Before I entered the floral design world, I always wondered what it would be like inside the local floral wholesalers. They're such big places and have their stern warning signs outside "FLORAL TRADE ONLY". So when I finally entered into that world as a designer, I have to say I was blown away by flowers and plants and all of the moving parts. And since I think it is so interesting, I'm thinking that you might find it interesting as well. So let's take a little look inside a flower wholesaler I frequent (with the greatest access to locally grown flowers) Ontario Flower Growers. And what better week to take a look, than Valentine's Week, one of the busiest of the year!
So, most of the flowers I am using for Valentine's Day were pre-ordered many months ago. When pre-ordering, I always try to get my order in early to ensure the best selection and to let the growers know that their product is in demand. I generally only purchase Ontario-grown product, so I find it even more important to order early to ensure I can get what I need. This means that I need to decide on colour pallets and specific flowers I'm going to use, well in advance. So much of being a successful florist is being organized and having a good plan!
Having said that, If I need some other flowers a la carte, I can always go into their marketplace that functions like a cash and carry and grab bunches of 10. This is very helpful too if I forgot to order something or feel inspired by something that I see in the giant cooler.
The photos below show a very full cooler, which makes sense considering Valentine's is one of the busiest times of the year in floristry, second only to Mother's Day. When I go into the marketplace cooler on a regular day, I would expect there to be around half of the product as you see in the photos.
And one last thing to remember, is that the photos I'm showing you, only show a small portion of the flowers for Valentine's Day as there are a huge volume of orders that goes through their early morning auctions. Those are for large scale buyers, so not me. Maybe one day though!
In addition to all of the cut flowers and greens that they have, you'll be able to find a large selection of indoor plants. Think succulents, orchids, and tropicals - including almost every plant you could ever want...the selection is great! Check out these videos as I walk through the main plant area.
Like this content? I can definitely do a deeper dive into the behind the scenes.
Thanks for following along and for reading! If you haven't yet, please order your flowers for Valentine's Day!