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I found a couple of on-line wholesale supplier but since I've just started taking cuts to farmers market I don't want to sink a lot into a case of florist buckets until I build a good client base.
For anyone that does cuts for (farmers) market,what do you use for your cuts? I want something with straight sides or just a hint of a flare.I'm using regular pails from Walmart to take out to put my cut directly into as I cut them but I don't like the cuts leaning that much. I was looking at paint buckets at the hardware store because they're straight sided but too shallow.I make my bouquets up then transport them in glass vases in a big laundry basket but for safety reasons I'd like plastic containers for market. but I'd also like to offer bundles of one of a kind cuts so people can pick their own flowers to make their own bouquets too.French flower buckets would be wonderful but then we're back to case prices.
Another lady brings big sunflowers that she put's in a big square plastic tub w/ a wire egg basket turned upside down in but she drives a truck and I drive a Hinda Passport so I don't have that kind of room.
Dollar stores are a great place to get buckets. You can get some larger than the gallon paint/ice cream bucket size in nice colors too that will be alot more attractive. Grocery stores and bakeries are great places to get buckets too. You may have to clean the bakery buckets though. IIRC the icing buckets are a really nice size shorter than a 5gal and just a bit smaller. When we first started I worked in a bakery so I used lots of those!! We also took square storage tubs and cut holes in the cover. These work great for mixed bouquets as you can keep each one seperate and have fewer broken stems. then customers can grab the bouquet they want without sifting through a bucket.
trillum,
Great suggestion especially the one for the bouquet. That'd keep the presevative solution from slopping out in my Honda while transporting too.
I made flowers buckets out of some bakery pails. They held some kind of icing. I would guess around 2 gallons. They say net weight 23#.
Anyhow, I cut 8" lengths of PVC pipe, 2" inside diameter. Stand as many as fit in the pail. Put one bunch of flowers in each pipe. They stand nice & straight. I do the same for glads, but use 4" pipe & 5 gallon buckets. The ones for glads, I glued the pipes together. They liked to tip sideways.
I took small bunches of flowers yesterday. 5 or 6 stems to a bunch. One variety to a bunch.
Sold for $1 a bunch. Also took Asiatic lilies, sold for $2 a stem. I had 5 buckets full, sold out! Most people would take $5 worth. It ended up about same price as vendors selling premade bouquets.
People really liked picking their own flowers.
Bernie
Bernie,
I was thinking of taking seperate bundles of flowers to the market too. Do you offer any types of fillers (tiny flowers such as baby's breath and greenery)for them to use in making their own arrangements?
