November 2018 – Orchids

It is all about chic orchids in November, with special guests like the Vanda, Cymbidium and Phalaenopsis.

The year’s flower agenda be the same without these elegant 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 surprise your customers with this glamorous flower’s many styling possibilities. Scroll to the bottom of the page to download your posters and find the link for simple promotional ideas.

The origin of orchids

You never ask a lady’s age, so no one can really say how old these beauties in the world’s second-largest family of plants are. What we do know is that many of the orchid’s fabulous colours and shapes originate from the tropical rainforest. The various species grow as epiphytes in the trees, on branches or twigs with their roots in the air. The orchids that can now be bought in your shop as cut flowers have been developed from these natural species.    

The orchid’s colours and shapes 

There’s and orchid to suit every style, so this beauty deserves the title for the Perfect Flower. There are more than 25,000 species in the wild, and the flower comes in impressive colours: from powder pastels to candy pink or Zen white. There are even tiger prints, cow spots and ones with stripes.

Use the butterfly-like Phalaenopsis, the vampy Vanda and the slender Cymbidium, they’re all just as beautiful as their names suggests. Many species also come in various sizes ranging from mini flowers to gigantic full blooms.  

Care 

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

• Select a clean vase or floral tube and fill it with tap water at room temperature.
• Add cut flower food (specialist orchids food if possible) to the water for a longer vase life.
• Cut or trim the stems diagonally by 3 to 5 cm with a clean, sharp knife or secateurs. Only trim 0.5 to 1 cm off the smaller flowers.
• Do not place orchids in a draught, in full sun or near central heating.
• Orchids are not very thirsty, but do top the vase or tubes up with tap water regularly!
• Don’t touch the delicate interior of the flower – the lip – in order to prevent it from wilting rapidly.
• Don’t place orchids near a fruit bowl. Fruit emits ethylene gas which will cause the orchids to age more rapidly. Orchids are very sensitive to it.

Bouquet recipe: orchids, an exotic dream

Vanda, Phalaenopsis and Cymbidium all come from tropical rainforests. They are the stars that make this bouquet. If you opt for varieties in shades of powder pinks and yellows, you can create a vintage exotic bouquet which is reminiscent of picture postcards from holiday destinations from the Fifties and Sixties.  

You will need: 

• Vanda
• Phalaenopsis
• Cymbidium
• Opulus vibernum (the red berries)
• Delphinium
• Limonium (sea lavender or statice)
• Brassica
• Carnation
• A willingness to be brave

Symbolism of orchids

The orchid symbolises pure friendship. When Brazilians give it as a gift, they give a kiss for each flower. In India the blue Vanda symbolises peace, and in China the Cymbidium represents friendship. The orchid was First Lady Jackie Kennedy’s favourite flower. Talk about elegance…

More about orchids

Consumers can also find more information at 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.

Florist’s promotional material

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

BFA_Nov_Orchid_FOTMP_Poster_1
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BFA_Nov_Orchid_FOTMP_Poster_3
BFA_Nov_Orchid_FOTMP_Poster_4
BFA_Nov_Orchid_FOTMP_Poster_5
BFA_Nov_Orchid_FOTMP_Poster_6