Last year, floral professionals turned police cruisers, neighborhood businesses, beachfront intersections and even a construction-disrupted storefront into opportunities to spread happiness through flowers.
On Oct. 14, the industry will do it again during the Society of American Florists’ 12th annual Petal It Forward event. The goodwill initiative asks floral businesses to give recipients two bouquets or flowers — one to keep and one to share — creating a ripple effect of kindness in their communities.
More than 525 participants in all 50 states, as well as Colombia, Ecuador, England and India, took part in 2025 (click here to see an interactive map of this year’s participants). Their efforts demonstrated that a successful Petal It Forward event doesn’t require an elaborate production. But thoughtful choices about partners, locations and promotion can help businesses reach more people and generate greater visibility.
Recruit Community Partners
Partnerships can provide additional volunteers, supplies and promotional reach.
Last year, Haentze Floral Co. in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, enlisted local firefighters, police officers and medical workers to distribute bouquets supplied by Delware Valley Floral Group. The fifth-generation business also involved its social media followers in the planning, asking them to suggest flowers and giveaway locations.
In Pittsburgh, Flowerama partnered with the Ross Township Police Department. Together, staff members and officers held signs inviting motorists to “Pull Over for Free Flowers” and “Share the Power of Flowers.” A video posted by the department helped extend the event’s reach online.
Partners don’t have to be large organizations. Flower Essence, Flower & Gift Shop in Easton, Pennsylvania, worked with Minsi Mountain Flower Farm, which supplied locally grown dahlias, and three neighborhood businesses that served as pickup locations.
Potential partners could also include schools, nonprofits, garden clubs, growers, wholesalers or neighboring businesses. In addition to sharing costs and providing volunteers, partners can help businesses connect with new audiences.
Meet People Where They Are
A strategic location can make it easier to surprise more people — and attract attention for the business.
With support from Rosaprima, Alexandra Farms and Jet Fresh Flower Distributors, the team at Details Flowers Software distributed 200 bouquets at a beachfront intersection in Ormond Beach, Florida, reaching beachgoers, joggers and commuters.
Tiger Lily Florist in Charleston, South Carolina, chose a high-traffic location outside the Francis Marion Hotel and across from a busy city park. Mayesh Charleston and Syndicate Sales helped support the giveaway.
Businesses don’t need a major public venue to participate. When construction complicated access to Broadway Blooms in Jackson, Ohio, the shop placed a flower cart outside its storefront. A hand-drawn window mural reading “Positivity in Bloom” invited pedestrians to participate.
Other options include distributing bouquets at schools, senior centers, hospitals, shelters, coffee shops, gyms or workplaces. Businesses planning to use a public or privately owned location should secure permission in advance.
Make the Event Your Own
Petal It Forward can be scaled to fit a business’s staff, budget and goals. Participants decide how many flowers or bouquets to distribute, where to give them away and whether to work independently or with community and industry partners.
That flexibility allows businesses across every segment of the industry — including retailers, growers, wholesalers, importers and suppliers — to participate.
It also makes the initiative a compelling local media story. The combination of free flowers, community partnerships and uplifting reactions regularly attracts coverage from television and radio stations, newspapers and other local outlets. (Click here for more information on how to secure media coverage.)
New for 2026: Outfit Your Team
Participants can now visit SAF’s official Petal It Forward store to order event T-shirts. Available in a variety of styles, colors and sizes, the shirts can give teams a coordinated look, help volunteers stand out and make Petal It Forward more visible in photos, videos and media coverage.
Ready to start planning? Click here to register for Petal It Forward and access SAF’s free planning guides, media templates, talking points and promotional resources.
Amanda Jedlinsky is the senior director of content and communications for the Society of American Florists.
