What Inspires Us FRESH IDEAS


Looking for ways to strengthen holiday sales?


Need help managing seasonal staffing challenges?


Ready to start planning for Valentine’s Day?


Just Ask Aster, SAF’s AI business consultant.


Built by SAF for members and trained exclusively on SAF’s trusted publications, articles and courses, Aster delivers answers grounded in real floral industry expertise — not generic internet advice. Available anytime, Aster has already served as an on- demand advisor for more than 1,000 members. safnow.org/askaster


> Bringing a new flower variety to market takes years of work, sig- nificant investment and no small amount of patience. Breeders and growers commit time and resources to developing, testing and producing varieties that must perform consis- tently — not only in the greenhouse or field, but also through harvesting, shipping, arranging and the custom- er’s home. That is why one of my favorite


moments at the Society of American Florists’ annual convention, which was held in August in Amelia Island, Florida, is walking into the Outstanding Varieties Competition. Even in an industry built around flowers, the sight of thousands of exceptional stems — each represent- ing years of work and investment


— gathered in one room is breathtaking. But the competition is about more than beauty. It gives retailers a chance to


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CONNECT Stay connected to SAF and the floral industry wherever business takes you. Download the new SAF Now app for convenient access to industry news, member resources, upcoming events and conversations with fellow members — all in one place. safnow.org/saf-now-app


LEARN


Put AI to work training your team. SAF’s newest online course, “NotebookLM for Florists: Build Your Shop’s AI Training Assistant,” shows you how to transform employee handbooks, standard operating procedures and other existing documents into an AI-powered training resource. Learn how to create searchable knowledge bases, customized training podcasts and other tools that help employees find answers independently, reducing interruptions and creating a more consistent onboarding experience. safnow.org/ NotebookLM


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Get more from your SAF membership. Discover tools, resources and benefits you may be missing in a recorded webinar with SAF’s membership team. You’ll gain practical ideas for putting your membership to work for your business. safnow.org/ondemand


see commercially available varieties they may not otherwise encounter and to share valuable feedback with the growers and wholesalers who bring them to market. It’s also an opportunity to consider what makes a variety especially useful in the shop: compelling color, strong stems, healthy foliage, consistent blooms, vase life and the versatility to work across designs, seasons and occasions. In our cover story, “Cream of the Crop,” beginning on p. 16, you’ll meet the


Best in Show winner, ‘New Moon’, and the other Best in Class and blue ribbon winners. The winning entries are products you can use to excite customers, make your brand stand out and create greater perceived value. That spirit of discovery continues in the Fresh Product Buyers Guide at the


back of this issue. Use it to explore new farms and reconnect with suppliers of fresh flowers and foliage. As you plan for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, wed- dings and the everyday occasions ahead, I hope the guide becomes a practical sourcing tool you return to throughout the year. Elsewhere in the issue, we follow fresh product farther back in the supply


chain. On p. 30, learn how Albin Hagstrom & Son and FernTrust grow, harvest and handle the Florida foliage that around this time of year becomes holiday wreaths, garlands and the foundation for arrangements. Then, flip to the Business of Design column on p. 34 to see how florist Robert “Bob” Tucker, AIFD, CEJ, FSMD, turns those products into one design foundation that can be used for Thanksgiving and the December holidays. Fresh product is the foundation of this industry. When you and your teams


understand what is available, where it comes from and how it can serve their customers and businesses, beautiful flowers become something more: creative possibilities, stronger margins and memorable experiences. I hope this issue helps you discover what you’ll use next. Thanks for reading!


Amanda Jedlinsky Editor in Chief ajedlinsky@safnow.org


The magazine of the Society of American Florists (SAF) 5


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