We recently finished the season of floral design workshops in our studio, until autumn 2017 (you can find the new dates in the (web ). It's been a wonderful season, where I've met people with different levels of knowledge and passion for flowers. And I've enjoyed it immensely. And I think they have too!
Photo: Lucía M
One of the messages I place special emphasis on conveying in workshops of any level is the care that must be given to cut flowers so that they last as long as possible.
And I'll explain all of this that you'll see below, because I think it's important to know the reasons behind all this apparent "paraphernalia" ;-).
So, here it is: flowers are produced in many places around the world: Holland , Colombia , Israel , Kenya , etc. Flower producers cultivate the flower, harvest it, pack it, and ship it to different auctions and markets around the world.
The flower market world's largest is the one of Aalsmeer , in the Netherlands (can be visited , info) here ), and I highly recommend it!
Here's a video where you can see how the production process works and how the flowers are harvested:
Video: YouTube.
What is the process like from planting, harvesting and distribution of the flower, to your home?
We buy the flowers through several wholesalers who bid on our behalf at the Aalsmeer auction. Once the purchase is made in the Netherlands, our suppliers prepare our order and ship it to us in Madrid.
They travel by truck to Madrid. And it usually takes about two and a half days. They can arrive in buckets of water and/or in boxes. It depends on our preference. Since the large truck can't enter the city, small vans wait for them in a warehouse halfway there, and they transfer our order to the store.
Once we receive the flowers, we clean them. Or as the English say, "condition the flowers," which sounds rather odd in Spanish. This involves removing the flowers from their packaging (some have been in it for more than 10 days, like roses from Latin America), removing about a third of the leaves from the stems, making a diagonal cut in the stems, and immediately placing them in a clean, disinfected bucket of fresh, clean water. We then put this bucket in our refrigerator for at least 24 hours before using them.
After those 24 hours of hydration, the flowers are ready to be displayed in glass vases in our stores, to be sold.
So after all this very long process, the part that concerns you as flower buyers begins ;-), and what this post is really about: the customer enters the store and chooses the flowers they want to take home.
We prepare a bouquet for you, wrap it, and give you the instructions. To help you understand better, here's a guide on how to care for your flowers. 7 steps .
1) Most importantly: the flowers shouldn't be out of water for too long. At most, a couple of hours. And never in a car in the sun!
2) Remove the packaging without removing the raffia that holds the stems in place.
3) Choose a vase, Wash it thoroughly with soap , and fill it with water.
4) Cut all the flower stems to the desired length, using a clean, diagonal cut .
5) Put the flowers in the vase. None of the leaves of the bouquet should touch the water .
6) Place the flowers away from sources of heat and cold , away from sun and away from drafts .
7) Change the water daily . And voilà!
Depending on the varieties, the flowers should last at home between 5 and 7 days, although there are many varieties that can even last up to 10 days.
This post has turned out a bit long, but I hope you found it useful. If you have any suggestions that you think I've missed, I'm all ears.
Thanks for reading and see you around here soon! Or, you know I post daily on Instagram , Facebook and in Twitter .
XXX,
S.