'Almost Mothers Day' - a new promotion in Europe this year!

This year, The Flower Council of Holland are fronting a new sales promotion called 'Almost Mothers Day', targeted at ladies who are soon to have a baby!

The collective promotion is aimed towards Mothers Days in Holland, Germany & Belgium, together with French Mothers Day.

In many busy shopping centres machines have been installed for pregnant woman to stand in front of and look at themselves in a mirror. The machine then surprises them with a lovely bunch of flowers!

Although a nice idea, do we really need another big flower event in Europe that increases demand for cut flowers, having the effect of hiking up market prices in the UK? Maybe they will have a marketing campaign that lets the UK buy flowers at half the market price one day? - I think not!!

How The Cool Spring Weather is Effecting Cut Flower Prices

The weather in most parts of Europe, including Holland has been relatively cool & rainy of late. This fact, combined with the demand created by the Orthodox Easter in Russia & Eastern Europe and weak Euro against the Ruble and British Pound, has had the effect of keeping wholesale flower auction prices high.

The same period last year was extemely hot in Europe and prices were much lower.

The forcast over the next week or two in Holland is for more rain and low temperatures so wholesale cut flower prices are expected to remain fairly steep.

You can know add the big European Mothers Day of May 13th to this! Demand is huge for this event, so please don't expect a dramatic drop in prices until the end of May 2012.

Please call us at Triangle Nursery for quotations on your wholesale cut flower project and we will be only too pleased to help - 01255 861263

Flower & Plants Days for April & May 2012

Here are a few dates that may or may not effect supply & demand in the wholesale flower auctions in April & May 2012:

APRIL

April 1st - Palm Sunday

April 6th - Good Friday

April 8th - Easter Sunday

April 15th -  Orthodox (Russia, Ukraine, Greece)

April 19th - Secretary Day (France, Belgium, Holland)

April 23rd - St George (UK, Spain, Romania)

April 25th - Liberation Day (Italy, Portugal)

April 29th - Liberation Day (Slovenia)

April 30th - The Japanese Emperors Birthday

MAY

May 1st - International Labour Day

May 5th - Liberation Day (Holland)

May 5th - Childs Day (Japan)

May 6th - Mothers Day (Hungaria, Spain, Portugal)

May 8th - Liberation Day (France)

May 8th - Teachers Day (USA)

May 9th - Victory Day (Russia)

May 13th - Mothers Day (Austria, Italy, USA, Belgium, Demark, Holland, Greece, Japan, China, Finland, Slovenia, Switzerland, Czech Republic)

French Tulips are Back in Season!

It's always a joy to see French Tulips back in season again - they really are the best tulips in the world!

With their robust colours, tall stems and long vase life, they really can take your breath away.

French Tulips have stem lengths of up to 70cm, (more than 2 foot), and can grow another  5 inches when cut & put in water!

Because French tulips are a high end cut flower, the blooms are protected by a plastic net.

These stunning tulips cannot be compared with the short 35cm Dutch Tulips seen in most supermarkets & florist shops these days.

They are available between January and the end of April in many beautiful varieties, including some wonderful parrott varieties.

To Condition Your French Tulips:

• Trim the stems with a sharp knife
• Add flower food to a bucket of deep water
• Leave the French Tulips in the wrappers & put into the water
• Let the tulips drink in the bucket, in a cool place, for 24 hours
• Remove after 24 hours and arrange in a vase that contains fresh water & flower food
• Replemish the water regularly
• Display in a cool place for a longer vase life

TIP: French Tulips, (as with all tulips), will bend towards the light - turn the vase regularly so they don't bend right over.

Flower of the Month for March 2012 - Alliums

According to the Summer Flowers Calendar of PurE Summer Flowers Campaign, the flower for the month of March 2012 is the Allium. Every month The Flower Calendar is dedicated to another variety of cut flower - The flower for February 2012 was Trachelium.

Alliums, (otherwise known as Ornimental Onions), are available as a cut flower in many different varieties and shades of colour. Usually all alliums will have elegant, long stems with a globe shaped flower head made up of numerous small blooms.

Alliums are available on the wholesale flower markets in abundance between March and the end of June. The bloom colours range from whites through lilacs, blues and purple.

Alliums are related to onions, chives and garlic - to minimise the odour of onions - plunge into water immediately after cutting the stems!