“The Fading Fragrance: Why Floristry Is Becoming a Dying Art”
By Dalton Florist – Keeping the Craft Alive in Jackson, Missouri
A Bloom That Once Defined Celebrations
There was a time when every milestone in life—a prom night, a wedding aisle, a new baby’s arrival—was marked by the work of a skilled florist.
Floristry wasn’t just arranging flowers; it was a blend of botanical knowledge, design, and storytelling. Each bouquet carried its own meaning: red roses whispered love, lilies brought comfort in loss, peonies heralded spring weddings.
But somewhere along the way, the world shifted.
The Rise of Click-to-Cart Flowers
With the internet came convenience—and with it, order-gatherer companies and mass-produced supermarket blooms.
Instead of working with a florist who knew their craft and cared about the sentiment behind each stem, customers were funneled through online brokers.
These middlemen often:
- Take a huge percentage of the customer’s payment, leaving less for the actual flowers.
- Replace seasonal stems with lower-quality substitutions to cut costs.
- Deliver cookie-cutter designs that lack character or artistry.
The result? A slow decline in the demand for true floral craftsmanship.
A Generation Without the Craft
Fewer young people are learning traditional floral techniques like wiring corsages, building hand-tied bouquets, or designing custom funeral sprays.
These skills—once taught in apprenticeships at neighborhood flower shops—are disappearing as local shops close their doors.
If the art isn’t taught, practiced, and valued, it risks becoming another lost tradition.
What We Lose When We Lose Florists
When floristry fades, we don’t just lose pretty arrangements—we lose:
- Personal service: A florist who knows your story, your grandmother’s favorite flower, or the blooms that marked your first date.
- Seasonal and local knowledge: Understanding which flowers thrive in our Missouri seasons and last longest in a vase.
- Cultural tradition: Prom corsages, hand-tied wedding bouquets, or the solemn dignity of a funeral spray crafted by hand.
Floristry is part of our cultural fabric—woven into how we celebrate, comfort, and remember.
How We Keep the Craft Alive
At Dalton Florist, we believe the future of floristry depends on preserving both the technique and the heart behind it.
We’re committed to:
- Training young designers in proper wiring, color theory, and design balance.
- Sourcing fresh, seasonal flowers whenever possible to honor the old ways.
- Offering customized designs that don’t come off a mass-market template.
Our mission is to ensure that the next generation still knows what it feels like to hold a hand-tied bouquet made with care.
A Call to the Community
The survival of floristry isn’t just in the hands of florists—it’s in the choices of every customer who decides where to buy their flowers.
By shopping local instead of clicking on the first online ad, you help keep an 80-year-old Jackson tradition alive and support the hands that craft with skill and soul.
