Before there were flower shops, people either grew their own
flowers in a garden, or picked them from the wild. But today’s “flower fancier’
has many different ways to acquire beautiful flowers. In this short article, we
will review the pros and cons of the various ways that consumers can purchase
fresh flowers.
Where Do Flowers Come
From?
Up until about twenty years ago, it was common to see small
businesses with a name like, “Susy’s Florist & Greenhouse.” “Susy” usually had a small facility in front
with a work bench, display cooler and cash register. When customers came in, it
was common to see Susy go back into the Greenhouse to cut some flowers for a
custom-made bouquet.
However, as land and energy costs increased, it became less
and less practical for this type of operation to survive.
Today, a large portion of the flowers consumed in the US and
almost all the roses -- are grown in the highlands of Colombia and Ecuador. The
soil is rich, there is ample water, labor costs are low, and the growing season
is 365 days long. And by non-stop jet airliner, these locations are just a few
hours away from “gateway” cities like Miami.
From these cities, the flowers are distributed to
wholesalers, large retailers and a scant handful of retail florists like the
Flower Hut, a Charlotte Florist.
Unfortunately, all these processes take time. So there is a
genuine risk that once-fresh flowers may deteriorate to the point that their
vase life is shortened – sometimes dramatically!
So… How can growers ship fragile flowers worldwide without
having them DIE prematurely?
The solution to the problem already exists. It is the reason
why we can enjoy FRESH fruits and vegetables even when they were grown and
shipped hundreds or thousands of miles from farms to the supermarket.
Cold Chain To The
Rescue!
From the moment that vegetables are picked until the time
they are purchased by the consumer, vegetables and most fruit are kept under
refrigeration. This process is cold the Cold
Chain.
It has been adopted, for the most part, by the Floral
Industry.
But… there are problems!
In order to keep flowers as fresh as possible, they must be
kept as close above freezing (32 degrees F) as possible. (Except for tropical
flowers, like Orchids, that are best stored at around 45 Degrees.)
It is potentially dangerous to store fresh flower at 33
degrees. Even a slight malfunction in the cooling system will FREEZE the
flowers. So most Floral Coolers are set to keep the flowers at about 36 to 40
degrees F.
That’s what we do at the Flower Hut, and we have an
excellent reputation for providing Charlotte Flowers with outstanding
freshness.
A broken Cold Chain
There are at least two flower distribution methods that FAIL
to maintain proper temperatures.
The first failure
is found at many RETAIL establishments that use Open-To-The-Air floral
displays. These typically maintain the flower stems at about 40 degrees. The flower heads however are nearly at room temperature! Shown below are some
actual Ryobi Laser temperature measurements that the author obtained at some
local stores:
1.
Walmart:
A. Air temperature: 78 Degrees F
B. Flower Temperature: 54 to 68 Degrees F
2.
Harris Teeter:
A. Air temperature: 72 Degrees F
B. Flower Temperature: 58 Degrees F
3.
Costco:
A. Air temperature: 72 Degrees F
B. Flower Temperature: 42 to 66 Degrees F
Clearly, if flowers are stored at these elevated
temperatures, flower life will be dramatically
reduced!
The second
failure is found with establishments like 1-800-flowers or ProFlowers that ship
in-a-box flowers direct-to-customers. With this distribution method, the cold
chain is broken – often dramatically.
That’s because delivery companies like Fed Ex and UPS do not
maintain temperature control in their aircraft, distribution centers nor their
vehicles. Even worse, if the recipient is not home, the flowers will be left at the door.
And that means that the flowers will quickly “cook” in warm
weather or “freeze” in cold weather.
Local Florists Are
Your Best Choice
Local florists, like the Flower Hut, are aware of these issues. They do their best
to maintain the cold chain as intact as possible. And FRESHER FLOWERS is
ultimately what all of us want!
For additional information, please visit the Flower Hut
website http://flowerhut.com From there, you may purchase Charlotte Flowers
from a REAL Charlotte Florist!
BUT, if you do not want flowers delivered to Charlotte,
Matthews, Mint Hill or Pineville, NC, please do NOT order from us! Take the
time to find a REAL florist in the town where you need flowers delivered. You’ll be glad you did!
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