small bouquet.
Be Strategic with Distribution
“I don’t want to spend a lot of time day of distributing the flowers,” Meulenbroek says. “I think about how to give out those bouquets using the fewest number of staff members, but reaching many different people.”
Last year Studley Flowers and Gardens partnered with a nursing association to bring flowers to patients in their homes. This year they’re working with a popular bakery and coffee shop, where they’ll hand out bouquets during the morning rush.
“There is not a busy street corner where we can stand, so we find a business or an organization that we can partner with to reach more people,” she says. “When we choose places or organizations, we try and go with somebody who wouldn’t be our normal customer.”
Recruit Volunteers
Volunteers are critical to the success and fun of the day at J. Miller Flowers and Gifts. Lee says about 12-20 volunteers show up each year to help prep and distribute the flowers. Many are come year after year.
“I provide lunch, but mostly it brings the community together,” she says. “They are friends, customers, people I’ve known for a long time. For them, it’s also about giving back to the community. It is just a win-win for everyone and it’s really a fun day.”
Sarah Sampson is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.
