Industry News
In this section we have gathered some of the most popular information sources, such as trade journals, magazines, blogs, and association websites. Industry information is always changing. For the latest news, current issues and popular opinions, try following one or more of these sources. In addition, interacting with the websites that provide this information through commenting and asking questions may also provide you with more information.
Associations
Trade associations often publish free industry newsletters that are excellent sources of information for your business plan. Such newsletters often have articles that cover in-depth topics on business management, manufacturing practices, how-tos, and current industry news.
British Columbia Associations
United Flower Growers | The Burnaby-based United Flower Growers co-operative includes growers from Vancouver Island to east of the Fraser Valley, and supplies BC floral products to retailers and wholesalers from California to Manitoba. The co-op holds the largest flower auction in North America; order flowers through their flower marketplace or purchase direct from their growers.
BC Floral Art Society | Housed in New Westminster, the BC Floral Art Society promotes and advances floral design and art in British Columbia. They regularly hold workshops and demonstrations of floral art techniques and design, and have a mentorship program available to new members.
British Columbia Landscape and Nursery Association | The BC Landscape & Nursery Association is an industry organization comprised of over 500 BC nursery growers, landscape professionals, retail garden centres and more. They promote high standards within horticulture in British Columbia, as well as the overall relevance of horticulture to healthy stewardship and beautification of rural and urban spaces. Check out the wares of their member companies available in their Buyers Guide or conduct an Online Plant Search for a specific plant.
Canadian Associations
Canadian Academy of Floral Art | CAFA celebrates the exceptional talents of Canadian floral designers as artists, honouring and promoting their artistic achievements. They offer a student program and mentorship to those seeking to join the association and participate in its events.
Flowers Canada Growers | Flowers Canada is the national trade association of the floral industry, representing over 1,600 growers, import/exporters, and distributors of cut flowers. Its goal is to improve and strengthen the unity of the floriculture industry across Canada. They also collect and publish several resources for growers and florists alike; check out their Retail Guide and Flower University training videos.
Canadian Institute of Floral Design | CIFD is the largest independent, professional floral design college in Canada. Their intensive three-week Professional Floral Design Program provides hands-on instruction in all aspects of the floriculture and floristry industries, and many graduates have gone on to open retail stores, floral studios, and wholesale floral outlets. Take a look at their educational partners here.
Canadian Ornamental Horticulture Alliance | COHA’s mission is to advocate for and provide support for Canada’s growing ornamental horticulture industry at the national level. They achieve this goal by fighting for governmental recognition of the value and benefits of the industry and educating public servants about its environmental and economic importance. They also produce innovative research and reports on the economic impact of the industry. Read their Impact of Ornamental Horticulture on Canada’s Economy report here.
Canadian Nursery Landscape Association | CNLA is a nationwide nursery and landscape association comprised of nine provincial associations (including BCLNA) and thousands of member companies. They work on initiatives, workshops, and campaigns that contribute to a “prosperous, professional, and ethical industry valued and recognized by the public.” They produce several reports, including a summary of Pesticide Regulations Across Canada and the Vineland Innovation Reports focusing on innovation in the viticulture and horticulture sectors.
International Associations
Society of American Florists | SAF’s goal is to promote and connect a thriving floral industry by facilitating connections between industry professionals, equipping professionals with resources, and sharing relevant data and knowledge on the future of the industry. Check out their Trends and Statistics page, which includes consumer research, trends on flower imports, and more.
Wholesale Florist and Florist Supplier Association | Dedicated to the floral wholesale business and its suppliers, WFFSA aims to help wholesale florists with logistical, operational, and marketing challenges. They also have their pulse on the finger of events and news within the industry; check out their blog feed.
International Society for Horticultural Science | The ISHS promotes and encourages research and education into all branches of horticultural science. They are responsible for multiple publications and scientific journals at the cutting edge of horticultural science, including eJHS and Principles of Modern Fruit Science; investigate these original research articles and reviews here.
International Association of Horticultural Producers | The AIPH “promotes the place of plants in peoples’ lives” by hosting expositions on horticulture, providing training, and publish reports on the state of the international horticultural industry, biosecurity, and the food chain. Read their latest International Plant Health Survey, or look into their statistics on flower and plant production.
TIP: Use ASAE Gateway to Associations Directory to search for an association by name, interest area, or international geographic location (including Canada and BC). You can also search using a combination of various fields.
Magazines & Trade Journals
Trade associations often publish free industry newsletters that are excellent sources of information for business planning. Such newsletters often have articles that cover in-depth topics on business management, manufacturing practices, how-tos, and current industry news.
- Florists’ Review | Florists’ Review brings global floral industry news, events, and trends to your inbox. They publish 12 issues a year, both in print and digitally, Recent stories have included the future of sustainable floristry, freelancing, and their popular “In Bloom” column.
- The Professional Florist | Published by the Great Lakes Floral Association, The Professional Florist is packed with insightful articles, key information, educational opportunities, and essential news for anyone in the retail floral industry. They publish 6 digital issues per year, which include information and events specific to the Great Lakes area as well as designer spotlights and technology updates.
- Floriology Magazine | Published bi-monthly by the Floriology Institute, Floriology Magazine aims to strengthen and build community within the floral industry. They share innovative approaches, practical insights, and best practices for florists; every issue contains educational features, which in the past have featured foundational basics or cutting-edge designs and trends. Both digital and print subscriptions are available.
