Introduction
Have you ever wondered, where do all our fresh cut products come from?
We have a number of prestigious providers, whom we are proud to work with.
In the case of our summer flowers, our long time partner farms have harvested and provide us with the best and most colorful blooms in the market.
Since summer is here, it's the best time for these products!
We invite you to read some more about these remarkable flower farms, why are they so special and what they have to offer.
You may learn a thing or two about flower harvesting, or may even wake up an appetite for summer flowers.
The Farms - History and About
Don’t worry this will not be like a tedious high school history class.
We believe you should learn more about these farms to understand the origins and foundations of the flowers arriving at your home.
Some of these farms date from many years ago, starting as family businesses or just as smart entrepreneurships.
With the sole purpose of distributing flowers to people who appreciate and love the beauty and color of a fresh crisp bloom.
Thanks to the great advantage of climate, humidity and altitude which helps the flowers grow better, many of these farms are located in rural areas, outside the city of Quito, in Puembo for example.
But having an advantageous location is not the only variable that has boosted these farms, having fully committed teams is another main reason why these businesses have succeeded.
With many years in the business, and the growth of the market, these farms and distributors started to gain international popularity and soon enough they were sending their unique product overseas.
Due to these changes, many farms started to grow in size and their product variety as well, gaining new and unique flowers.
It's essential to fully understand how growing and harvesting flowers work, to then proceed to the exporting and delivery logistics.
These may be the most important factors to consider when working with perishables.
You don’t want to receive a moldy or damaged product, do you?
Having a fully equipped plant has been a major change in the floral delivery industry, acquiring cold rooms, heavy machinery, fertilizing equipment and a well structured know how are the specifics these flower farms executed to minimize any risk, and stay on top.
That was not bad for a 2 minute history lecture wasn’t it?
We encourage you to find more about the magnificent flowers these farms have to offer on the next sections of the post!
Experience and Land
Thanks to years of hard work, the bar was set high up when talking about flower quality.
As mentioned before the location helps in a great manner; its climate, humidity and altitude give the perfect environment for flowers to grow as flawless as possible.
That’s not all, the rare volcanic soil from the area contributes nutrients and minerals that makes flowers grow even bigger and their colors to look more vivid.
And the cherry on top, due to the equator location the flowers received constant sunlight throughout the year, for an average 12 straight hours per day (more than in every other region worldwide), since there are no seasons or schedule changes.
How does that help the flowers?
Well, receiving constant sunlight and having such a pace not only contributes to amazing flower size and color, but a year round availability of products!
Having all these advantages will not contribute to anything if you don't use them in your favour.
Meaning, if you don’t place accurately your greenhouses, perform a correct fertilization routine and procedure, or have a correct use of your cold rooms then is good as nothing.
This is the quintessential example of how experiences meets opportunity to create optimum results.
Summer Flowers
Summer flowers are known for their vivid colors and extravagant shapes.
You can find a variety of summer flowers with big exploding blooms, as you can have smaller but still magnificent blooms.
These flowers are used to grow in more humid and warmer weathers.
This is why they are not as common in certain regions of the globe where summer lasts for about 3 months and summer flower supply is limited.
Meanwhile in Ecuador, summer flower farms have a year round supply for summer flowers and are constantly exploring the existence of new summer blooms to breed and sell to anyone desiring new and interesting flowers.
If you are interested in finding more about some of the most beautiful summer flowers, we have a list of the most popular ones!
Succulents
Succulents are known for their thick shape and ability to retain fluids within their petals, stems or roots.
This is why these type of plants usually have chubby leaves and stems.
You can choose how to use this magnificent plant, whether its to decorate your living room, or to create a floral arrangements for an event.
This type of plant normally requires a very strict watering regime and has a very thorough sunlight receiving demand.
Considering this is a summer flower it is used to grow under the sunshine everyday, that is why you must be careful if its kept indoors since the light source may be limited.
When talking about their water needs, this breed needs great quantities of water but it must be in a specific way.
This includes watering your succulents in great quantities but less frequently, not enclose them in glass or other materials which won’t drain water, and there are many other specifications.
To learn more about succulent watering, the page Succulents and Sunshine has created a complete guide on how to water succulents.
There are a great variety of succulent flowers, with different shapes, sizes and colors; each of them different and with their own charm.
Some of the succulent flowers include:
Remember succulents have a long lasting vase life and they won’t lose their intense color even after many days in vase!
Alstroemeria
The alstroemeria is also known as the Lily of the Incas.
Original from South American Andes, this flower has over 50 different varieties, varying in color, bloom size, height, etc.
Widely known for their strong resemblance to a regular lily, this flower is very popular to create bouquets and other arrangements due to the beauty and detail they hold on their petals.
The alstroemeria is a picky plant to cultivate, you must be careful because any mistake you make my cause your plant to die.
Starting with temperatures, the alstroemeria can adapt to cold and hot temperatures, nevertheless extreme temperatures may instantly kill the flower.
This is why the steady temperature of the Andes and the equator give this bloom the ideal environment for it to grow.
You must be careful with the sunlight as well, too much sun is not appreciated by this flower, as a matter of fact it enjoys a calm shadow during peak temperatures in the day.
