Time was when there had been a keen ‘rivalry’ between ‘worshipers’ of freshly cut flowers and artificial ones, a clash that pitted the ‘green fingers’ against the ‘crafty’ types. There has been a kind of ‘class’ rivalry there with the cultivated flowers offered up as works of nature. Advocates of artificial flowers sold their offerings as works of art that did more than simply mimic their ‘fresh cut’ decidedly distant ‘cousins.’ Their ‘value’ lay mostly, first, in the fact that they could claim to being works of art and secondly that, by their very nature they allowed for latitude in the application of both colours and creativity.
Who’s wining the argument? Well, that’s another matter. What cannot be questioned, however, is that, freshly cut or artificial, the two have found their own niches on the Guyana Market.
If flowers have long been an all-year-round favourite (with flower shows, these days, attracting a not inconsiderable fans of those events) Christmas, unquestionably, ‘takes the cake.’ From a commercial standpoint it is artificial flowers that hold the advantage here. These are ‘manufactured’ rather than ‘cultivated’ products. This allows for just the kind of mass production that Christmas demands. Those business houses that ‘live’ largely by Christmas sales dare not seek to attract the attention of our intrepid Christmas shoppers if they neglect to ‘stock up’ on artificial flowers.
The festive season gives rise to myriad seasonal ‘pop up’ shops offering flowers for sale which events have become ‘targets’ for Patricia and her flowers.
Two Sundays ago she ‘turned up’ at a Fun Day and Pop Up Shop at the Muslim Youth Organization Ground on Woolford Avenue, Her eye-catching floral offerings included a range of flowers made of silk, presented in an assortment of floral designs, Bouquets, Centre Pieces, Head Table Arrangements and Corsages among others. While she appears disinclined to engage in comparisons, she asserts that her silk offerings allow for her flowers to ‘hold’ their fresh appearance “They do not lose their form and their vibrancy,” she says. Better still, they are ‘recyclable.’ When not on display they can be stored in plastic bags until they need to be reused.
It had been some time since she had ‘made the switch’ from the Guyana Police Force to becoming self-employed. At the time she did not envisage it being the kind of success that it has turned out to be. The business, she says, had benefitted significantly from the support of her daughter.
It was being stuck at home and the attendant boredom that had caused her to enroll at the Carnegie School of Home Economics, where she threw herself into various disciplines including Cake–Making, Sewing and Floral Arranging. It was her love for creating things of beauty that prevailed. She began making floral arrangements for relatives and friends. The opportunity of a ‘second income’ took her to becoming an Agent for Avon Cosmetics. In 2015, however, she returned to creating and selling floral arrangements.
Nor is she indifferent to the various ‘seasonal’ opportunities which her artificial flowers afford her. Valentine Day, Mothers’ Day, Weddings, Assorted Anniversaries…..all offer potentially lucrative market opportunities.
The fact of their durability, Patricia says, makes artificial flowers ‘a big seller.’ Moreover, they offer a ‘limitless’ flexibility in terms of colour and design. They allow for giving the customer exactly what he/she wants.
Christmas, unquestionably, is a bonanza season for artificial flowers. Pamela gets into the proverbial zone of colours and design. When we spoke with her she was in the process of working at full throttle. That apart, she visits offices and homes to create seasonal floral decorations. In the process she offers advice on colour and design. One advantage of the use of fabric in the creation of flowers, Patricia says, is that the creations can be given the occasional facelift.
Opting (at least up to this time) not to establish a permanent store or to pursue the street vending option Patricia has pressed social media into service to market her offerings. That apart, she puts in appearances at Pop Up Shops and floral displays, media, which, she says, have proven to be effective tools for the marketing of her services. She enjoys a high level of ‘return customers.’
Patricia Sears can be contacted on telephone number 643-4235.
