Before this blog, we offered up tidbits of information about flower care, flower trends and what is what about flowers here and elsewhere in the world. A finger on the pulse,so to speak. Flower questions about care and handling of cut flowers are answered here.Have flower questions? This FAQ page allows you to ask questions about flowers, their season, origins, care and handling or whateer crosses your mind. Flower news from around the world. The pulse for flower lovers.A Google news services that providescontinuous updates of flower news. Reaching out to one another in emotional response to a need puts flowers at theWe're a small, small business but we reach out with flowers to help charitable causes to connect to our community. Flowers, Vancouver.An incomparable floral service for Vancouver or worldwideExotic, unusual and delightful flowers. Discriminating floral gifts. Flower selection is second to none. Creative floral design. Excellence guaranteed. Flower Links Enhance ResearchA page of flower links to help support your quick information search. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Flower Links Enhance Research" Laws to Prevent FLoral FraudUsed to be that our local Yellow Pages were infiltrated by 1-800 numbers for supposed local florists. When I did a quick check today in response to this item, I was glad to see there are only four or five that seem questionable. But that's not the same on the internet. Google for florists anywhere and thousands of entries will appear, many inside of specific area searches that are not identifiable with that area, and many with toll-free numbers clicking into someplace else. It's a form of fraud, for sure. So great for the industry that the USA is legislating this problem. Let's hope it will reach to virtual listings as well. Flower Gardens Praise FlowersInformation about gardens, garden shows and garden sites Permalink -- click for full blog post "Flower Gardens Praise Flowers" Volcanic Ash Delays Flower ShipmentsWorldwide flower shipments are being rerouted or delayed since Iceland's volcanic eruption. Not only impacting businesses worldwide as people scramble for alternate flights, the flower growers of Kenya are in big difficulty. Wiper Fluid to Manage Stem-lengthIn Bulb, a tome of a book by Anna Pavord at 544 pages, all things relative to tulips and lilies and some 600 other bulbs arediscussed. An amazing tidbit offered a way to reduce the length of paperwhite narcissus stems. You know how gangly they can get when you're forcing them at Christmas? Get this: water them with a solution of one part windshield-wiper fluid to seven parts water. SBI News:The Latest Tools for Website Building and MarketingAn SBI news feed keeps the latest web-building and marketing in plain sight. For all the SBI enthusiasts who know the possibility of this site-building platform, this is a bonus. Permalink -- click for full blog post "SBI News:The Latest Tools for Website Building and Marketing" Presidential Flowers in Lime and PurpleWith a new florist in the White House, the industry is trying to be a fly on the wall. And for tonight's state affair--November 24,2009--"The linens will be apple green and will contrast with the deep purple floral arrangements. The flowers will be garden roses, sweet peas in deep plum, purple and fuschia, and hydrangeas" according to this link. We're so pleased that our colour preferences are on the edge as our logo and brand colors are lime and purple. Flowers Top Thank You GiftsChoosing flowers as a thank you gift will put you among those who are viewed to be "Successful, caring and emotionally intelligent" according to Rutgers University research. Psychologist, Jeanette Haviland-Jones, PhD, said the findings show flowers have evolved to activate positive responses from people and that each bloom has the potential to put a smile on our faces. According to M.J. Ryan, author Random Acts of Kindness and Attitudes of Gratitude and her most recent, Adaptability, "the exchange of gifts widens our network of friends and builds stronger interpersonal connections, which we inherently desire, particularly in times of stress and uncertainty....When it comes to expressing gratitude, she believes flowers are one of the most meaningful gifts to share with important people in your life when simply saying 'thank you' isn't enough. "There is something special about giving a gift of beauty that shows truly how much you care," says Ryan. "Flowers are attractive, cheerful and are visibly displayed as a constant reminder of your appreciation." Design Experts at Toronto Floral ShowThe Toronto Congress Center is the site for floral demonstrations by expert industry professionals, October 20 - 21. Their website says to be "intrigued and amazed as you watch spectacular floral creations emerge...." In addition to presentations by Master Florists, also discover how you can create and deliver arrangements using fair trade containers and reusable or compostable cellophane. Tickets are$35 dollars for non-members and $25 for students who register by October 5th. Tickets are $50 foranyone registering at the door on Tuesday, October 20th. Canadian Academy of Floral Art Hosts GalaThe Canadian Academy of Floral Art is holding an inaugral gala event,For the Love of the Bloom in Ottawa October 17, 2009. To be held at the Canada Governement Conference Centre , the event celebrates Haute Floral Couture in support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation. The master floral artists from the Canadian Academy of Floral Art have prepared a floral fashion show. Begonias in BrusselsEvery two years since 1971, the square is covered with some 700,000 begonias put into place by 100 volunteers to create the design of a floral architect. Vancouver to Host Rose FestivalThe World Rose