Decembkii 9, 1920 



The Florists' Review 



35 



<^ PLAN FOR HOLIDAY s»e 



MEETING CHRISTMAS PROBLEMS, 



Plant Shortage Demands Preparation. 



A year ago we inadi; jirojiaration lor 

 Christinas more carefully than dthcr 

 years on account of missing many va- 

 rieties of Christmas jilants. We have 

 to do so much more this year. Labor 

 conditions are still unsettled, and busi 

 ness conditions are naturally more or 

 less affected. Many large growers in 

 certain sections of the country reduced 

 their growing capacity on account of 

 being unable to secure sufficient coal. 

 Many found certain articles which they 

 grew last year unjjrofitahle in conipari- 

 son with other articles and are growing 

 stock not used so much for holidays but 

 for other seasons of the year. 



The stock available last (Jhristnias 

 in flowering and berried plants was of 

 a different nature from the stock in 

 previous years. The general assort- 

 ment consisted of araucarias, cyclamens, 

 camellias, begonias, crotons, Pandanu-; 

 Veitchii, the difTerent varieties of 

 heathers, jioinsettias, cherries, oranges 

 and well colored dracapnas, with a noni 

 inal amount of azaleas, Pyrus Mains and 

 Viburnum Sinus. 



Meeting Low-Price Demands. 



.\t one time we had no diffir-ulty in 

 lining orders for small plants in other 

 years, using small azaleas, cyclamens, 

 ardisias or oranges. In later vears tin' 



By MAX SCHLING. 



jirice on tiies(> plants has gone up con 

 tinuously. The cheaitest plants \vf 

 could ])urcliMse last year were Cleveland 

 cherries at $l.."iii apiece wholesale and 

 [loinsettias in 4 inch jiots with one 

 small, perfect llower at Sl.oO. The 

 decorating of a plant of this kiiul 

 where, as in the city of New York, the 

 tiovver buying public is exceedingl.v dis- 

 criminating, can be nothing cheap. 

 I'eojile do not want a i)icce of crepi' 

 ]iaper, which looks mussed ufi within .i 

 day or two. We have to use natural 

 green sheet moss to coxcr the pot, have 

 to decorate the base of th.- jiliuit \sitli 

 asjiaragus, pussy willow, etc., and ha\i' 

 to use good ribbon on the plant. That 

 almost doubles the wholesale |iric-c ol' 

 the plant. So when we get an order 

 tor a .$1! or $1 plant for a customer froni 

 out of town or a customer calls to l)u\' 

 a plant at a lower price, it is hardly 

 possible to give something good. 



Service Builds Sales. 



Kvery plant we sell should .add to out 

 prestige. Florists may have prices 

 alike, but do widelv varying business. 

 What gives one florist the larger busi 

 ness and increases his sales is the good 

 ser\ ice wh)( h he gives customers. 

 Tlierefcue, when a customer comes to 

 us during the holidays and wants an 

 inex|iensive plant :ind we wish to serve 

 him ut'll, \\i' should not trv to sell hitn 



a .lei iis,-i leiii cherry or a small ]>oui- 



settia oi- a (dieap cycl; mi, which will 



only li\e a short while, but we should 

 use one ol' the well colore.! (li'aca^ia.s, 

 a crotoii, e\'eii a good I'erii or a Pan- 

 danus Veitchii. necorate<i |irettily 

 with berries or holly, these will last and 

 give pleasure to the customer through 

 their lasting quality. W.- .are al)le to 

 s.dl such plants for $4 or *•"«, and they 

 will give our business more credit than 

 the lower jiriced flowering plants. 



For • ' Candy Customers. ' ' 



We h!i\e obser^eil thi.s jxilicv and 

 hiunil that our small customers appre- 

 ciate our elTorts. From vear to year 

 ue increase our sales on 'his tyi>c of 

 '4oo(ls and our customers henelit, and the 

 t'act th.at ue sei've them well brings us 

 more ot the sam(> type of customers for 

 this most satisfactory merchandise. 

 We used to call them our candy cus- 

 tomers, hi'cause they are mo.stly those 

 who buy flowers during the year and at 

 Christmas send boxes of candy. 

 I'lowers ami jilants wen- 'oo high in 

 price and out of their re.a.-h hut no 

 inori' laiidy for them! 



These same candy custoue'rs useil to 

 decor.ite their tables with IkjIIv, greens 

 .'iiol .Mtiticial decorations, which they 

 s.'i\ec| iKiui year to year until we found 

 imM alioiit it. Most, of them are now 

 liu\ine their Christmas ili'i'orations 

 from us; ue taught them how to dec.o 

 rate We sell them a .small wreath of 



How Foliage Plants Can Be Decorated with Greens to Make Attractive Christmas Offerings. 



