Passionflower Sue's Resources
I'm excited to share with you my most comprehensive list of resources, including business tools & applications, books, podcasts, templates, tools & supplies, floral resources, AND MORE...
Upcoming Events & Challenges
These are some upcoming events and challenges I want to share with you.
#ILOVEFLORISTS
I’m starting the hashtag #iloveflorists to highlight people who are offering sustainably-minded, low waste, solution-based information out of a LOVE and RESPECT for florists and floristry.
People who are driven to participate in the betterment and advancement of our industry in a welcoming, connection-focused way. People who recognize that this is a rich art form worthy of reverence.
I’d love this hashtag to take on a life of its own and be a place where people can scroll and receive practical solutions that they can implement now. A place that people can visit and leave feeling empowered, informed, and encouraged.
International Floral Design School, Holland
Upcoming Design Courses and Master Classes
Theo Boerma Cup 2024 | September 6, 2024
Flowerstock 2024
October 13 - 15, 2024 | Waterford, VA
Flowerstock is a two-day (3-night) event hosted by Holly Chapple at the stunning Hope Farm in Waterford, Virginia, and is designed to be full of inspiring and energizing creative enthusiasm!
Madrid Blooms
February 20 - 22, 2025
MADRID BLOOMS is an event that celebrates the artistry of floral design, showcasing the latest trends and techniques from the world of flowers.
Madrid Flower School and Flower House are collaborating on the organization of an event that promises to be a turning point in European floral design. For the first time, eight esteemed designers from Spain, America, and Europe will be sharing their knowledge through workshops and demonstrations.
AIFD 2025 Symposium "Reflection"
July 12 - 15, 2025 | Palm Springs, FL
- World-Class Designers
- Cutting Edge Marketing
- Business Focused Programs
- Interactive Immersive Workshop Experiences
Slow Flower Summit
2025 dates to be announced on September 1, 2024
The Slow Flowers Summit is a conference for creative professionals, thought leaders and pioneering voices in the progressive Slow Flowers community. Designed to stimulate curiosity, examine conventional assumptions and explore conscious and ethical practices in the floral industry, the Summit agenda asks speakers and audience members alike to inquire, inform, include, instigate and inspire.
Founder of the Slow Flowers Society, Debra Prinzing developed the Slow Flowers Summit as a live, interactive gathering to take place during American Flowers Week.
Become a member of Slow Flowers for as little as $99 annually and take advantage of Member pricing! Visit slowflowers.com to learn more.
Business Tools & Apps
These are business tools and applications that I am currently using (or have used) in my own business.
HoneyBook
Manage projects, book clients, send invoices, and get paid - all on HoneyBook.
Get 20% off for one year
Creative Law Shop®
Legal documents, contracts, etc.
MARCH sale!
25% off everything (ends March 4th at midnight)
PLUS...
Receive 10% with my code: PFSUE10
EveryStem
Florist software that helps you prevent pricing errors and end overbuying.
Receive one free month of service (when you create your EveryStem account) with my code: passionflowersue
NOTE: Monthly members pay for their 1st month when they join and receive their 2nd month free. Annual members will get a free month added-on to their membership. They pay for 10 months up front and get 13 months of service with this code.
Details Flowers Software
A platform specifically designed to help florists and designers do more and earn more.
The app streamlines proposals, ensures profitability through careful attention to each arrangement, and simplifies the payment process.
Canva Pro
Graphic design platform used to create social media graphics, presentations, posters, documents and other visual content.
Let's Propose
Join and receive 50% off your membership with code PASSION50
With your $497 membership fee, you will receive the following:
- Proposals created at 3% of product total
- Personalized Profitability Audit
- Couple Intake Form Template
- 1 Free Recipe from our Shop
- Membership in our online community
- 3 Expedited Charges Waived
- A 30 minute Coaching Session
Learning Resources
These are colleagues in the industry that Sue has worked with and learned from.
Alison Ellis
Flower Math is The Florist's Guide to Pricing and Profitability
* Maximize Your Profit Margin On Flowers & Supplies
* Make Generating Cash A Simple and Clear Process
* Up Your Income
* Feel Confident Quoting Weddings & Pricing Everyday Arrangements
Save $100 using my special link!
Sara Dunn
Wedding SEO Bootcamp is the only live SEO program just for wedding pros.
