It's time to put the screws on bouquet wrap!

I was a bit of a disgruntled customer yesterday when I walked out of a local florist, who seems to have a good reputation and is certainly in a very upmarket location, with my bunch of Gerbera's and stunning Lillies.  As this was a gift for my boss, I was delighted when the women boasted of her beautiful new plastic coated (and therefore colour fast) flower wrap which is two toned and imported.  Unfortunately, my excitement plummeted when she scrunched the paper around the flowers, grabbed some cheap and nasty ribbon and proceeded to tie a rather pathetic bow around my flowers.  When she quoted R320,00 for this rather unimpressive looking bunch (that I could have gotten at Woolies for under R150,00 and arranged myself), I almost choked! But as she'd already cut stalks etc, I didn't have the heart to tell her what she could do with her flowers!

Whilst I appreciate that not all our florists are so disinterested in a happy customer, we are still quite a long way off when we look at the gorgeous arrangements from the florists in Holland.  Not a Chrysanthemum or Carnation in sight unless you specifically request it, and no less than 3 beautiful layers of tissue and cellophane artfully arranged. In SA, the norm is to present your arrangement with 3 Roses in it and an abundance of Ruscus, Chrysanths and Carnations (oh don't forget Babies Breath). Whilst each of these flora have their place, it's preferably not in an arrangement that costs the earth.  Which is why I typically hand select my bunches sans the riff-raff.  Usually our local arrangements from florists come wrapped in brown paper (which I have no issue with) or they come in a clear or floral cellophane bouquet holder (these I can't stand.), but it doesn't take much effort, or expense, to do just that little bit extra which makes the arrangement look suitably gift wrapped.

Once I got home, I decided to dismantle the arrangement and whilst I don't have any of that imported plastic coated paper to add an extra layer, I decided to make do with what I had. Reuse their paper but just re-arrange how it was wrapped around the flowers and then to finish it off with a double bow and an uncostly yet effective embellishment.

Whilst I am still not convinced this arrangement is worth R320,00, if my flowers had been presented to me like this, perhaps with an extra layer of the paper and a layer of cellophane around it as well, I might have been somewhat molified at the horrific expense.

I think this is a little project that I need to tackle as just as I hate a badly wrapped gift from a shop where we've just spent a fortune, I hate a badly wrapped bouquet as well. All it takes is a little knowledge and a little more effort!



Oh... and don't let get me started on the fact that they sell flowers which aren't fresh! ...!!