Our First Flower Competition

Sunday March 27th, 2022

We were invited to compete in a floral design competition this Spring with one of our wholesalers. The theme: Spring Renewal. Think all things new, hopeful, bright. Come see what we made for the competition and how we brought it all together.

Let us know what you think and what you would have designed in the comments! Vote for us before April 5th, 2022!

We were restricted to a 30" deep, 36" wide, and 48" high cubic space. Immediately, we planned on using the height. Thinking to ourselves "how can we make it tall and showstopping?" But, unfortunately, the ideas we wanted to do for height just couldn't be kept stable and attractive. So on to plan B!

We recently got these cute birdcage/greenhouses in for our spring window display and thought that it would fit the theme. Greenhouses growing equate to the rebirth and hopefulness of Spring. And so the idea for a scene with two greenhouses and a tree came about.

First, we measured out the space we were allotted and then took of a couple inches all around for good measure. We weren't sure how wild the design would get and wanted to leave room just in case. The base was built from Styrofoam sheets (which we regularly have on hand for custom standing spray designs). Brooke mapped the layout, "planted" the manzanita tree, and put in a river. The river is made of Dusty Blue double satin ribbon with a layer (or two) or hot glue.

Testing the layout

The base was covered in moss sheets and the river got lined with the river rocks.

Added moss to the base

River rocks along the river

We had some left over flowers from the previous week that Brooke used to practice her design. It was a good thing that she did a practice run - because we learned a lot about the design. We were able to figure out what we needed to order for the following week. And we learned that the greenhouse bases were NOT waterproof. Luckily, we have a sealant for instances such as these. It took a few days for us to put multiple coats of sealant over the leaks before we tested it again. But this time - no spills!

Testing the layout

Practice run!

The week before the competition, we got our shipment of terracotta pots in - including these tiny little fairy pots that were perfect for the design Brooke was making.

Half way there!

Flowers used in the final product:

• Pink Shimmer Rose
• Yellow Tulip
• Moon Lite Carnation
• Pink Ginger Spray Rose
• Purple Larkspur
• Limonium
• Mini Green Hydrangea
• Sword Fern
• Pittosporum

7am Sunday Morning

Brooke and I arrived at the shop, tired. Sundays are usually our sleep-in days, but I got us breakfast from Dunkin' Donuts to help keep us warm and awake. We were on a schedule and had to get everything loaded in the car and head off to the competition site.

As I put the base in the car, some of the river rocks started to come unglued!😭

Almost finished

So, armed with extra river rocks, extra flowers, and a floral knife, we took off to the competition. We were taking no chances of damaged flowers or missing pieces.

Finished - ready to go!

We only had to go to Silver Springs, but anytime we go over the Bay Bridge is a hike! Our nerves were getting higher the closer we got. Anxious to see what everyone else designed. How far off were we? Did we do too much? Did we not do enough? Being judged by the judges was nothing compared to how we would be judging ourselves against the other designers.

As one does, we looked back at previous years' winners and photos. We expected that many of the past designers would be returning after the COVID hiatus and, as newbies, were just doing this for the experience.

9am - At the Competition

We pulled up to the loading dock of the warehouse and were greeted by the Moderator. He was very friendly and got us a cart to help bring all of our pieces into the design room. One or two designers had already set up and left by the time we arrived. A few designers were putting the final touches on their pieces, and as we left it looked as though one was going to build their design right there (either that or they had many more pieces than us😅). We found out later that of the 15 slots, only 7 of us showed up with our designs. That really shocked us!

From 10-12, we had to wait. The judges got to discuss and scrutinize our pieces while photographers took photos of everything.

From the back

While we waited, Brooke and I drove around Silver Springs for a little bit before deciding to go back to the warehouse parking lot. Neither of us are built for city driving! 

12pm - Judging Completed

River running between the greenhouses

At 12pm (on the dot) another contestant started heading in, so we followed her in, nervous to be the first. The judges at JUST finished discussing as we entered.

We were told that the winners would be announced next week. The last time they held the competition was 2020 and, from past pictures, it was a big shindig. Usually, they had attendees vote to award the People's Choice prize, but with no audience the only way to settle on that will be to post on social media. While we don't expect to win, we had a great time working together to get this idea to come to life. Next year, we plan to apply and hopefully improve each time!

Voting is open from today through April 5th 2022! You can place your vote here! We would love your vote, but vote for your favorite. If we win anything, we will certainly be sharing it on Facebook or Instagram.

Final product