Florist Richard Ringe can arrange a bouquet in a matter of minutes; planning the flowers for a dinner in honour of the president of Vietnam takes a little bit longer. (For this government event, he echoed the red and yellow flag of Vietnam with roses and peonies.) Ringe also prepared a dais of flowers for Pope John Paul II when the pontiff deplaned at Pearson Airport. Clearly, Ringe’s client list is powerful. And his dramatic bouquets are suitably serious or glamorous, depending on the occasion (with an emphasis on tropical blooms that keep their beauty for 10 to 14 days). Small arrangements start at $50, large standards from $125; delivery starts at $10.