Floral Trends & The Power of Permanent Botanicals with Sarah Botchick
Vonda and Lori continue their conversation with Sarah Botchick, General Marketing and Purchasing Manager at Pioneer Imports & Wholesale — and this half is packed with practical answers: how trend reports actually get made, how to talk to a bride about mixing faux with fresh, which silk staples belong in every shop, and how to spot a real wholesale partner online.
How a trend report gets made (and why silk doesn't follow fresh)
Pioneer's trend reports come from watching trend shows around the world, following forecasting companies, a lot of honest Googling — and, crucially, their own sales data. Sarah's team plays translator: like Wall Street versus Main Street, most of us live closer to Macy's than Rodeo Drive, so they sift runway-level forecasts down to what's actually applicable for florists. And the data sometimes contradicts the headlines. Everyone is screaming bright colors right now, and Pioneer built a whole "exhilaration" collection to serve it — but in silk, mid-tones and softer colors are still what's selling, even for weddings. Vonda's theory: a permanent botanical usually lives in someone's home as decor, so people choose colors they can live with year-round, saving the screaming brights for fresh pops. Fittingly, the report's sections are named Peace, Hope, and Fun.
Talking to brides about mixing faux and fresh
Lori raises the conversation many florists dread: telling an event client that faux is part of the plan. (Terminology first, per Sarah: within the industry, say "permanent botanicals"; with a retail customer, just say "faux.") Vonda's script comes from experience — often the client is asking for something out of season, or hydrangea in 110-degree heat: "I love this look — and I'm going to suggest a combination of faux and fresh, because that's what gives you this look without compromising quality. Fresh in this bloom will not photograph well on your wedding day, and we're not risking that." You keep the fragrance and feel of fresh where hands and noses will be, and no guest will ever know. Sometimes you don't even have that conversation: at the wedding of Lori's son, the team blended fresh eucalyptus and flowers into Pioneer's cascading garlands, and the couple never knew — as Vonda puts it, clients don't need the construction details; that's the magic we make in the back. Lori's supporting tip: befriend the photographers and collect pictures of past 50/50 events, because "you can't even tell" is easiest to prove with photos. Bonus economics: the garlands can be saved and reused for the next event.
Where the faux demand is going
The application has been shifting steadily for years: from home decor and cemetery work toward weddings and events. Demand peaked during COVID — fresh supply-chain problems plus micro-weddings — and has leveled off since, though cemetery and home decor customers remain strong. Sarah's hottest tip for shops looking for new revenue: "If I was a florist, I would be going after every local restaurant in my town" for permanent floral installations — flower walls, suspended pieces, even small installs — because the demand is all over social media. And the misconception to bury: silks are not grandma's silks (Pioneer even ran a "Not Your Grandma's Silks" campaign). What grandma had should be dead; today's product shows up in dramatic installations, weddings, restaurants — and prom, where kids love faux prom rings and purse bouquets they can keep forever. Hardy silk is exactly what you want glued to a purse or worn all night.
The starter pack and the buying mistakes
Sarah's must-have list for a shop dabbling in silk for the first time: hydrangea in all three tiers — value bushes for suspended installations nobody touches, premium bushes for table arrangements, stems for bouquets people will handle. Then orchids (premium for home decor, value for flower walls), anemones for their hardiness, and greenery: ruscus and Pioneer's new smilax line — bushes, stems, cascading and regular garlands. Fresh smilax "comes in dead a lot," so faux smilax makes a perfect backup or blend. Vonda adds two: curly willow (fresh gets brittle; faux is reusable) and poppies — thanks to Wicked, people are asking, and fresh poppies are hard to get. The bulk-buying advice is simple: do buy in bulk (boxes and cases beat eaches on price), but always order a sample first. Yes, you'll pay shipping on a sample — but it beats discovering the value line isn't right for your use, and every monitor renders color differently, so check it in person.
Choosing a wholesale partner, not just a website
Plenty of online suppliers claim to be wholesale. Sarah's checklist for the real thing: they require your tax-exemption paperwork (a hassle that protects you and filters out pretenders); they stock product domestically rather than drop-shipping from a shell site — anywhere in the US should arrive within about five days, and longer usually means it's coming from overseas with customs risk; their site shows live inventory with back-in-stock dates; there's a human on the phone with access to the product who can walk to the sample room and compare colors for you; and they act as your shipping advocate — flagging when a big container order should go on a pallet instead of parcel (safer, less damage, less money) and negotiating carrier rates on your behalf. In short: you want a partner, not just somewhere you order.
Sarah's parting excitement for the year ahead: grounded installations — the next evolution after arches and suspended pieces — and that new smilax, which she fell in love with at first sight. A standard item to florists, maybe, but as she says, watching what amazing designers do with the product is the fun part.
Key takeaways
- Trend reports are forecasts filtered through real sales data — and silk trends favor livable mid-tones even when fresh is going bright.
- Sell the mix as quality protection: "a combination of faux and fresh gives you this look without compromising your photos." Keep proof photos from past events.
- Pitch permanent installations to every local restaurant in town — walls, suspended pieces, and now grounded installations are growing business.
- Starter silk staples: hydrangea (value, premium, and stems), orchids, anemones, ruscus, smilax — plus curly willow and poppies.
- Buy bulk, but sample first; and choose wholesalers who require tax exemption, stock domestically, answer the phone, and fight for your shipping costs.