Fresh-cut flowers

Here is what I know about flowers:

To dry a bunch of flowers, you must tie them and hang them upside down in a dry draughty place for quite a long time.

In the fresh-cut flower industry there are two positions in which flowers are handled; lying flat and upright.

In the field they grow upright. They are harvested and put upright into buckets and trundled on trolleys to the grading shed, where they are graded for length and quality. They get to lie down in the grading shed for a short spell while they are tied and sleeved.

Then, it’s upright in buckets again, in five centimetres of water with a mild chemical solution to keep them awake. When enough of their length have assembled, they are laid flat in boxes and stacked in a cold room (2ºC, normally) for several hours before their long trip (supine) via road and air to an international flower auction.

At their destination they are removed from their beds and placed upright in exactly the same shaped buckets they inhabited before being boxed. The buckets are stacked on trolleys paraded before buyers at the auction. Thus standing, the flowers get to show off their beauty to best advantage and for best price, before being whisked away for the next stop on their travels.

Depending on where they are going, they either remain upright in the buckets and are sped off directly to a local florist, or are boxed again and fly off to another far-away place and find themselves once again rescued from the flat position, and place upright in water at the welcoming florist or flower seller.

Think about that when you buy your next bunch of flowers and carry them to one who deserves them, will appreciate them and place them in a vase upright where they can be seen.

And remember, when walking along the street, the correct way to hold fresh-cut flowers is right way up, preferably with a smile on your face. 😉

Allison