I'm really interesting in learning the techniques of flower arranging, but I'm not sure where to find individual cut flowers. I know I can get some at a regular florist, but it can be quite expensive to go this route. Do you have any other ideas for me? One friend suggested I take a class in it and that includes the cost of the flowers, but what about later on or ongoing afterwards? Anyone try buying direct from farms or other sources?
I'm not sure about where to buy them, but had you considered growing them yourself, or buying flowers from a garden centre that you can use for your flower arranging? Alternatively, I know supermarkets that sell flowers here will sell them off really cheaply if they don't sell in a certain amount of time after they've received them. If you have any like that there you might be able to get some bunches of flowers that way that you could at least practice with.
I think it's a good idea to take a class. If you don't have any previous training in the field, you could look for an adult education type class first, to see if you are really interested once you dip your feet in and see what is involved. Those types of classes are typically lower cost than others that lead to certification, although in some cases, the adult education classes could lead to certification. I know here in the Houston area, there's a group called LLU, Inc., or Leisure Learning Unlimited, and in the Boston area, they are often run through high school night classes or local colleges/universities. If you are looking to find out prices for how much you'd be paying if you went out on your own and started a business, you could try doing an internet search for something like, 'wholesale flowers' in your area. I believe there are wholesale flower markets in many cities. I know in the Boston area where I'm from, many people purchase flowers there and then arrange and package them to sell in various places, such as outside of the subway stops.
