Old florist told me to stop using floral foam and I fought her for weeks

A woman named Betty who's been arranging flowers since the 70s told me at a workshop in Cleveland that I was wasting my time with wet foam. Said it was bad for the flowers and the environment. I argued with her for three weeks and then finally tried a low-odor pebbled vase grid method she showed me. My hydrangeas lasted 5 days longer and now I feel like a real jerk for not listening sooner. Anyone else have an old timer give you advice that made you eat your words?

3 comments

3 Comments

mason.drew4d ago

Betty's been at it since the 70s. She knows her stuff. That green foam is junk.

martinez.paul4d ago

Ha, five days longer on hydrangeas is legit but come on, arguing for weeks about flower foam? That seems like a lot of energy for something you could have just tried in an afternoon.

rosepark4d ago

You fought her for weeks? Man, I once argued with a mechanic about tire pressure for a whole month before I finally caved and checked them. He was right, my gas mileage went up 10%. Anyway, that Betty sounds like a real gem. I still use the cheap green foam sometimes when I'm in a hurry and my flowers look like they've been through a hurricane. But that method she showed you with the pebbles, I gotta admit, it sounds way smarter than what I'm doing. Hydrangeas are the divas of the flower world, so lasting five days longer is a huge win. I guess I just hate admitting I was wrong, even when the evidence is staring me right in the face.