With more and more consumers leading sustainable, organic lifestyles, we florists are having to come up with unique, environmentally friendly ways to satisfy the demand whilst still delivering a well designed, high quality product. There are lots of changes you can make in your studio, such as use woven natural wraps or natural vessels, however, a great botanical material to help you in your eco quest is definitely the Succulent; textural, versatile, eco-friendly and cost effective.

Succulents are versatile; they come big and small, many different textures and many different colours and can be incorporated into any design. For example, they can be used in a wreath to accent Hydrangea and Roses for a modern take on the traditional or they can be teamed up with Orchids and Wood for a sculptural rustic look.

The best part is, you can inform your customer when the arrangement is ready for the rubbish bin, they can take their Succulent out and put it in water or soil and watch it multiply, it’s like the gift that keeps on giving! We always have an excess of Succulents in our studio from past work, we just lay them in a pot and they multiply like crazy, so we barely ever have to buy more.

Often, we have brides request something traditional with a modern twist for their weddings, so one of my favourite floral wedding themes is teaming dusty blue/grey succulents with beautiful white roses (and a few other bits and pieces). This theme carries through from the bouquet to the reception, even to the bonbonniere if you like, which can be a Succulent for each guest! The lovely brides who have this bouquet, often take the succulents out and pop them in a pot, it’s a nice reminder of the wedding day and will last forever! (unless you kill the unkillable plant!)

Lets be honest, most corporate clients are looking to cut costs, and it always seems like the weekly flowers are one of the first things that is slashed from the budget, instead of losing your clients all together, why not offer your clients a longer lasting solution (keeping the accountant happy!). A natural vessel, such as a log, filled with beautiful Orchids, Succulents and Moss will last well over 3 weeks, be a great talking point, and be environmentally friendly.

A great eco-friendly gift idea is also a succulent wreath, made from various Mosses and Succulents. The wreath looks great, doesn’t need too much maintenance and just keeps getting better with age.

So tell us, do you currently use Succulents in your work? What is your favourite design to use Succulents in?