Festival,is being hosted by Vancouver June 19 to 21, 2009 with some 15,000 flower enthusiasts expected from throughout the world.Following the event at the Convention Center, the World Rose Convention will be held at the Bayshore, June 18-24,2009, bringing together some 800 rosarians from 40 countries. In the Heart of a Flower, EverythingPure poetry is this Vancouver educator's interaction with flowers and the sensuousness of the experience. Was pleased to find this site. "The Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh (1995), calls our interconnectedness with all things "interbeing" (tiep hien). He writes: "When we look into the heart of a flower, we see clouds, sunshine, minerals, time, the earth, and everything else in the cosmos in it. Without clouds, there could be no rain, and there would be no flower. Without time, the flower could not bloom. In fact, the flower is made entirely of non-flower elements; it has no independent, individual existence. It "inter-is" with everything else in the universe. (p. 11)" Singapore Orchids on CoinsSingapore's Vanda Mimi Palmer and Dendrobium Singa Mas orchids will grace the face of a new $5 coin in June 2007. These exotic flowers are serious business in Singapore as the island supplies 15% of the world's market for cut orchids "valued at $19.7 million in 2005." The white orchids on tables at Charles and Diana’s 1981 wedding banquet were donated by the Singapore government. With ever-mounting competition from India, Thailand, and China, Singapore's orchid growers circled the wagons and formed a business cluster in May 2003. Their goals were to spot threats to their market position, improve sales, investigate expansion overseas, and develop new "products." The PR team seems to have been doing a crack job: in 2011 Singapore will host the World Orchid Conference for a second time. APEC is Flower-Strewn EventWhen world leaders gathered in Vietnam over the weekend, November 17-19th, workers had already installed thousands of plastic flowers in roadside displays. Apparently the Hanoi Public Works Department spent some US $400,000 to brighten the streets for the event. New Orchid Found in New GuineaWith over 3,000 orchid species in New Guinea--the most species of any country--finding a new one still causes quite a stir. The World Wildlife Federation(WWF)found the orchid and seven other new species from some 300 collected during three expeditions.Some 20 more are still awaiting verification as new varieties. "The island of New Guinea is an incredible gold mine of orchids," Wayne Harris, a WWF researcher and botanist with Australia's Queensland Herbarium said. Thailand Flower Expo Celebrates KingA 92-day horicultural exposition, the longest-running of its kind,celebrates the 60th anniversary of His Majesty the King’s Accession to the Throne and his 80th birthday. Royal Flora Ratchaphruek is one of the grand celebrations being hosted by the Royal Thai Government for the world’s longest reigning monarch. One of the world’s finest tropical flower, fruit and plant expositions befitting the name, RFR 2006 will be hosted in the city of Chiang Mai from November 1, 2006 to January 31, 2007. While the majority of events are for horitculturists, florists would be most interested in the 50,000 orchid plants--over 10,000 species and the orchid park that is being built over several acres to replicated natural environments in which specific orchids originate. Dole Cuts Flower Numbers in South AmericaFickle fortunes in the flower business can be found in stock market disruptions, or a longer and hotter summer than usual, or some cultural upset, or..any number of reasons why consumers stop buying or shift their interest to other products. In the flower export world, Dole Foods announced in early November that its subsidiary --Dole Fresh Flowers -- would close all its flower farms in Ecuador and two in Colombia.As the biggest fresh flower grower in Latin America, one report said the decision to reduce staff by about one-third will impact some 2100 employees in those two countries. Apparently Dole's crop reduction will allow it to grow flowers that China and India are not competent in growing as the growth in flower production in those countries is putting the squeeze on the traditional flower producers. Columbia horticulture authorities insisted that increased US purchasing was the way out of a deteriorating industry. In a speech, the flouriculture exec said that,"While Colombia, Ecuador, Kenya, and Holland grow 83% of the world’s cut flowers, said Velez, Germany, the United Kingdom, the U.S., Holland and France buy 75% of imported all cut flowers." So, buying more flowers isn't only just good for personal health, stress reduction, and happiness endorphines in the recipients, it's good for maintaining the stability in an entire global industry. Boutonniers Boost Floral Biz on Aussie Race DaysIt's spring in Australia and florists have a captured market for their talents as the sailing derbies get underway. A special flower and colour has been designated for every event of the racing season. The savvy Australian florists have linked a flower with just about every event of the racing season. "The cornflower is de rigueur for gentlemen on Derby Day, as lily of the valley was for the Caufield Cup and the yellow rose will be tomorrow, for the Melbourne Cup." Having a signature flower for each raceday is smart, and not just because people at the track want to look good. Gamblers are notoriously superstitious and so, given the suggestion that there’s a floral good luck charm for each big race, they’re likely to spring for a bloom and wear it. A clever marketing move by Australian florists as boutonniers are a small part of most floral businesses.In Vancouver, the 2010 Olympics could be a possibility....
