The sunflower: in the Flower Agenda from weeks 30 - 32
We are coming into some radiant weeks: from week 30 to week 32 (25 July to 14 August) - the focus will be on the sunflower. Consumers can read and discover lots about the queen of summer flowers in the Flower Agenda at Funnyhowflowersdothat.co.uk. Introduce your customers to this explosion of cheerfulness over the coming weeks.
Origin of the sunflower
The sunflower originates from North and South America. Native Americans ate the flower’s seeds with beans, sweetcorn and squashes. The sunflower’s official name is helianthus; a combination of the Greek words ‘helios’ (sun) and ‘anthos’ (flower).
The sunflower’s colours and shapes
Everyone is familiar with the yellow sunflower, but the Queen of Summer is also available in orange, brown, cream and dark red. There’s also plenty of variety when it comes to shape: there are sunflowers with large or small flowers, with a single row of petals or with multiple rings of petals. In any shape and colour the sunflower guarantees a sizeable helping of summer sunshine. With most sunflowers the head is somewhat dipped. With the upcoming generation of sunflowers the head is straight, which will make them easier to use.
Care tips for customers
Give your customers the following tips in order to ensure they fully enjoy their sunflowers.
• Select a clean vase 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.
• Make sure there are no leaves hanging in the water.
• Do not place sunflowers in a draught, in full sun or near central heating.
• Regular top the vase up with tap water, because sunflowers are very thirsty. The vase will be empty before you know it!
• Don’t place sunflowers near a fruit bowl. Fruit emits ethylene gas which will cause the flowers to age more rapidly.
A fabulous bouquet with sunflowers
Radiant sunflowers are ideal for making a bouquet shine. First create a subtle bouquet with Calla and Statice, and tie it with string. Use attractive string, because it remains visible, and then place the sunflowers around it in a big hug. Wrap a cheerful coloured piece of tape around this to keep everything together and to lend it a fun finishing touch.
Sunflower symbolism
The sunflower often symbolises the sun and love. In Greek mythology the nymph Clytia fell head over heels in love with the sun god Apollo. Although Clytia was very beautiful, Apollo did not reciprocate her love. As a result Clytia died of a broken heart, was transformed into a sunflower and therefore constantly follows the sun in order to be able to see her sun god.
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.
