Fresh Cut Summer Flowers in the Wholesale Market

Introduction to Summer Flowers For Florists

Summer flowers for florists and flower shops are mainly used as fillers in mixed bouquets. Demand for mixed bouquets and field bouquets of summer flowers is expected to increase. This trend is enhanced by an increasing assortment of mixed bouquets at supermarkets and gas stations. The best time for exporting summer flowers to Europe is during the autumn and early spring, as demand for flowers is high but supply of summer flowers from Europe is still low.

Product description to Summer Flowers For Florists

Summer flowers are flowers from plants, bulbs and corms that flower during the European summer, roughly from May to September. Summer flowers are traditionally associated with garden flowers and are used extensively as bouquet fillers. The term is used to denote a diverse group of flowers that are commonly traded as bouquet fillers, but are not the main sellers like cut roses, tulips, chrysanthemums and carnations, which actually flower in the spring and summer as well. Typical summer flowers for florists are Gypsophila, Hypericum, Helianthus, Scabiosa, Liatris, Astrantia, Eustoma russellianum (Lisianthus) and many others. Most summer flowers are used in bouquets as fillers, in combination with, for example, roses, chrysanthemums or other flowers and foliage.

Flowers Available From Our Farms

Key product specifications for Summer Flowers For Florists

Quality and grading:

Cut flowers are traded in three quality groups: A1, A2 and B1, depending on the extent to which they meet the quality and grading criteria. A1 summer flowers must meet all the minimum requirements on internal quality and freshness, being free of parasites, damage, deficiencies, deviations, contamination, free of leaves in the lower 10 cm part of the stem, straight and sturdy enough to bear the flower, uniform in colour, thickness, sturdiness and bouquet volume, and properly packed. Any deviations from these requirements may result in downgrading from A1 to A2, or B1. Cut flowers that do not at least meet the criteria for B1 are not traded.

Packaging:

Summer flowers may be packaged in containers or cardboard boxes. Flowers are repacked into plastic flower containers (buckets) at the importing wholesaler. Final sales of summer flowers to end-consumers consists mainly of mixed bouquets in either plastic buckets or special containers, such as those from bouquet producers, at specialist florist shops and supermarkets. Bouquets are sometimes pre-packed in plastic or paper sleeves, and are sometimes assembled and wrapped at the florist shop.

Labelling:

When exporting summer flowers, the flowers are often loaded on a stacking cart. Every stacking cart must be accompanied by a fully and correctly completed consignment note containing information about the stacking cart. In addition, every packaging unit needs to be labelled with product and supplier information, namely:

1. Supplier number;
2. Variety name;
3. Amount (e.g. stems) per packaging unit (e.g. bucket, etc.);
4. The grading marks (Class A1, A2, B1);
5. Supplier name. 

Additional product labelling will generally take place at the auction/wholesaler or bouquet producer. During trade, some important quality labelling is necessary, including: tracking/tracing codes and GLOBALG.A.P., MPS, FFP or other identification