Improvements to components give permanent botanicals a designer boost

Despite the rising costs of transportation and materials due to petroleum prices, the permanent botanicals industry is seeing a welcome boost to business due to increased interest from designers and specialty stores. The recent improvements in technology and the look of floral components for more realistic flowers and greenery have brought emphasis back to permanent arrangements for many designers and high-end retailers.

"I can really see the industry coming back around," said Cast Away Botanicals owner Laurie Burke. "The flowers were not impressive for a long time and they've gotten so much better that the business is really growing and picking up with designers really using more botanicals where they were using decorative accessories to fill in for the last few years."