The Orchid: in the Flower Agenda from week 46 - 48
Let’s head towards the end of the year in style! It’s all about the classy orchid in week 46 to 48. Your customers will quickly discover in the Flower Agenda on Funnyhowflowersdothat.co.uk that this elegant beauty symbolises pure friendship. Surprise your customers with this colourful flower’s many styling possibilities over the coming weeks.
The orchid’s origin
You never ask a lady her age, so no one can say how old the stylish beauties in the world’s second-largest family of plants are. What we do know is that many of the orchid’s fabulous colours and shapes originate from the tropical rainforest. The various species grow there as epiphytes in the trees, on branches or twigs with their roots in the air. The orchids that can now be bought in your shop as cut flowers have been developed from these natural species.
The orchid’s colours and shapes
The orchid fits with every style, so this beauty deserves the title of the Perfect Flower. There are more than 25,000 species and the flower comes in impressive colours, from powder pastels to candy pink or Zen white. There are even tiger prints, cow spots and stripes.
Use the butterfly-like Phalaenopsis, the vampy Vanda, the slender Cymbidium or the Venus slipper Paphiopedilum (pronounced ‘pa-fee-oh-ped-il-um’). They’re all just beautiful as their names suggest. Many species also come in various sizes, from mini flowers to gigantic.
Care tips for customers
Help your customers to enjoy their orchids for a long time by giving them the following tips for a long vase life:
• Select a clean vase or floral tube and fill it with tap water at room temperature.
• Add cut flower food to the water for a longer vase life.
• Cut or trim the stems diagonally by 3 to 5 cm with a sharp and clean knife or secateurs. Only trim 0.5 to 1 cm off the smaller flowers.
• Do not place orchids in a draught, in full sun or near central heating.
• Orchids are not very thirsty, but do top the vase or tubes up with tap water regularly!
• Don’t touch the delicate interior of the flower - the lip - in order to prevent it from wilting rapidly.
• Don’t place orchids near a fruit bowl. Fruit emits ethylene gas which will cause the orchids to age more rapidly. They are very sensitive to it.
How to make an orchid bouquet
Let the other flowers’ extravagant colours frame the orchid and put it in the spotlight. Make it luxuriant with colours that match and clash ever-so-slightly at the same time. A mix of Dendrobium varieties, Aranthera, Mokara, Aranda and rosehips create a party in a vase. Surprise your customers with this fabulous bouquet.
Orchid symbolism
The orchid symbolises pure friendship. When Brazilians give it as a gift, they give a kiss for each flower. In India the blue Vanda symbolises peace, and in China the Cymbidium represents friendship. The orchid was First Lady Jackie Kennedy’s favourite flower. Talk about stylish…
Inspiration and information
Inspiring images of every flower in the Flower Agenda have been produced in line with the Horticulture Sector Trends 2016 (Groenbranche Trends 2016). These trends are a translation of what our consumers are interested in at the moment and are specifically aimed at the horticulture sector for use both indoors and outdoors.
If you would like to find out more about the Flower Agenda click here.
