Floral Moguls

Apple Blossom Floral creates art for any - or no - occasion  

By Gary Bégin
EAST WENATCHEE -- Jeanne Davis (Owner of Apple Blossom Floral) and floral designer Denise Lancaster were inducted into the American Institute of Designers in Washington, D.C., last summer, but getting that designation wasn't just a bed of roses.
Davis and Lancaster studied various floral design styles as much as any doctoral or master's degree student would study their specialties, according to Lancaster.
All that work to get the distinction of being certified by the American Institute of Floral Design (AIFD. Davis and Lancaster travelled to Seattle to get tested for the final step of the three-step accreditation process and spent four hours each creating five specific designs, unknown until test day.
The first step of the process was the application itself, which required attending an accredited floral design school and several years of practice in a retail setting such as Davis' shop, located at 192 NE 9th St. here.
Step two was passing an online written test after studying textbooks on various subjects. Finally they went to Seattle to attend an annual floral arts symposium, which is held in different cities each year.
"It creates a better resume, but also gives the shop more credibility and brings more value to the customer," Davis said.
"People want designers to have cutting edge training so we can give them the best and most modern designs," she said.
The designs must combine flowers and "building blocks" such as containers and motifs to enhance the arrangement.
The AIFD designation is "recognized internationally" according to Davis.
The entire process took about 18 months to complete and cost about $5,000, but was well worth the time and expense, said Lancaster.
Davis is proud of her shop's new prestige and posts its achievements on Florists of Facebook, among other venues.
"120 people were tested in Seattle and that included people from all over the world. Singapore, Korea, Japan, Belgium, Iceland and many others," Davis said.
Floral arrangements don't have to be given just for special occasions, but can be enjoyed by the receiver any time. Just give Apple Blossom Floral a call at 509-884-7838 and let them work their magic, aimed to please the senses on bad days and good. They can also be reached via internet at appleblossomfloral.com and email: abfbuds@yahoo.com.