August 2018 – Summer flowers

Summer is associated with colour, warmth and happiness: beautiful sunny days welcome blooms Delphinium, Allium and Gladiolus.

​Everyone can read all about these summer flowers in August, the perfect month to present these flowers, so typical of this wonderful season. We at the BFA champion the Flower of the Month campaign and provide information and promotion material for Florists and interesting articles to consumers.  Our friends at The Flower Council of Holland the masterminds will be promoting the agenda on their consumer website Funnyhowflowersdothat.co.uk.

Florists: Get involved and Show your customers the lily’s remarkable qualities over the coming weeks! Scroll to the bottom of the page to download your posters and find the link for simple promotional ideas.

The origin of these summer flowers

Delphinium is a typical horticultural product of the English, French and Americans. This delightful flower has been with us ever since the gardening revolution started. The first illustration of delphinium is found in a book of the early XVII century, where it accidentally got placed within the family of the Ranunculus. Allium is a member of the Liliaceae family. These plants grow in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. The Romans initially only used the word ‘allium’ to refer to garlic, but later it became the family name for all onion crops. The family also includes chives and leeks. Gladioulus originates from Africa, was loved for its roasted root. The version we know today is not edible, but eye candy only.

Shapes and colours

Pale blue, bright blue, dark blue and lilacs, the Delphinium offers a shade of blue to suit you. You also have the choice of white, yellow, purple, red and pink varieties. The flower stem can reach a length of up to 2 meters. With a bit of imagination, you can see that the flower buds resemble dolphins. Hence the name Delphinium: the Latin word for dolphin. The flower also has parts that point backwards, which resemble a rider’s spurs, hence the commonly used name, larkspur. The long, elegant stem of Alliums carry a stylish globe made more or less of tiny flowers. There are some 300 different varieties in colours ranging from white to purple and blue, and almost all of them bloom in the summer. Gladiolus come in white, red, yellow, pink, purple, orange, cream or have multiple colours per flower. Different varieties show simple singular or double flowers, a classic long stem, or the small ‘dwarf’ version. This hero likes to rise high and show off all its colours, from late spring until well into the autumn.

Practical advice and care tips 

These care tips will enable the flowers to be enjoyed for even longer:

• Chose a high, sturdy, clean vase and fill with tap water.
• Add flower food to give the longest possible life to your flowers. 
• Cut 3 to 5cm diagonally off the stems for with a clean and sharp knife.
• Make sure there are no leaves hanging in the water (especially valid for the Delphinium).
• Do not place the flowers close to heating, in a draught, in or direct sunlight.
• Top the vase up with tap water regularly. 
• Do not place the flowers near fruit, that respire ethylene, which speeds up the ageing process of flowers.

Symbolism of these summer flowers

This summer, the force is with you! These three flowers look frivolous and happy, but actually also represents strength, protection and victory. The often blue Delphinium symbolises truth and protection (but also pleasure and frivolity), a life-long engagement. Allium was used to keep away bad luck…. and witches.The name Gladiolus comes from the Latin ‘gladius’, which means sword and symbolises strength, victory and pride. That meaning dates all the way back to Roman times. Allium victorialis represented invulnerability and victory. The ancient Egyptians often depicted onions on graves, since the layers of the onion symbolised eternity.  

Bouquet recipe

A cool country bouquet You will need

• Delphinium
• Allium 
• Gladioli
• Ammi majus (bullwort)
• Cosmea 

More about Summer Flowers

Consumers can also find more information on Funnyhowflowersdothat.co.uk

Inspiration and information

Inspiring images of every flower in the Flower Agenda have been produced in line with the Horticulture Sector Trends 2018. These trends are a translation of what our consumers are interested in at the moment and are specifically aimed at the horticulture sector for use both indoors and outdoors.

Promotional material

Posters to download in your business from top left 1 – 3 from bottom left 4 – 6

BFA_Augsut_Summer_Flowers_FOTMP_Poster_1
BFA_Augsut_Summer_Flowers_FOTMP_Poster_2
BFA_Augsut_Summer_Flowers_FOTMP_Poster_3
BFA_Augsut_Summer_Flowers_FOTMP_Poster_4
BFA_Augsut_Summer_Flowers_FOTMP_Poster_5
BFA_Augsut_Summer_Flowers_FOTMP_Poster_6