“Flowers are so expense!”
“They (flowers) just die anyway.”
“I can just go to my local grocery and pick-up flowers.”
Yes, all the statements above are true – flowers are expensive and as living things, they will die. And also true, one can go to a grocery store and purchase flowers; the quality of these flowers many times though aren’t what one would want for their special event. Also bears mentioning, the selection of flowers is limited.
So why are flowers so expensive? Well, let’s start at the beginning. A seed, someone must cultivate, geminate, bred or otherwise develop that lovely bloom. It may take years to get that species to the place where it can be saleable.
Even before a seed or plant has been planted there is a lot of care needed from the grower. The soil must be prepared having the perfect balance of nutrients, compost and fertilizer.
After planting, hopefully, the tender little flowers will get the perfect amount of rain. If not, hydration must be supplemented – that can be quite expensive too. Then there is the pruning and nurturing of the developing buds. Ensuring the delicate blooms don’t get sun scorched, keeping hungry little pests or disease away from them (herbicides/pesticides) and a myriad of other TLC. And all this is just to ensure there actually is a pretty flower to harvest. It’s a LOT of work and takes a lot of planning and many hands to accomplish getting to harvest.
The work continues with the harvest. A worker must carefully cut the flowers from the mother plant. The flowers must then be carefully inspected and kept hydrated until time to pack the orders.
After packing, the flowers must quickly be shipped/delivered, whether to a wholesaler or your floral designer, to ensure optimal freshness for your beautiful day. As you can see there is a lot that goes into these lovely blooms even before arriving at your floral designers.
When your designer gets your flowers, the work isn’t over. The designer must continue the care to ensure the blooms are at their very best for you. When the flowers are rejuvenated following their journey, the designer can begin composing the lovely arrangements you have selected for your event; creating the bouquets, centerpieces, chandeliers, aisle arrangements etcetera that will make your vision and dreams come to life.
As you can see, it takes many hands and a lot of hard work to ensure you receive beautiful flowers. At Designs With Love we like to support growers who treat their employees well and pay a living wage. We believe we should treat others in the way we like to be treated.
Yes, flowers are a luxury; they are a thing of beauty. Flowers bring a smile; flowers tell a story. They are expensive, but I trust you now have a better idea on why they are expensive.
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