Thursday, June 30, 2011

sorting






My current week consists of 4 weddings and 3 editorial photo shoots. Boxes, petals, water, vases, stems, foam, and cherry pits from my mid day snacks are everywhere.

I was in shock when the fed ex man backed into my driveway to unload his truck earlier this week. I didn't believe all of the boxes were mine, and I made him wait while I checked all the labels just to be sure. Then the same thing happened the next day. I am going through my storage rooms and emptying linens and keepsakes out of plastic boxes so that I have something to put all of these flowers in.

It is funny to think about all the different types of packing, sorting, and groupings cut flowers go through in their lives. They are clipped, bunched, and banded in the fields, then put in plastic sleeves. Then they are sorted in buckets by type, then in more buckets as they are set aside for my order. Then they are wrapped in paper, put in boxes that are lined with foam and/or paper. The boxes are wrapped in tape then plastic ties. They are shipped to me, going through countless sorting processes though the shipping system. When they arrive to me I peel off all of the aforementioned layers, then sort (shove) them in buckets. I take them out of their buckets when the time comes, arrange them in new groupings, inside a vase. The vase goes in a box, lined with paper to make it fit tight. That box goes in another bigger box, then that box is packed in my car. I get to the wedding venue and again unpack all of the aforementioned layers to place the arrangement on the table or in the hands of a bride.

this is my life lately.
sure is pretty though...

2 comments:

  1. sounds intense & lovely
    I suppose this is how parents of small children feel in cold winters bundling & un-bundling

    ...sometimes I wish more trucks unloaded flowers at my address
    have a great weekend!

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  2. I love this post :)

    I love the thought of all the processes and people who are behind every single arrangement of flowers you create! Just beautiful :)

    As a jeweller this is also relevant to my work, the processes and people who help metal and stones get into my hands and become what they become - I guess I have never really thought that must about it. So thanks! :)

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