Cut Flowers for Florists
Cut Flowers for Florists
Wholesale Cut Flowers - From the Dutch Auction to the Florist Shop
Floristry is more than just a craft. It is an art that expresses love and brings smiles to faces. However, a successful florist shop requires more than just creative and artisanal skills. It is crucial for a successful florist to always have fresh and high-quality cut flowers available. In this post, we will explore how cut flowers travel from nurseries and the Dutch auction to the local florist shop.
Wholesale Cut Flower Business at Company Contrast
At Contrast, we're all about wholesale cut flowers, plants, and potted plants. But what does that really mean? Wholesale is the process where flowers make their way from growers to florists through various intermediaries and exchanges - in this case, through Contrast Company. The Dutch exchange, also known as FloraHolland, plays a crucial role in this process. This process ensures that flowers remain fresh and of high quality when they reach the hands of customers.
Growers and Flower Production
Wholesale begins with gardeners who cultivate flowers on large farms worldwide. The largest nurseries are found in countries such as the Netherlands, Ecuador, Colombia, Kenya, and Ethiopia. These countries have ideal conditions for growing flowers, including climate, fertile soil, and access to water. We closely collaborate with these countries, ensuring that flowers come to Slovenia directly from nurseries without passing through additional intermediaries. One of the most important nurseries is in Ecuador, where the favorable climate and mountainous terrain allow for the cultivation of highly popular Ecuadorian roses at altitudes of up to 2500 meters. Growers employ advanced cultivation techniques, including the use of greenhouses, modern irrigation systems, and controlled growth conditions. Flowers are harvested manually or with the help of machinery when they reach optimal maturity to ensure maximum freshness after harvesting.
Transportation and Logistics
After harvesting, flowers are quickly transported to cold storage facilities to maintain freshness. Transportation is crucial, as flowers need to reach exchanges or wholesalers as quickly as possible. Flowers are typically transported by air, allowing for swift transportation over long distances. Transportation companies specialized in flower transport provide cold chains to maintain flowers at optimal temperatures throughout the transportation process. Refrigerated trucks and airplanes are equipped with advanced technology to monitor temperature and humidity, ensuring that flowers remain fresh and undamaged.
To maintain maximum freshness and quality, we also use specialized transportation vehicles at Contrast Company. Our delivery vehicles are modified and equipped with cooling technology, ensuring continuous temperature control and optimal conditions for preserving flower quality.
FloraHolland: The Heart of the Global Flower Trade
One of the most important steps in the wholesale of cut flowers is trading on the exchange. The largest and most important flower exchange in the world is FloraHolland, located in the Netherlands. FloraHolland is the heart of the global flower trade, connecting thousands of producers and buyers from around the world every day. The exchange, formally known as Koninklijke Coöperatieve Bloemenveiling Royal FloraHolland UA, has been connecting flower and plant producers and buyers for over 100 years. Royal FloraHolland serves approximately 3500 growers and 2400 buyers from the Netherlands and abroad. An outstanding fact is that the exchange handles around 100,000 transactions daily, resulting in an annual turnover of 5 billion euros.
How Does FloraHolland Work?
Both domestic and foreign growers bring their cut flowers and plants to auctions. Flowers are stored in cold rooms before the auction, where their quality is inspected. Plants are evaluated based on freshness, maturity, damage, presence of pests, and other factors. Based on these criteria, plants are classified into quality classes: A1, A2, B1, and B2. Auctions take place every day at six in the morning. Buyers sit in the hall, and plants are brought to the auction on carts. The auctioneer starts with the starting price, which decreases until one of the buyers accepts the price and buys the plants. The auction clock displays the final price at which the batch was sold.
At Contrast Company, we collaborate with several trusted suppliers who have been in the market for decades and help us ensure the highest quality flowers for our customers. Among these partners, OZ Export stands out, with whom we have successfully collaborated for 20 years. These long-standing partnerships grant us access to the best flowers, as our suppliers understand our high standards and share our commitment to quality. By continuously collaborating with reliable suppliers, we can guarantee the freshness and superior quality of flowers that satisfy even the most demanding customers.
Conclusion
The world of wholesale cut flowers is dynamic and requires in-depth knowledge of the market, logistics, and flower care. With the right approach and adequate information, you can ensure that your florist always offers the most beautiful and freshest flowers to its customers. Collaborating with reliable suppliers and selecting popular flower varieties further enhances your offerings and customer satisfaction.
At Contrast Company, we provide comprehensive solutions tailored to the needs of our customers, ensuring that they meet the desires of all their customers - whether it's a wedding arrangement, wreath, hotel decoration, or anything else. We take care of everything so that your customers can enjoy the beauty of flowers to the fullest.