When it comes to watering, the alstroemeria must not be overly watered for its roots may rot.
Now that you have learned some more about this bloom you can think twice before trying to grow on in your backyard.
Or you may rather consider buying them from someone who after years of experience have mastered the art of cultivating alstroemerias!
Yet, it continues to be one of the most magnificent and beautiful summer flowers there is!
Delphinium
This magical flower is known for having over 200 different species, varying in color, height and bloom size.
Also known as the “knight spur”, for its star like shape that resembles that of a spur.
Its magical bloom scatters along a tall green stem that creates a long thick baton of vivid colors and gentle textures.
Said to be original from the northern hemisphere and from the tall african mountains, this bloom has been dispersed all around the globe.
Nevertheless. its growing preferences still make it a summer flower, thus its availability extends during the months of july and august.
But not in the equator! Where it can easily grow throughout the whole year with no problem.
Some delphinium breeds can extend up to 150cm, meaning that if growing in adequate conditions it can achieve magnificent sizes!
This flower is not as picky as the alstroemeria, it just requires a warm climate and decent shadow during peak temperatures; besides that a rich soil and good watering will do.
Just be careful with humidity, a incorrect draining system or too much watering can affect this flower; but that is just basic floristry skills!
Dusty Miller
The dusty miller is a unique plant, it has a silver dust color which goes hand in hand with its soft and tender texture.
It is said to resemble a rabbit’s ear.
The Dusty Miller can easily handle warm temperatures, nevertheless it also requires some shadow during peak temperature levels.
This is why it is considered a summer flower.
Typically used as filler in arrangements and bouquets, but it also looks great by itself to decor your living room or any other space.
The dusty miller doesn't have many variations, just in their leaf sizes, you can find bigger and wider ones but generally they will be similar.
Moreover, the dusty miller is a loyal and rigid plant, for it will last for several days sitting in a vase and it doesn't have any special or sheer treatments like other summer flowers.
We truly recommend you to at least try these plant as a filler, you will be amazed with its texture and the way it helps other colors stand out!
Green Wicky
There is not much to say about the green wicky besides what you can see on its image.
Its grass looking blooms create a truly strange but unique plant.
You will feel like holding a bouquet topped with grass, and as funny as it may sound it actually looks quite good.
Its strong color is something to pinpoint, it is something many floral designers seek and find handy when working on their craft.
Plus, as many of these summer flowers, the green wicky has the ability to last for long periods of time while kept on its vase.
When it comes to its care, you must treat it like any other summer flower, higher temperature, long sunlight exposure but shadow placement as well.
Never overwater this plant, since it may spoil, make sure to have a good draining system for it.
Designers and florist use it to decorate vases, and to fill up their arrangements.
But it's actually up to you! You can use however you want.
Sustainability and Community
We are living in the 21st century, everyone is accounted for being socially and environmentally responsible.
When the earth is the root of the products you produce, you consider giving an extra hand to conserve the planet and everything it gives us.
All the farms we work with are environmentally and socially friendly, which ensures the wellbeing of the environment and community.
Being settled in a third world country is not easy, the lack of technology and capital limits opportunity and innovation when it comes to producing goods.
Being able to amplify one’s advantages and use them to their favour is a worldwide reality.
Here in Ecuador, one of the main sources of income is by the exportation of many goods such as shrimp, bananas or roses.
It is culturally settled for ecuadorians to keep our natural sources of goods clean and alive in order to keep the country and society developing and growing.
Many flower farms, and many other companies, make sure any chemical or damaging substance they use will be properly used in order to keep it from reaching places they shouldn't.
They also assure and claim that they ensure the wellbeing of every single one of their workers and their families.
A vast majority of the farms that provide for us, have a “Flor del Ecuador” certification.
Flor del Ecuador, guarantees the execution of clean practices which ensure the wellbeing of the environment and of the community.
Additionally it rejects and fights against child labour plus it appraises and promotes education for the young ones.
Finally it ensures that every person working with and for them will be under protection and in secure conditions.
Conclusions
At Greenchoice Flowers we are always careful to choose the best providers of fresh cut flowers to deliver to you, whether it's for summer flowers, garden roses or whichever product you desire.
We always ensure that the partners we work with will not only offer a wide variety of high quality flowers and plants, but that they have well established social and environmental responsibility policy and culture.
Here at Greenchoice Flowers we work hard so this exotic summer flowers can arrive in perfect conditions to your doorstep.
You can assemble your own choice of blooms through our Build Your Box Option: Foliages & Greens, Summer Flowers, Novelty Collection or Rose Collection to receive a variety of flowers.
You can easily assemble your own assortment of colors, shapes and sizes to receive just the ideal products that you desire.
We assure the arrival of these flowers to you under perfect conditions and optimal time!
As we know you appreciate a perfectly shaped bloom, we hope you have found useful any tips and information regarding summer flowers.
We hope to see you use these fresh products in new and creative arrangements for you to share with the world!
Sources:
https://homesteading.com/types-of-flowers-to-plant-summer-flowers/
https://www.succulentsandsunshine.com/guide-growing-succulents-indoor-house-plants/
https://jardin.doncomos.com/alstroemerias-cuidar-alstroemerias
https://www.cfmiami.net/product/green-wicky/