A Trip to the Flower District
I spend a lot of time buying things and then justifying those unnecessary purchases (just read one post from this blog), but going to the flower district a couple of weeks ago and buying my weight in flowers really takes the cake. I had never been to the New York City flower district before, and had always wanted to go. It’s that tiny stretch of block on 28th street between 6th and 7th avenues. Chances are, you’ve walked past a row of giant palm trees and didn’t realize you were even there.
You see, I fancy myself an amateur floral designer. But I’d been getting my floral supply from bodegas and the front of a Gristedes supermarket. It was always very limiting. Most selections are the same—a variety of roses, daisies, and white hydrangea-- if you’re lucky. So I thought, why don’t I go where the professionals go?
The thing is, you have to wake up really early and it’s seemingly overwhelming. How would I ask for what I wanted? What if there are professional florists and stylists there who think I am a dummy? What if I am tired? These were the questions. But then I reminded myself that it’s just flowers and the stakes are incredibly low here, so let’s just DO IT.
On Saturday night, I set my alarm for 7AM, went to bed, and prayed I’d wake up in time.
Sunday morning I woke up energized (pure adrenaline and coffee) and got on the subway. I had a general idea of what I wanted to include in my arrangement—peonies, ranunculus flowers, and some filler branches or plants. But my planning kind of stopped there. I wanted to keep an open mind. In retrospect, I think it is important to have a clear idea ahead of time and stick to it. It will save you money. Because I walked into the first shop and was surrounded by every flower I could ever want and my inner insane person emerged. If I’d had a PLAN, maybe I would have made less of a dent in my checking account.
The other thing I quickly realized upon entering the first store—Dutch Flowers—is that I had NO idea what anything costs. I’d read about shopping in the flower district of course, and all the articles mentioned how much cheaper everything is. However what I didn’t realize was what they were comparing the wholesale prices to. Prices are drastically cheaper than buying flowers at say, a florist shop, but that doesn’t mean they are CHEAP. The first thing my eye landed on was a beautiful bunch of pink ranunculus. The price tag? $35. FOR ONE BUNCH. I had also read that it’s good to first check out the selection at all the stores (there aren’t too many) and then go back to purchase. I figured this was my cue. So I looked around a bit longer and then left to scope out some other shops.
Quickly I made the decision to arrange a winter/fall hued bouquet. I sought out darker colored flowers and earthy looking branches and fillers to keep within that mood. I fell in love with a bunch of dark purple Calla Lillies and ultimately had to part with them because they were $17. The price of a really nice lunch.
After going in and out of stores and checking out prices and selections, I made my purchases. An impulse buy of pink roses put my already ballooned total over the edge, but boy did I have a great supply! Each shop wraps up your bunches with craft paper so the flowers don’t get too jostled on the way home. Since I bought flowers at a few places, I took the subway home with three huge paper bundles. I looked cool!
Once getting home, I immediately unwrapped the packages, trimmed all the stems, and put everything in water. I bought enough flowers to make two arrangements. I ended up with pink roses, bright magenta pink ranunculus, silver brunia, eryngium alpinums, and some filler branches whose name I do not know!
I started by arranging all the fillers. I wanted these bouquets to be somewhat tall and wild, so I made sure not to trim anything too much. I created the overall shape of the bouquet by sticking the branches over the sides of the vase, so that they fell outwards. After, I placed the silver brunia and eryngium alpinism. I placed these closer to the back and sides, filling in spots next to the tall branches. Finally, I moved on to the flowers. The roses came in a bunch of 24, so I had plenty to work with. I placed them and the ranunculus in the front and middle sections of the vase, varying their height. I made sure to point some of them outward, in order to mimic the tall branches and eryngium. Then, after a bit of tweaking, the vases were done. They looked great!
The bouquets made my apartment feel homey and warm. Although I definitely regret how much money I spent, it was worth the trip and experience. Next time I make the trip, I won’t go so crazy.
Here are my final tips for YOU when you decide to explore the flower district:
1. Make a plan! Decide ahead of time how many different plants and flowers you want to buy, and which kinds of flowers you’ll want in your arrangement. Have some backups in mind in case a particular flower is especially expensive. This planning will help you stick to your budget.
2. Get to the flower district before 9, but not too much earlier. Since you’re most likely not a professional florist or stylist, you won’t need to arrive at 7AM. There’s still a wide selection by 9AM, and you’ll be able to find more than you could ever need or want.
3. Feel free to ask the employees questions about prices so you’re not blindsided when you get to the cashier.
4. HAVE FUN!