Flowers insolita Blog

There are three kinds of lilies available as cut flowers. They are (1) Asiatic lilies, (2) LA-Hybrid lilies, and (3) Oriental lilies. All of them are hybrids of many different species.

(1) Asiatic lilies are colorful, but the smallest (therefore least expensive) among the three. The bloom size rarely exceeds 4″ and the flowers are non-fragrant. Most cut lilies sold by mass-marketers are Asiatic lilies. Expect the vase life of 5-7 days. We don’t carry Asiatic lilies; we use LA-Hybrids instead (see below).

(2) LA-hybrid lilies are the hybrids of Longiflorum (trumpet) and Asiatic lilies. They are as colorful as Asiatic, but significantly bigger and stronger than Asiatic lilies. The bloom size is 4-6″; the flowers are typically non-fragrant. Expect the vase life of 7-10 days. In our opinion, for colored lilies, LA-hybrids are much better values than Asiatic lilies.

(3) Oriental lilies are the biggest of the three and typically most expensive. They are available in a few colors: white, pink, and pale yellow, and, occasionally, dark purple (called “Sumatra“). The bloom is as big as 6-8″; the flowers can be intensely fragrant. Unfortunately, some people are allergic to the smell. Expect the vase life of 10-14 days.

Buying tips

1) Don’t count the number of stems; count the number of buds. Don’t be fooled by cheap stem-price. Cheap lilies probably carries only 2-3 buds per stem, whereas reasonably priced lilies should carry at least 3-4 buds per stem (4-6 buds are better). Some of the premium-grade Oriental lilies carry as many as 6-8 buds per stem.

2) Look for a thick, sturdy stem. Lilies are top-heavy. Unless the stem is strong, when you arrange them in a vase, they might droop. Also, weak, soft stems often indicate a prolonged storage and/or temperature fluctuation during transport.

3) Look for healthy leaves. If the leaves look yellowish, they probably sustained ethylene damage. Do not buy them.

This is our Premium-grade Rose offering this year. Click on the picture to enlarge.

Price: $89.99 + $7.50 delivery = $97.49 (+tax)

It comes with a red Victorian vase, high-end greens, and high-end fillers. The roses are expertly arranged, 7-day freshness guaranteed.

This is ProFlower’s Premium-grade Rose offering this year (50 cm roses, 4″ shorter than ours).

Price: $69.98 + $1.93 Fuel Surcharge + $12.99 Delivery = $84.90

Note that all the ProFlower products are unarranged and shipped by Fedex or UPS.

This is 1-800-flowers’ Premium-grade Rose offering this year (60 cm roses, same as ours).

Price: $84.99 + $12.99 S&H = $97.98

This product will be pre-arranged by a florist affiliated with 1-800-flowers and hand-delivered to your home.

So actually, you are not going to save a lot by choosing Proflowers or 1-800-flowers instead of us. The major saving would be on sales tax.

We are convinced that the extra money you pay for our products, relative to ProFlowers or 1-800-flowers, are worth it. Of course, ultimately, you be the judge.

Also, please note that we do offer one-dozen, less expensive roses arranged in a clear cylinder vase for $64.99.

NAIROBI, Jan 29 (Reuters) – Violence in Kenya’s main flower growing area has hit production as workers have fled or stayed at home ahead of the peak sales period of St Valentines Day on February 14, producers said on Tuesday.

Kenya is the leading exporter of cut flowers to Europe, providing over 25 percent of stems sold there. Horticultural exports in 2007 are estimated to have reached about 50 billion shillings ($675.7 million).

Ethnic violence by members of President Mwai Kibaki’s Kikuyu group against others supporting the opposition’s Raila Odinga has spread to Naivasha town, in the main producing area of cut flowers in Kenya.

About 100 people have been killed in Naivasha, an hour’s drive north of Nairobi, and nearby Nakuru since last Thursday.

“It has greatly affected the industry,” said Martin ole Kamwaro, corporate affairs manager at leading producer Shah Agencies. “People working in the farms but living in the town are trapped.”

In Naivasha and Nakuru, Kikuyus hunted down Luos, Luhyas and Kalenjins vowing revenge for the killing of members of their community in other parts of the country.

Military helicopters on Tuesday swooped over crowds of men wielding machetes in Naivasha, firing rubber bullets as policemen tried to evacuate families from other tribes.

“People are afraid to come to work. They prefer to stay at home,” said one farm official who did not want to be named.

“I know for a fact that a lot of the smaller growers have been affected very badly.”

One Naivasha farmer said a 20-vehicle convoy of white farmers was heading out of the town, a favourite spot for settlers during British rule and their descendants after.

About 100 people have died in the last few days in the two lakeside towns of Naivasha and Nakuru, better known for their lakes and wildlife, but now deserted by tourists.

One grower, who declined to be named, said buyers overseas would start sourcing flowers elsewhere for Valentine Day sales if violence in Naivasha does not abate.

“They are trusting that things will clear up very quickly but if they don’t it is soon Valentines Day. If we don’t start shipping from this week, obviously they’ll look elsewhere,” he said.

Shah Agencies, which exports on average 450 million stems annually, said its output had not been too badly hit as 70 percent of its workers lived in farm accommodation.

“Today we have not had as much trouble as we had yesterday. Production is now on a larger scale and we are trying to cope with the backlog created yesterday,” said Hemant Talathi, chief financial officer at Shah Agencies.

Britain’s Africa Minister Mark Malloch Brown told reporters on a visit to Kenya on Monday that the killing in Naivasha was tragic, but also economically damaging.

“It was a body blow at another critical component of the Kenyan economy, flower exports. Some of the tea plantations, the migrant workers, have been similarly affected. This is hitting at the lifeblood of Kenya.”