That one customer who changed how I arrange sunflowers

I used to hate working with sunflowers because they droop so fast and make a mess everywhere. Then this older lady came into my shop in Portland about 6 months ago and asked for a sunflower bouquet for her daughter. She said 'just put them in, don't mess with them too much.' I thought she was crazy but I did what she asked. She stood there and watched me the whole time, only saying to stop when I tried to strip off some of the lower leaves. After she left I realized the bouquet looked way more natural and alive than my usual tight arrangements. Now I barely touch sunflowers anymore, just drop them in with some greenery and let them do their thing. Has anyone else had a customer give you a tip that actually worked better than what you were taught?

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maxp684mo ago

Is it weird that I used to be the opposite and thought sunflowers needed all that trimming and tight packing to look right? I gotta say this story really changed my mind about things... your way of just letting them be sounds so much more natural and honest. Sometimes the best advice comes from someone who just knows what looks good without overthinking it. I bet those sunflowers last longer too since you're not stressing them out with all the handling.

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lee.cole4mo ago

Ever tried leaving the bottom leaves on? Keeps them alive way longer.

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