Black Girl Florists: Inspiring The Next Generation Of ‘Budding’ Black Female Florists
When the doors opened on the 195th Philadelphia Flower Show on March 2, over two hundred thousand enthusiasts flooded the gates to see dazzling displays from renowned floral artists around the globe. One of the top attractions? Black Girls Florists who made history with their debut last year as the first all Black women team to install an exhibit at the world-famous show.
Their exhibit, “United Through Our Pour,” 600 square feet of flowers of different hues pouring down and then connecting to signify unity, togetherness, and beauty, received a Silver medal for their design and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Gardening for the Greater Good Award.
Black Girl Florists is the brainchild of Valerie Crisostomo. It began as a list of Black owned floral businesses during a time of civic and racial unrest.
“Black Girl Florists started as a list of Black women-owned flower businesses in the summer of 2020, “ she explained. “With all of the racial turmoil brought to light during COVID, people and individual companies were intentionally supporting Black-owned businesses, and I wanted to make it easy for people to #ShopBlack for their flowers. As our organization grew, more florists inquired about support in different areas.”
As the women connected through this list, they found they wanted more support and more opportunities to share and grow as businesswomen. While women make up three-quarters of the profession, they earn less than their male counterparts. The business has changed, too, with online orders a shop may widen its customer service area instead of opening new shops. Many grocery and even home improvement stores now offer floral decorations, cut flowers, and plants.
Valerie pivoted to support these women florists. “Thus, our organization was born– A space to celebrate and support Black women-owned businesses in the floral industry.”
“We offer a free online listing for our Affiliate and Prime members. We also publish a bi-weekly newsletter that includes industry happenings and events. One way that we stay connected is through our Facebook group and page.”
“This is a key way to keep up with and build relationships with other Black florists. For Prime members, we also have a professional platform where all of our organization’s happenings are added. “
The theme of this year’s Philadelphia Flower Show is “United By Flowers,” and Valerie is looking forward to her team’s display. “I am thrilled to be back in Philly for the Flower Show! Last year was our first appearance and we were so thankful for the experience and the awards that we won. We truly put our all into our design of the flower barrels and indoor garden set up, and it showed. Many people came to the show to support our exhibit and expressed how much joy it brought them to see us be a part of the show. We are excited to welcome everyone back this year to experience how we are united by flowers with our beauty shop-themed exhibit.”
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society VP and Creative Director of the Philadelphia Flower Show, Seth Pearsoll, is looking forward to their display, too. “Black Girl Florist Collective’s exhibit at the 2023 Flower Show was truly a standout, and we are so excited to welcome them back in 2024 and see them bring to life a stunning exhibit celebrating unity and connectedness.”
The Philadelphia Flower Show ‘United by Flowers’ offers immersive floral exhibits, world-class plant competitions, family-friendly activities, educational offerings, and shopping March 2 – 10, 2024 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
Exhibiting at the show takes a heroic effort, with months of work in preparing before the actual on-site installation. After the design is finalized, there are sets to be constructed and flowers and plants sourced and forced to bloom at the just right moment. Watering must be considered, too, exhibits must look as fresh and pristine at the end of the show as the opening day.
“It truly is a group effort. From thinking through the design mechanics, to the selection of flowers and coming up with our theme– each of us played a significant role. It’s comparable to our role as Black florists in the industry. We all have various backgrounds that contribute to different areas in the flower industry, from retail floristry, to flower farming, to leading events and flower workshops. As individual florists our presence illuminates our role as Black floral artists in the industry.”
There’s no down time after doors close March 10. The group’s 4th annual Black Girl Florists Conference will return to Atlanta, GA in April. Members will gather to network, share resources and business tactics, and enjoy workshops and sessions to design and learn new techniques.
“It is a time of connection, networking, and design. We just have so much fun learning and designing together!”
Find a Black women owned florist, learn about membership and upcoming events at the Black Girl Florist website.