In just 4 days, Sara teaches wedding business owners like yourself — wedding planners, photographers, venues, florists, and more — how to make big, strategic changes to how you show up online.
Erin Benzakein
Considered to be one of the country’s most influential farmer-florists, Erin has shaped floral design trends, redefined small-scale farming, and inspired others to grow, buy, and share seasonal flowers.
Workshops, Resources, and more from Floret Flowers.
plus...
Visit Sue's Blog for more learning resources:
Podcasts
Whether I've been a guest or just a listener, these are some podcasts that I recommend.
Botanical Brouhaha
Check out Episode 2 where I was a guest.
The Sustainable Flowers Podcast
I highly recommend the interviews with Linda D'Arco of Little Farmhouse Flowers.
Book Recommendations
There are several books that I recommend, including my very own "The Art of Wearable Flowers" and "Flowers for All" -- as well as many others, including:
- Blooms
- The AIFD Guide to Floral Design
- The Flower School, by Joseph Massie
- Wild At Home, by Hilton Carter
- Urban Jungle, by Igor Josifovic
- A Year in Flowers, by Erin Benzakein
- Cut Flower Garden, by Erin Benzakein
- Color Me Floral, by Kiana Underwood
- Foraged Flora, by Louesa Roebuck
- Flower Color Guide, by Taylor & Michael Putnam
- Seasonable Flower Arranging, by Ariella Chezar & Julie Michaels
- The Art of Floral Design, by N.T. Hunter
- The Flower Workshop, by Ariella Chezar & Julie Michaels
- In Full Flower, by Gemma Ingalls
- Principles of Floral Design, by Pat Diehl Scace & James M. DelPrince
- Daniel Ost in Kyoto
- Botanical Metamorphosis, by Hideyuki Niwa & Kiyokazu Nakajima
- Whispering Flowers, by Stichting Kunstboek
- Japanese Contemporary Floral Art, by Hiroyuki Oka
- Fleur Creatif Magazine
Flowers for All, by Susan McLeary
Celebrated floral designer Susan McLeary invites you to live a flower-filled life with botanical arrangements that encourage joy and connection. Driven by the belief that flowers should be enjoyed by everyone, McLeary does away with fussy ingredient lists and impossible-to-find botanicals. Here, she reveals the secrets to making striking, joyful floral displays using just a few ingredients.
Buy NowThe Art of Wearable Flowers, by Susan McLeary
This guide book reveals the secrets to creating gorgeous floral accessories that you can wear, providing how-tos for 40 floral wearables, including an eye-catching succulent ring, gorgeous hyacinth hoop earrings, a fabulous petal necklace, and a luxurious headpiece, plus bracelets, corsages, headbands, and more.
Buy NowBook Reviews
"I'm using your fabulous book!!! It's so good and helpful. You put everything into it; no holding back. Thank you. Thank you. You are a fab teacher sharing so many things." -- Genia S.
"I did a photoshoot last month and got a few pics of me at the same time. The photoshoot features some wearables (including the one I made for myself) and I'd taken my inspo book WEARABLE FLOWERS by Passionflowersue. The photographer snapped a few with me reading." -- Althea Wiles
(photo credit: Sydney Rasch)
Supplies
These are supplies I recommend (and use) that can be purchased on Amazon:
- Panacea Products Arched Lattice Arbor, Black
- American Excelsior Aspen Wool Packing Filler
- M-D Hobby & Craft Chicken Wire
- 18" Oasis Florist Netting, Green (150 ft. roll)
- OASIS 24-gauge Floral Wire (pack of 300)
- OASIS 18-gauage Floral Wire (pack of 85)
- OASIS metallic gold wire 3.5 oz
- BENECREAT 22-gauge gold wire
- BENCREAT 20-gauge gold wire
- 14-gauge jeweler's brass wire
- 3MM Intensive Cotton Pipe Cleaners - white (300 pcs)
- bamboo wooden toothpicks
- 6" natural bamboo skewers
- extra long bamboo skewers
