Receiving a bouquet will always elicit a different type of reaction. It's quite an indescribable mix of dopamine and a boost to your softness, especially if it comes from your significant other. Regardless of the occasion—Valentine's Day, your birthday, celebrating an anniversary, graduation, or promotion, and even a pleasant surprise just because—getting flowers will make you feel like a princess (or prince, because flowers are for everyone!).
Receivers feel all this and more when accepting the bouquets, but what about the florists who arrange them? For Dilig.mnl founder and owner Samy Mallare, apart from her love of flowers, it's the fulfilling feeling of getting to help orchestrate these gifts and surprises that keeps her going.
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In an exclusive convo with Cosmopolitan Philippines, Samy shared that she started Dilig.mnl for a school project way back in 2021. Little did she know that her school requirement would gain her under 3,000 followers on Instagram and loyal customers who are ready to come to her for flower arrangement needs.
"I actually started getting into this business to pass a final from one of my Economics classes at UST. I chose this type of business simply because I love flowers." Now, Dilig is about to celebrate its fourth anniversary on February 23. We caught up with Samy about the arrangements she's done, what her best-selling ones are, and if she has any personal favorites and suggestions she has for her customers.
Everything You Ever Needeed To Know About Floral Arrangements, According To A Florist
When is the busiest time for a florist?
Since we were talking to Samy, we had the ask the burning question: is Valentine's Day (or the days nearing it) also her busiest season? "Yes, it is, with Mother's Day following behind it." Samy shared with us. "The whole Valentine's week is usually really booked and busy for us—even the days after." She added that in comparison to Mother's Day, which is only busy on the day itself, and All Soul's Day where they experience the same.
What are the best-selling bouquets and how much do they cost?
According to Samy, the best-selling flower arrangements vary per season. It is also affected by specific flower trends online. However, nowadays, her bestsellers are lilies, tulips, and chamomiles (which are often called daisies). "I think my arrangements of these flowers trend because of the way I play with colors and seek to enhance the beauty that the flowers already have on their own." Samy shared.
All of Dilig.mnl's arrangements are customized, Samy shares, which means the rate of her arrangements depends on the flowers per stem. "My cheapest arrangement is P300 and my most expensive so far has been P15,000."
How do you know what flower to include in an arrangement?
Whenever you get something custom-made, you ask the pro who is used to doing it all the time for their opinion. Of course, Samy isn't an exception to this. As a florist, she's always asked for her suggestions on the arrangements she would make. She usually bases her advice on the receiver's favorite color.
But when asked what flowers to include, whenever Samy is consulted about her preference, she says she suggests lilies a lot. "Because of its fragrance, how long it lasts, and how fun it is to watch while it blooms since cut lilies' buds still bloom as long as they're in water."
What are the most requested flowers for an arrangement?
Even with flowers, some fan favorites are popular for a reason. Similarly for Samy, the flower that is most requested to be included in an arrangement is the rose. "There's a reason it's called the queen of flowers and I don't think it'll be dethroned anytime soon," Samy says. She says the rose is an absolute classic so it's very understandable why it's also most requested.
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What are the most memorable floral arrangements?
As a florist with almost four years of experience, Samy recalls three of her past arrangements that left a strong impact on her. Her all-time favorite (so far) remains to be one of the giant bouquets she made with fresh, pastel-colored flowers. "It's my fave because of the overall cutesy vibe of the arrangement as well as the story behind it. The customer was from abroad and his girlfriend was here, but he still wanted to make her feel special on their anniversary. Needless to say, she did feel really special." Samy quipped.
Another one of her favorites was the warm, vibrant sunflower arrangement she made for a regular customer for an anniversary. Samy articulated, "As someone who loves warm colors in general, the color palette of red, orange, and yellow was a real joy to work with."
Lastly, her final favorite and special mention was a colorful tulip bouquet. "Apart from its soft selection of colors, what makes it special is the effort behind it. It was ordered by a foreign customer who doesn't speak Filipino at all but still wanted to find a way to send flowers to his girl." Samy spilled. "We were more than happy to accommodate him. From finalizing the order, finding payment methods that work, to delivering them to his person while giving constant updates."
When it comes to memorable requests, Samy had one on the top of her mind. "I've had a bunch of memorable requests, some funny, some really sad, some touching. But one of the requests I can recall was an arrangement of sinigang ingredients with a sunflower in the middle." Samy shared that it was for the customer's boyfriend who had just passed the bar exams and was her way of reminding him to eat healthily. "It was needless to say, one of the most interesting ones."
At the end of the day, even with floral arrangements, it's still the thought that counts.
When asked if there needs to be a meaning to the type of flower included in an arrangement, Samy said it all boils down to preference. Yes, you don't need to look too far for an answer for this, because it depends on who you'll be gifting it to. Whether they prefer to receive flowers with specific meanings or they're happy to just look at them because they're pretty, look no further for what you need to know. For Samy though, "the act of giving flowers itself is already meaningful." So, don't sweat it too much!
You can check out Samy's arrangements on Dilig.mnl's official Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok pages. They're mostly available online and only service Metro Manila and nearby cities as of writing. They also hold pop-up booths from time to time and are open for invites and collaborations.
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