Just because it’s summertime does not mean there aren’t more floral sales to be had. All that is needed is a little creativity to attract customers into our floral departments. Here are some ideas:

June. More than likely there is a mega produce sale planned this month and there are several ways floral can tie in with that.

• Add buckets of single-colored flowers to enhance produce displays like yellow daisies, green spider mums, or orange Gerbera daisies to match the vegetables or fruits that are on sale.

Floral design artists from around the world will present stage demonstrations at the American Institute of Floral Designers 2014 National Symposium July 3-7 in the Windy City at the downtown Hilton Chicago.

Carissa Mace, president of the Fresh Produce & Floral Council in La Mirada, CA, told The Produce News that about 225 exhibiting companies at 194 individual booths, an expected crowd of 1,500, the 2014 Floral Achievement Award, a floral design contest and a keynote address by Capt. Richard Phillips, who was hijacked by Somali pirates and held hostage for five days in 2009, are all on the agenda for the Southern California Expo in Anaheim, CA, on July 15.

“Navigating the Future” is the 2014 trade show’s slogan and it’s the year’s biggest event for the FPFC.

I am brand-new to the perishables industry (six weeks to be exact) and as my boss enthusiastically explained, attending the 2014 Produce Marketing Association Foundation Women’s Fresh Perspectives Conference in Phoenix would be my “baptism by fire” — nothing like jumping in headfirst to get acclimated to the water.

I had never been to a women’s conference, having worked for a large public company where most trainings were internal, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.

Growers, importers, wholesalers and supermarket floral centers are reporting strong sales for the April and May holidays.

Nick Fronduto, chief operating officer for Jacobson Floral Supply in Boston, summed it up when he told The Produce News, “The lingering winter in the Northeast, combined with a later Easter, resulted in softer sales in March leading into the Passover-Easter timeframe. However, sales were very robust for Mother’s Day and exceeded expectations, leading to a healthy net positive overall.”

MINNEAPOLIS — Fresh flowers and timeless art came together, here, at the 31st annual Art in Bloom event held at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts May 1-4. Presented by Friends of the Institute, over 150 floral arrangements, created by professionals and amateurs to interpret and complement pieces of visual art from the MIA’s permanent collection, were on display to more than 35,000 visitors (the highest attendance to date) — all longing for a breath of spring.