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Blooming business
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The trend of gifting flowers is fast catching on in the city. The attitude seems to be `if you care for someone, say it with flowers'.
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ONE OF the best ways to convey the message that you care for somebody is to send them flowers. Despite the myriad ways in which blooms are employed - to console, to woo, to cajole - they are subject to trends.
For long, flowers were reserved for special occasions. Flowers were earlier bought for Valentine's Day, Teacher's Day, birthday or weddings. Not anymore. Today, people buy flowers, and splurge on elaborate bouquets made of exotic blooms on all occasions. In fact, anytime seems to be a fine time to buy fragrant flowers.
Flowers have now become a staple on the shopping list of residents of the city. Florists too were quick on the uptake and have spruced up their blooms in a bid to cash in on the new trend. These days, it's hip to gift flowers.
"During my childhood, florist were those who sold jasmines and lotuses, going around on bicycles. They rarely owned a shop," says V. Seema, a senior officer with a private firm.
With flowers becoming an accepted gift for all occasions, florists have begun stocking blooms of various kinds - jasmines, lotuses, carnations, asters, chrysanthemums, gladioli and hybrid varieties of roses. The recent additions to floral bouquets are rare varieties such as ginger lily, baby pineapple and orchids. You name it, they have it.
"When we set up our shop 13 years ago, most of my customers would ask only for roses. But now, their tastes in flowers have changed and they are more aware of the trends in floriculture," says Aloshious, owner of Sharon. "Most customers now have a definite idea about what flowers should be used for a specific occasion," he adds.
Pradeep S. Nair, senior executive with a Multinational Corporation (MNC) at Technopark, adds, "Till recently, I could hardly tell one flower from another. These days, I travel a lot and have developed an interest in flowers. Now, I can even identify many of the rare varieties and want some of these to adorn my office."
Says Mini Sudhir, owner of Soonam Florists: "Many of my customers still prefer roses. Roses are available in different shades and sizes and most people still consider roses to be fashionable." Though many exotic varieties have found their way to the vases, the demand for roses has not waned, adds Mini.
Roses are more popular among college-goers. "I'd prefer my friend to present me with a rose on my birthday than buy me an expensive gift," says Roopa K. Thayyil, a college student. "A small bouquet can be had for Rs. 10 and a single rose bud for Rs. 5. These have many takers and students buy them to gift it to their friends, teachers and family," says Mini.
With floriculture business blooming, many accessories are available in the market to complement the wide varieties of flowers. Floral foam or floral brick, one of the base accessories used to hold the floral arrangement together, was till recently imported. These are now manufactured here and are widely used by florists in the city. Such accessories add to the beauty of the arrangements. As this is also a specialised area, the colours of flowers differ from occasion to occasion. Red roses represent strong love, which is ideal for birthdays, Valentine's Day, Father's Day, Mother's Day et al. Yellow flowers depict friendship and white is generally used for solemn occasions such as death. "Many customers prefer a combination of yellow and white for marriages and anniversaries though," says Aloshious.
The hospitality industry forms a chunk of the clientele, say florists. "The demand for flowers is at its peak from November to March," says Aloshious. Most hotels, travel agencies and restaurants take special care to spruce up their decors. "Floral arrangements are in great demand during this season. During Christmas and New Year, we do good business," adds Aloshious.
So, if you had been musing over what to buy for a friend or a cousin as a gift, buy them some fragrant blooms for a change.
AMBIKA VARMA
Photo: S. Gopakumar
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