Gardening Tips and Highlights

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Where do cut flowers

come from   

Next time you glance at a bunch of flowers, ask yourself where do they come from?  Just a generation ago, the answer probably would have been from one of a myriad of flower growers throughout the United States or perhaps from Holland.  But just as America’s taste in flowers is shifting from traditional mums and carnations to more unique specialty blooms, so has their place of origin been changing in recent years.

California is still the top cut flower producer, with Florida second for flowers and foliage.  Foreign imports dominate today’s flower market, in some cases accounting for 90 percent or more of all U.S. sales within a particular category.  It’s good for the consumer, but it’s a challenge for domestic producers.

Today, Colombia is the dominant producer of U.S. cut flowers, with roses, carnations, spray chrysanthemums, and alstroemeria among its top crops.  Ecuador takes a close second.  Both countries have exceptional climates for commercial growing, and both have successfully carved out their own niches in the most popular product segments.

 

Ecuador’s top crops include roses, delphiniums, asters, Gypsophila (baby’s breath), and mixed bouquets. Holland’s vast wealth of cut flowers have begun tapping into the American market too, exporting roughly 4.8 million stems and bunches to their southern neighbor.  Mexico, Costa Rica, and Chile are other budding flower producing nations.

To compete, domestic growers are responding by focusing more and more on specialty crops and high-end novelty varieties with new traits, such as sweeter fragrances and bolder colors.

So next time you pick up a bunch of flowers for your home or send a bouquet to someone special, consider the fact that at least some of those delicate blossoms most likely traveled halfway around the globe just for you.

You may not know whether they came from South America, Europe, the Orient, or even Africa, but you can be sure they passed through a lot of caring hands to carefully plant, grow, ship design, and deliver them to you.

 

Information from “Klein’s Newsletter”.    Autumn is already here.

 

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