Pruning Shrubs: How to Use Them in Floral Design (And Profit, Too!)
Have you ever thought about growing your own greenery for flower arrangements? Or perhaps how to make money growing plants at home? (Yes, you can profit off of those shrubs in your backyard as a floral designer!)
The American Grown flowers movement has picked up steam and tons of support. The phrase “buying American grown flowers and greenery is always in season” strikes me more during this Covid-19 pandemic.
It got me thinking: Maybe floral designers and floral shops could benefit by growing more flowers and foliage/greenery to meet the needs of smaller intimate gatherings and daily deliveries. As stay-home orders are lifted and we slowly go back to our work, we have all faced obstacles and have needed to become more creative and problem-solving in sourcing and supply.
Using what is growing in our own backyards, woods, and gardens can help provide some solutions and increase profits. Local greenery is a fantastic complement to the gorgeous blooms of local flower farmers. Setting new goals of reducing waste, working in sustainable ways, and enjoying more of what is right in your backyard or fields could be profitable. Shrub care, which includes timely pruning, produces cuttings that are readily available to support your business sustainably. Here are a few of my favorite pruning tools:
Felco #2 hand pruners
Long handled (adjustable) craftsmen loppers
Pole pruner
Tree saw
Pruning for profitability can fit in with design and seasonal arrangement plans, but there can be a lot of questions: How might you do that? And why? Is it worth the time and effort? What is growing right in your area that could be the supporting pieces for your floral design? Maybe growing greens and fillers is not an option for you, so how do you source more locally grown or source American grown product in the same way you source more locally grown flowers?
Shrub Pruning tips
There is a season for everything under the sun! Coming out of winter, many things need to be pruned, and the flowers and clippings find their way into spring and summer arrangements. Camellias, lilacs, azaleas, and forsythia need to be pruned and are fantastic greens that hold up well. Going after those gorgeous long, arching pieces of forsythia, once the new tender growth has hardened, is great for arbors and large installations!
PJM rhododendrons, Pieris, cherry laurels, and weigela hold up as well. Don’t be afraid to cut a third of each shrub for use. Shrubs truly love it and will put out new growth and set buds for the next season. Your flower arrangements will have such unusual touches, and your clients will be delighted to have something so unique and special. Plus, you will be taking care of your garden and producing fresh foliage for your business use.
Learning when to prune is important. Know your growing zone and the best time to prune each shrub variety. There are so many ways to improve pruning skills. Just google how to prune—and viola!, a wealth of how-tos are available.
You might also enjoy connecting with a master gardener or taking some classes at your state’s extension office. Sometimes arboretums and garden centers offer workshops on growing and pruning that are packed full of information and hands-on experience.
Spring and Summer Shrub Greenery Options
Late spring and summer options in my area include the following varieties, but check your growing zone to see what’s available to you!
Dogwood trees
Ninebark
Abelias
Virginia sweetspire
Leucothoe
Mountain laurel
Viburnums
Butterfly bush
Spireas
And make a plan that uses hydrangeas! Limelights, pinky winky, little lambs, quick fires, tardiva, shooting star, Nantucket blues, and oak leaf hydrangeas never disappoint. These hydrangeas offer high production of blooms and carry into the fall with older flowers that look antique and dried.
Overall, be sure to read up on each variety and plant where they will thrive. Your business will benefit from having items readily available. Don’t be shy about asking local farmers and even your wholesaler to source local greens. You can even check with American Grown at this site to see if there are registered farms near you.
Autumn Shrub Cuttings
Moving into fall, the following shrubs are usually available and benefit from pruning and shaping:
Euonymus alatus (or burning bush)
Clethra hummingbird
Nandinas
Japanese maples
Crepe myrtles benefit from pruning and shaping
By pruning the above, you’ll glean foliage for interest and variety. Fall can be rich with layers of colors. Blue shadow fothergilla and Zenobi pulverulenta woodlanders give us a shade of blue in spring and summer that rivals some of the eucalyptus blues—and then turn gorgeous colors of red and orange. Make sure you know when the latest time it is to prune in your area so that the plants do not put on new growth and get hurt by an early cold spell.
Winter Greenery
Winter is abundant with greenery to use in arrangements. Here are some of my favorites:
White pine
Spruces
Hollies
Boxwood
Magnolia
All cultivars of nandina
Cedars
Gold cypress
Inkberry
Arborvitae
Wait to prune evergreens until around Thanksgiving so that the clippings can be worked into holiday wreaths and centerpieces. The red twig dogwood makes a striking addition to any installation, and berries from any of the winter shrubs add such interest. Check-in at local farmer’s markets, tree farms, and garden centers to see if they have material to give away or sell for a fair price.
Make a Plan and Do Your Research
A big help would be to make a full year’s plan for pruning covering every season and every need! If you are not a gardener or flower farmer or have limited growing space, contact landscape services in your area who might be willing to let you have the clippings from their services.
You can also research who has large pieces of property and might have smilax, wild olive, Elaeagnus, pines, hollies, trees and shrubs, bush ivy, and grasses. They might be investigating ways to use what they have to produce income for their families. Brainstorm on new ways to source greens and fillers that give your business a new and fresh look. The 50 Mile Bouquet book has wonderful inspiration, beautiful photographs, and lots of encouragement to follow the slow farm movement and the green journey.
Keep your eyes open and become more aware of what is growing all around you. Build relationships with farmers, landscape companies, garden centers, and your neighbors! Improving your profit margin might just prove that money grows on trees and shrubs!
