Floral Program Helps Chapter’s Confidence Blossom

By Taleen HannaPublished On: February 12th, 20260.3 min readCategories: The FeedTags: career development event, CDE, floral, Floriculture, nevada, seasonal blooms, virgin valley

The Virgin Valley FFA Chapter in Nevada hones their floral design skills by providing their community with fresh, creative floral arrangements. Read on to learn more about “Seasonal Blooms,” which started in August 2024 to help prepare its floriculture career development event (CDE) team.

Seasonal Blooms

Seasonal Blooms

When you can’t find (or don't have access to) what you need to be successful, it can be helpful to create your own solution. Leading up to its state competition, Virgin Valley FFA needed a way to prepare its floriculture career development event (CDE) team members for the Nevada FFA state competition. Thus, the “Seasonal Blooms” program was born in August 2024. Now in its second year, the program includes monthly arrangements created by members that feature in-season flowers, and customers can choose between an annual subscription or purchasing individual arrangements.

Students, including Addison Tedford (above, center), create and arrange the designs, and others, including Reymond Trujillo (above, left) keep track of the orders and payments.

“It helps to practice my professionalism,” Trujillo says. “I have to answer questions and respond to customers.”

Top Quality

Top Quality

The program sources its flowers from a local floral shop and a wholesale company in Las Vegas.

“We have really worked on making sure that we give quality when people buy a product from us; that they’re not dying or falling apart,” says Virgin Valley FFA advisor Bailey Kesl. “All of our students know how to clean and process flowers, so anyone in all of my classes can help with that part.”

Bright Blooms and Smiles

Bright Blooms and Smiles

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to be able to put smiles on other people’s faces and to practice for state [career development events] and do well at state,” Tedford says.

Although she doesn’t plan to pursue a career in floral design, it’s a skill that she will take with her for the rest of her life.

“I can make arrangements for other people, too, and still be able to brighten other faces,” she says.

Personal Growth

Personal Growth

Since the start of the program, Seasonal Blooms has doubled in customers, and Kesl says she gave students more responsibilities in the program this year.

“Having the students be a part of the planning process has helped them grow with their floral skills and knowledge,” she says, and ensures the students are poised to keep the program blossoming for years to come.

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