Look locally for your fresh-cut flowers this Valentine’s Day

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Valentine’s Day has now become much more than a show of affection for those closest to us. It has evolved into a broader platform that provides opportunities for random acts of kindness to folks in our wider circle of relationships.

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The ongoing pandemic has created many circumstances where folks are experiencing long-term separations from friends and family. A December 2020 survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. found that 42 per cent of Americans were suffering from anxiety or depression, compared to 11 per cent pre-pandemic.

Garden Media’s 2022 Garden Trends report has a number of interesting observations to make about flowers, such as: “Flowers are the new hugs.” “Giving or receiving flowers triggers feelings of good hormones.” And, “Our appreciation for their healing powers is growing.” No wonder sales of cut flowers have soared.

We are fortunate in B.C. to have some outstanding local cut flower growers.

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I spoke with Bob Pringle, the CEO of United Flowers Growers in Burnaby, the largest flower auction in North America, and where local growers sell their fresh products three days a week, year-round. Whether buyers are wholesalers, bouquet suppliers, local florists, corner grocery stores, garden centres or large supermarkets, they all bid competitively for these floral products via electronic, simultaneously operating auction “clocks”. All these transactions are now done on computers, and the prices depend totally on supply and demand. Each auction day, in just a few hours, thousands of flowers, both cut and potted, are sold and distributed locally and into western Canada and the United States.

Pringle also helped form United Flowers Inc., one of the largest flower wholesalers in B.C. These two entities supply the vast majority of the flowers sold in this region. It is also important to know that many of our larger local growers also sell directly to wholesalers, supermarkets and floral distributors.

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“We have outstanding local growers,” said Pringle. “They’re absolutely world-class, but this is the coldest time of the year and that necessitates importing some flowers. Even though our local growers are producing Asiatic and fragrant Oriental lilies, daffodils, chrysanthemums, alstromerias, snapdragons, stocks, lisianthus, gerberas, roses and garden roses, South American countries, primarily Columbia and Ecuador, grow massive numbers of beautiful roses, carnations, mini carnations, baby’s breath, hypericum and many other exotics.”

Pringle also stated that while the carbon footprint of air freight is always a concern, there are some other very important issues to consider. Because these countries are located near the equator and grow at an elevation of 9,000 feet, very little energy is used in production. In these developing countries, flower production provides good, stable jobs. Certified flower producers also help with their employees’ education, healthcare and ability to buy nutritious food. In the big picture, these are important considerations.

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Pringle also noted that, at this time of year, we have innovative local growers producing flowering viburnums, forsythias, skimmias, pussy willows, poppy heads and rose hips. He said that during our growing season, we have an ever-increasing selection of local, outdoor grown cut flowers, from all types of sunflowers to gladiolas and dahlias, as well as many annuals from seed or vegetative cuttings. Many perennials, too, like peonies, phlox and astilbes, are now being grown in cold frames and outdoors to extend their blooming season. This increasing supply is also being absorbed in the marketplace.

Of course, on Valentine’s Day, the worldwide demand for cut flowers increases about ten-fold. Roses are still the number-one most-requested flower.

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Although roses take precedence at this time of year, Pringle is observing a trend of combining roses with poppy heads, viburnums, lisianthus, tulips, lilies, peonies and gerberas.

Our one local rose grower, Eurosa on Vancouver Island, is trialing many new European varieties, and the interest in garden roses has also been on an upswing. Lilies are surging in popularity, especially the perfumed Orientals, as are the many new, spectacularly large flowered disbud mums that last an exceedingly long time. Tulips have become the go-to flower almost on a daily basis, and our younger generation has a fascination with peonies. We’re fortunate to have Hollandia Greenhouses, a local company that is one of the best gerbera growers in North America. They are continually introducing new colours as well as smaller flowered germinis and piccolinis.

There is an ever-increasing demand for cut flowers, and we really benefit from having so many quality growers here in B.C. Cut flowers may be a little more expensive at this time because of the huge, worldwide demand right now, but it’s important to remember the value they bring to each of us, especially because of the COVID world in which we currently live. On behalf of our wonderful B.C. flower growers, this Valentine’s Day, let’s share the beauty of fresh flowers