Flower News: November’s Articles and Blogs of Interest from Around the World

Power Up Your Protea

With alluring colors, exotic shapes and rugged woody stems, proteas are the new ‘it’ bloom. The family tree originates in South Africa and these blooms are vibrant and hardy. Vase life is always a concern for flower farmers, wholesalers, florists and consumers. Proteas have a reputation for having a long vase life, and they do, but even most resilient cut flowers will not last if they do not receive proper care.

Farmers see proteas when they are at their best - in the field on the bush! Once harvested, proteas slowly start deteriorating. It's slowing down that waning process that makes all the difference!

Read more here.
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Australian native flower industry looking for growers
to stock booming local, international markets

As demand for native flowers booms across Australia, the flower industry is lobbying for new players to enter so they can reclaim sales into their lucrative export markets.

With wedding and event trends favouring natives and florists pushing the product, demand is at levels not seen since before the global financial crisis. According to Flowers Australia, sales have increased five-fold since 2010 and the industry is now worth about $350 million.

It has brought smiles back to growers who have stayed in the industry through tough times.

But there are challenges ahead.

Renewed demand is now being driven by domestic consumers and as export markets like Japan look to source from Australia, growers are concerned about lack of supply.

Read more here.

See more here.

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Petal It Forward Generates 90 Million
Consumer Impressions

The hits keep coming for the Society of American Florists’ 2018 Petal It Forward. This year’s initiative didn’t just create goodwill and good feelings around the country — it’s also generated 90 million consumer impressions and counting, including high-profile placement in national publications and on highly trafficked websites and social media pages.

Among the biggest hits? An upbeat one-minute video compilation of the day, created by the team at USA Today’s Humankind Facebook channel from video footage provided to SAF by local member participants. The video, titled “Unexpected gifts bring strangers joy” had more than 400,000 views at press time.

Read more here.