| Spare a thought for florists on Mother's Day
Rowland Gwynne is not going to give his mother flowers on Mother's Day. "We take care of forty,000 rose bushes but our own garden is in a state of total disrepair," he laughs. Whatever the gift, Mrs Gwynne will have to wait for it, with the Gwynne's celebrating Mother's Day a week later than the rest of Australia. Customers were already lined up early this morning at the markets, where Rowland sold over 250 bunches in just a few hours. However it is at the farm, which surrounds the Gwynne's Roleystone home, that work really gets underway with wholesaler's vans rolling up to collect thousands of flowers as they are picked, graded and bundled to be taken to florists and retailers. The flower shed is ablaze with colour from gerberas to chrysanthemums and of course, roses. While all flowers will look nice at the time, some will only last a day or two before wilting while fresher flowers will brighten the house for many days to come. "Customers come back after a week and tell us we have magic flowers," he says. "They're so impressed with how the flowers last. Look for flowers with tighter heads and fresh, bright stems for longer lasting blooms, he says. "But really your mum is going to like whatever you get her. The family business, Mary's Produce, supplies wholesalers as well as selling floral arrangements in the markets and will sell over 20,000 blooms and 30,000 stems of greenery this weekend. It's a hazard that comes with the job, with Valentine's Day celebrations postponed for similar reasons. Nor does of having bouquets of roses at his disposal prove much of an advantage as Rowland who admits he frequently forgets to take flowers to dinner parties and occasions that call for them. "The secret to buying a florist flowers is buying her favourites", says |
Tuesday, 15 May 2012
Spare a thought for florists on Mother's Day