- Pillow Floral Cage for Centerpieces and Vases (6" wide - 2 pk)
- Slim metal headband
- 24 pieces smooth metal headbands (silver)
- headbands leaf branch bridal hair crown (gold)
- Alligator Clips
- Brooch Clip
- individually wrapped alcohol prep pads
- Floralife Quick Dip 100 Instant Hydration Treatment (1 gallon)
- Richland Oasis Floral Adhesive Tube (set of 6)
- Panacea Floral Sticky Clay 4' Roll-Green
- Sparthos Kinesiology Tape (uncut 2 inch x 15.4 feet roll)
- OASIS Green Waterproof Tape (1/2"x60yrd)
- Floral Tape - brown (1/2 x 30 yards, 2 packs)
- 4" Aquatube by Syndicate Sales - clear (bag of 100)
- Leather Grain Upholstery Faux Leather - off white matte
- Lomey Corsage Magnets (12 per package)
- Offering, Donation Buckets - black (12 pack)
- Cemetery Cones
- Syndicate Sales Clear Cylinder (4x6)
- glass taper holders
- Ubermatte paint in "crema"
- 8" taper candles
- mini beeswax taper candles
- beeswax taper candles
- swirled beeswax taper candles
Tools
These are tools I recommend (and use) that can be purchased on Amazon:
- Conair Extreme Steam Hand Held Fabric Steamer
- Gingher Inc. Fabric Scissors
- DEWALT 20V hammer drill
- Clauss Fixed Blade Straight Floral Knives (box of 10)
- Lindstrom Round Nose Pliers
- Clauss Snapper Wire Cutters with round Points
- ARS Flower Scissors
- PopSockets: collapsible grip and stand for phones and tablets
Studio Essentials
These are studio essentials I recommend (and use) that can be purchased on Amazon:
- Fibrerglass Egg Head Femal Mannequin Torso + Metal Base - matte white
- Traders and Company Spanish 100% Recycled Clear Glass Head (11.5" H)
- Baoblaz Stable Premium Head Display Stand
- LANSH Bamboo Lazy Susan (12-inches)
- Glorytec 80 Gallon Garden Bag - extra large - 4 handles (3 pack)
- Seventh Generation Paper Towels, 100% recycled paper (2-ply, 6 roll, 6 count - pack of 2)
- Seventh Generation Professional All-Purpose Cleaner
- Seventh Generation Dish Liquid Soap
Vase & Supply Websites
These are my go-to sites and favorites.
Syndicate Sales
Glassware, Aquaforms, plastics, and more... including Holly Chapple exclusively for Syndicate
Favorites include:
Holly Chapple "Pillow"
Holly Chapple compote vase
6" Demi Footed Bowl (alternative to a Strøm Bowl)
Mod Bauble Bud Vases
6" Dahlia Footed Urn
12" Dahlia Footed Urn
Florist Netting (chicken wire 12" & 18")
4" Aquatube (water tubes)
18-gauge florist wire
20-gauge 18" straight florist wire
24-gauge 18" straight florist wire
Accent Décor
Pots & planters, vases & Vessels, candles & candleholders, home accents, and more.
Favorites include:
Santorini Vase (similar to Noe Kuremoto vessel)
"Orion" compote vase
Footed vases
6" by 3" tall cube vases
Oasis Floral Products
Favorites include:
Bind-It Tape (double-sided adhesive tape)
Floratape stem wrap (assorted colors, 1/2" or 1")
Floral Adhesive (glue)
Lomey Corsage Magnet
Aluminum Wire (12-gauge)
Metallic Wire, Gold (24-gauge)
Rustic Wire
Bullion Wire
Jamali Garden
Vases, candle + holder, silk flowers + plants, garden + planters, décor + accents, floral supplies, boxwood + grass + dried, trays, holiday, and more.
Favorites include:
Footed vases
12-inch Antique Brass Bowl
Lowe's
Favorites include:
Oasis rustic wire
Oasis metallic wire (silver)
1/8" x 3' brushed brass solid round rod
twine - natural brown
hot glue gun
glue sticks
Jan's Jewels
Jewelry bases and more.
Favorites include:
1/2" stainless steel cuff
1/2" brass cuff
3/4" plain brass cuff
choker necklace
Oh Flora
Ethically & sustainably made ceramics.
Favorites include:
footed vases
Ella Compote | Washed Terracotta
Ella Compote | Beige Blush
long and low vessel
JOANN
Favorites include:
Cream Faux Leather Fabric
Miami faux leather fabric (solids)
Marine Vinyl Fabric
20 gauge wire (gold)