Add fresh flowers to your gift list, bring them home to enjoy as well

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At this time of year, I traditionally support our local B.C. cut-flower growers by sharing the many positives of having fresh-cut flowers in our homes, especially over the holiday season.

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While doing research for a presentation about the floriculture industry, I discovered some interesting facts related to the strong connection between people and cut flowers.

Garden Media’s Garden Trends report for 2022 points out that flowers are the “new hugs,” and the giving or receiving of flowers triggers feel-good hormones. It also states that we’re just starting to understand the healing power of flowers.

There appears to be a correlation between the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and the jump in purchasing cut flowers. In 2020, the sales of cut flowers in the U.S. reached the highest figure ever of US$6.5 billion, and so far, this year’s sales of fresh flowers are 9.8 per cent higher. This increase is also reflected in B.C. Almost all trend-watchers are predicting huge, continued growth in the cut-flower market well into the coming year.

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When speaking with Bob Pringle, CEO of United Flower Growers in Burnaby and the newly formed UFI wholesale division, he indicated a similar, if not greater, increase in the sale of cut flowers. Local growers, too, are experiencing a significant rise in both local and export cut-flower sales. Obviously, in our COVID-infected world, fresh flowers have been an uplifting bright spot.

The Garden Trends report also identifies a few reasons, other than the isolation caused by COVID, for this surge in cut-flower sales. It cites Tik Tok, trendy design classes, Netflix’s Big Flower Fight and HBO Max’s Full Bloom.

The magnificent floral displays of Fleurs de Villes NOËL, recently staged in Downtown Vancouver, is all part of this current connection with fresh flowers.

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The new local summertime floral farms and flower fields in the Fraser Valley, many offering U-pick options and designer classes, have become very popular. Boutique flower businesses and their Instagram reach has really engaged the millennial generation. Today’s new concept is very much one of “create it yourself.” Both boutique and floral markets are now in the process of diversifying their flower selections to recreate more of a garden look.

At this time of year, a surprising number of folks are using homegrown or locally grown deciduous ilex berries, rose hips, hypericum, male skimmias, shrub dogwood stems and contorted willow branches, along with pine and true fir boughs, to design stunning outdoor porch pots. They’re going to boutique and mainstream floral outlets to find items, like imported blue eryngiums, hydrangeas and pampas grass, resulting in uniquely customized and personalized indoor centrepieces and bouquets made at home.

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Roses, carnations and gerbera daisies are still popular, but they’re being blended into new combinations for a more cutting-garden look.

Creating floral expressions has also become a family affair. Getting children involved is important because it offers them a great connection to creativity and art.

Spring and summer home-cutting gardens are a big part of today’s gardening scene; so too are edible flowers for baking and for drinks, like mocktails. Flowering shrubs have also become popular, not only for colour and interest in the garden, but also for their unique flowering stems, such as forsythia and pussy willows, to use in arrangements.

Purchased flowers are being combined with garden-grown flowers and plants for more personalized bouquets and creations. There’s no question that cut flowers have become very much part of our daily lives, and that’s a good thing.

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It’s interesting that over 50 per cent of all cut flowers, both in Canada and the U.S., are sold in grocery stores. Cut flowers are becoming very much part of our current lifestyle experience. More and more flowers are being sold online through Instagram, mainly by young tech-savvy folks. Leading traditional florists, too, have realigned their business models for online sales.

These are all great trends for our local growers, and it’s nice to see that we’re becoming more like the Europeans in making cut flowers an important part of our daily lives.

As we celebrate the Christmas season, add fresh flowers to your gift list and bring them home to enjoy as well.