- Floral Management Magazine | The official publication of the Society of American Florists, Floral Management aligns with SAF’s mission of promoting and connecting a thriving floral industry. Topics include industry innovations, and the magazine often has special issues focused on trends and issues within the industry, such as sustainability and CSR. Subscription is free with a SAF membership, but it is possible to subscribe without the membership as well.
- Nursery Management | Published 12 times per year in both print and digital formats, Nursery Management publishes cover stories on seasonal varietals and popular types of flowers and plants used in floriculture and horticulture, as well as research into breeding plant and flower varietals. They also include sections on disease control, industry news, and a travelogue.
- Greenhouse Grower | This online subscription-based magazine represents and writes for a community of plant growers, suppliers, and industry professionals. They feature a range of reports and writing on crop development, research, and news in the broadly-based industry.
- Greenhouse Management and Production | Greenhouse Management and Production features a wide range of articles geared toward for-profit greenhouse growers and industry professionals, including feature articles on individual growers, industry trends, and Q&As about growing specific plant varietals.
- Greenhouse Canada | Greenhouse Canada is the only national business magazine published exclusively for commercial greenhouse growers in Canada. Their content focuses on issues and challenges unique to Canada’s seasons and growing conditions.
TIP: Try searching Ulrichs Periodical Directory to develop a list of important trade publications in your industry.
Consultant & Other Websites
MarketWatch - Industry Analyzer | The Industries section contains current data on Dow Jones Industry Sectors. Aggregate data as well as company-specific data is available.
PriceWaterhouse Coopers Canada (PwC) | Global consultancy firm that produces reports on the state of various industries.
Firsthand | A free source of industry information. Use the Industry Profiles to research growing industries and best industries by major, and Company Rankings and Profiles to find news, company information, and industry-specific sample professions. Basic monthly membership is free and offers access to blogs, discussion forums, and job listings.
Skilled Immigrant InfoCentre | This free resource created by the Vancouver Public Library is an online and in-person resource that helps newcomers to Canada find information to get a job, explore different careers or start a business.
Blogs, Podcasts, and Forums
Blogs
We Love Florists | This floristry resource connects florists to resources such as wholesalers and suppliers of floral materials. They also have a blog covering topics from growing your social media following as a florist to growing trends in the floral design business.
Real Floral Business | Alison Ellis knows that “floralpreneurs” often get into the business because they love styling flowers, not because they are experts in making sales or pricing arrangements. She started Real Floral Business to teach those skills and help florists run profitable businesses, both through her paid course and her free courses, and to dispense knowledge she gained over 20+ years in the business.
Floret Farms Blog | One of the United States’ top “farmer florists”, Floret’s Flower Farm Journal interviews florists about their business practices and signature arrangements and shares behind-the-scenes updates on growing flowers meant for floral design. Floret also offers workshops on design, and several free flower guides.
Green Wedding Shoes | Many florists do the bulk of their business in wedding flowers, and this blog reflects that fact, combining a keen artistic eye with the practicality of the business. In addition to collecting the eye-catching floral designs of real weddings from around the world, the blog also features engagement photos, anniversary photos, styled floral photoshoots, and more.
Greenhouse Blog | The Greenhouse Blog, from greenhouse building company GGS Structures, produces regular content that covers a variety of topics from marketing your greenhouse products to technology to floriculture tips for greenhousing.
Podcasts
Mornings with Mayesh | Yvonne Ashton and floral designer friends get together monthly to record conversations with florists and farmers. They talk about design and answer listeners’ questions as well as chatting with floral design experts. Recent guests include David Austin of David Austin Roses and Teresa J. Speight, author of Black Flora.
Slow Flowers Podcast | American flower growers, florists, eco-couture floral designers, and farmers share their journeys in making sustainable, conscious choices about how to conduct their business and their efforts to “green” the industry overall.
The Flower Podcast | The Flower Podcast features trendsetters in the floristry business, floral creatives, growers, and photographers for a holistic look at the floral industry. They also have a YouTube channel with topics ranging from processing certain types of cut flowers to
Botanical Brouhaha | Botanical Brouhaha caters to floral designers and prospective florists who want practical tips and insider information about all aspects of running a florist shop. Each week sees an interview with a new floral designer who talks about their experience in navigating the industry, developing their own unique style, and the passions and initiative underlying their design. Recent guests include Ginny Early of Enemies of the Average and Susan McLeary, aka Passionflower Sue.
The Grower and the Economist | Grower Peter Konjoian and economist Michelle Klieger team up to help small and medium growers increase profitability and meet the challenges of a rapidly transforming food and plant landscape through conversation and interview. Recent episodes have featured a discussion on the benefits of permaculture and closed-loop systems, as well as expert Keith Bemerer talking with the hosts about greenhouse designs.
Fresh Takes on Tech | Hosted by Vonnie Estes, the vice president of the International Fresh Produce Association, this podcast explores the problems, solutions, and ideas that are shaping the future of the fresh produce and floral supply industries. Recent episodes have included conversations about how robotics and AI are revolutionizing agriculture, and the organic sub-ecosystem.
TIP: As with all sources, news articles and blogs should be carefully evaluated. For information on how to evaluate your information, watch video tutorial Module Five: Using Information Responsibly.