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Dear Preston,

My question has two parts. First, how did you become a florist? Second, I’m taking a floral design certification course and am very frustrated. The floral arrangement course is boring; we spend half the time preparing and only a short time arranging. I feel as if I’d do much better on my own. Should I quit?

Bored

Dear Bored,

I became a florist, because I needed a job. I knew nothing about floral design, but it only took a short time for me to fall madly in love with the joy of flower arranging.

Now, it’s one thing to do flowers for yourself and your home, because you love flowers, but it’s another thing entirely to do them as a career. I learned by trial and error, but that certainly wasn’t the most efficient way to hone my craft. If I could do it all over again, I would take a class to master the fundamentals of flower arranging. It may seem like you’re not doing much in your class, but any florist will tell you that working with flowers is 70% preparation and only 30% actual arranging.

I don’t know what course you’re taking, but it’s impossible for me to imagine being bored while working with flowers. Are you sure you’re in the right business? If you feel strongly that you are, hang in there. Don’t quit! If you want to be a professional florist, I promise this class will help you get there.

Dear Readers, for those of you who are florists, what floral courses did you take? Were they useful? Are you certified? Have you found that being certified helps you get jobs? Please share your experience in the comments. Thanks!

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