November 2006:florists Flowers Shape International TradeThe world's largest Dutch auctions are merging to increase their efficiency in light of devlopments in the international flower market trade. According to a report the merger should be completed by 2008. Increased competition has surfaced from India and Dubai, and China is fast growing inside this, a new industry for it. While India uses flowers for celebrations more than any other country,and has a large flower auction at New Delhi, until now there was no funding for coolers to support an auction-export industry so this new auction facility is being built at Mumbai (Bombay). But with the rituals now completed for this new venture, it's expected that the auctions will be operating by the end of the year. November 2006:international Time for Tulip PlantingIf you're tucking the last of your tulips into the garden before the frost--or the long winter rains we get here--just reflect on their wonderful history dating back to the mid-1500s. While the Dutch have a virtual monopoly on the propagation and cultivation of tulips,we forget that the tulip origianated in Turkey. The red tulip appears in Turkish designs in ceramics, in fabrics and, if you look closely, woven into their rugs. October 2006 China Aims to be Top Rose ExporterChina is steaming ahead to outdo other national rose exporters such as Thailand, Ecuador, Kenya because roses have a high cost per-pound and transport fairly easily in comparison to flowers such as carnations and tulips. According to the British report, "Depending on the time of year, Chinese roses cost as little as half the price of roses in other developing countries, excluding air freight." With 12-lane highways already under construction, the local government offering interest-free loans for greenhouse construction and refrigerated trucks being offered free or at big discounts to farm groups China intends to be at the top of the flower export market. And its monthly average owage of $25 is more competitive than other countries that pay about $100 month, resulting from political activisim. The reports says that the most serious obstacles that now stand in the way of China's drive to dominate the global cut flower export industry are international concerns about the country's business practices. Western exporters have already started complaining that the country's farmers do not pay royalties when they raise internationally registered varieties of flowers, something which could see Chinese exports blocked. In addition, concerns have also been expressed about China's violation of international trade rules, which bars the use of government subsidies to help cover the operating costs of exporters. October 2006:international
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 2006 The East African. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). Vancouver Entices US Gay Wedding MarketA Minneapolis couple were wed in Queen Elizabeth Park on October 22nd, winners of Tourism Vancouver's gay wedding sweepstakes held May 1 to June 30th. Open to residents of the United States to boost awareness of Vancouver as a hotspot for gay travel, weddings, romance and adventure of all kinds,the contest saw some 400 couples vie for the $50,000 prize. British Columbia's progressive same-sex marriage laws have celebrated gay and lesbian weddings since 2003.Couples don't need to be residents of Canada; a marriage license and a civil ceremony are the only requirements to become legally married in Vancouver. Vancouver Blossom FestivalI first jotted the website from the banners hanging above the Burrard Street Bridge. Then in the weekend Vancouver Sun, I noticed a list of blossom festivals occuring in American cities. Vancouver has a Vancouver's natural beauty and the wonderful cherry trees.For the month-long celebration, choose an Click for more info Desire for Flowers is a Human NeedAccording to a study last year at Rutgers University, the desire for flowers is hard-wired into our psyches. According to the author, Jeanette Haviland-Jones, flowers "attract birds, bees, bats to ensure pollination and propagation, so why not humans?" If we like them, plant more, they'll survive. That's the gist of an article in Canadian Florist The study indicated that not only did seniors, receiving flowers, experience less depression and score higher on memory tests than others without flowers, but the effects are cumulative. "Seniors who received bouquets two weeks in a row had the most positive scores for mood and memory." Flower trends 2006Comfort foods like chicken noodle soup and comfort flowers like those from our grandmothers' gardens are what's popular now: peonies, lilac, heather, roses. A form of floral therapy to combat the stresses of today's world.And, consumers are buying flowers to reward themselves, how great is that! Also, according to Michelle Brisebois, the Echo Boomers --children of baby boomers are into retro in a big way, even as far as knitting and crocheting popular in the '70s! Because of that, vibrant '50s colours are big: hot yellow, claret and fuscia. World's Largest FlowerFound in Sumatra in 1898, the Corpse Flower has the largest stalk of flowers---infloresence--but is not the largest single flower although it can grow taller than a man. Related to the calla the rafflesia, was discovered in Indonesia in 1818 and its five-petal flower can be more than a meter across and weigh up to 10 kilograms. I was amazed when I found this site;for fantastic photos and facts, visit this site to see the bloom grow by 1.5 feet in 10 days!
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