In May we focus on the elegant Calla Lily. This flower combines style, simplicity and cheerfulness. You truly can create wonderous creations with the Calla’s fantastic looks and styling possibilities?
​Everyone can read all about the beauties. 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 show your customers all the possibilities offered by the stunning flowers 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 the Calla
The Calla used to go by the impressive name of the Ethiopian arum lily. It originates from an area extending from South Africa to Malawi, where it grows in swamps. The areas where it grows are alternately marshy and dry. This means that the Calla is not only beautiful, but also strong.
The Calla’s colours and shapes
The Calla offers plenty of choice when it comes to colour. The flower comes in white, red, yellow, pink, purple, orange, green, black and bi-coloured. The most noticeable aspect of the Calla is the beautifully shaped spathe. This spathe is actually a petal, and emerges serenely and majestically from the stem. It’s a kind of wrap that slowly opens up until you can look deep into the heart of the plant. The actual flowers are very small and are located on the elongated spadix in the centre of the spathe.
Care
These care tips will enable the flowers to be enjoyed for even longer:
- Hold the flowers by the stem and trim the stems diagonally.
- Place the Callas in a clean vase with clean water.
- Add cut flower food to the water.
- Regularly trim the stems a little, and remove any stems that have become slimy.
- Don’t place your flowers in a draught, in direct sunlight or near a source of heat.
- Don’t place your flowers near the fruit bowl. Fruit naturally emits ethylene gas, which causes flowers to age rapidly.
Symbolism of the Calla
The Calla has various symbolic meanings. It is considered a flower of purity and sympathy, and represents beauty. The Calla is also considered a lucky flower. This dates from the Greek and Roman period. They associated the flower with festivities and enjoyment, because the shape of the bloom resembles a goblet used for drinking. Although many centuries have passed since then, the Calla has always retained this meaning.
Bouquet recipe with callas
The Calla can be styled in various ways, but we have opted for an elegant explosion of warm tones and vibrant Callas.
You will need
- Calla in shades of yellow, red and/or orange
- Orange Asclepias
- Yellow freesias
More about the callas
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 clockwise from top left 1 – 3 from bottom left 4 – 6
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