In North America most of our roses are grown in Columbia and Ecuador. They are cut at a precise stage and stored in a controlled environment until shipping via air freight. Here in Florida almost all our flowers go through customs in Miami. At our shop we also have contacts in Holland, California and Hawaii, but the bulk of our flowers have made a stop in Miami.
Fashion in flowers has changed over the years. Color and form change in florals, just as they do in all other forms of fashion, but flowers have also changed due to science. Genetically speaking, the rose you buy today is very different from the rose you bought just a few short years ago. Rose varieties have been developed with traits that allow longer vase life, pest and disease resistance, larger heads and many more.
Changes in transportation have also led to huge changes in our industry. Most flowers are flown from field to warehouse in just a few short days from every corner of the world. Many types of flowers are no longer seasonal. They are blooming right now, somewhere. The only thing stopping many of us from buying them is cost.
There are now thousands of varieties of roses available to the consumer. For Valentine’s Day we have ordered red, of course, but we have also ordered yellow, pink, lavender, and many others. Even a simple request for red roses from your local florist is not that simple anymore. There are hundreds of varieties of red roses, some have higher petal counts, some have been bred for longer vase life, some to open more fully. Just one grower, “Rio”, offers 12 different varieties of red roses.
Consider this Valentine’s Day asking your florist for their recommendation. Maybe they have an unexpected treasure. ‘Ocean Song” is a beautiful, fragrant lavender. ‘Queen Amazon’ is a large head, bicolor amazing rose. ‘Cherry Brandy’ and ‘Esperance’ are both cabbage style roses. Offer your Valentine a hint, maybe they have never told you their favorite rose is not red, but white. Maybe their favorite flower is hydrangea, or tulip or bird of paradise and they have never told you.
Fresh flowers enrich our lives. Our cooler is always open. Come in and choose your own. Our cash and carry prices are very competitive. Visit our store, mention this ad and we will send you home with a free rose!
