11 Feb Where do valentine flowers come from???

This Valentine’s Day more than 50 million roses will be given out worldwide with approximately 110 million roses sold over a three-day time frame in the U.S. this year. 

The question to be asked is what is the origin of all these flowers?  The flower industry has grown tremendously in the past few years.  While the flower industry in California is growing the majority of flowers come from Colombia, Ecuador and Kenya and are brokered through the Netherlands.  In a British magazine, House & Home, Christopher Woodward recently wrote in an article titled War of the roses,  “The international flower trade is one of the cultural phenomena of modern times: in the past 50 years its value has increased from $3bn to $40bn. We have become the first generation in history to expect whatever flowers we want, at any time of year.”

With that in mind it is reasonable to consider the value of the flowers grown locally by Texas Specialty Cut Flowers.   Texas Specialty Cut Flowers are grown in the Texas Hill Country town of Blanco by Pam and Frank Arnosky. Pam Arnosky describes their flower business on their website by saying, “In 1990 we purchased 12 cedar covered acres in the Texas Hill Country. We cut a road in, pitched a tent, and started clearing from the inside out. Since then we have built our little blue house, grown our production to over 40 acres of flowers, put up 14 greenhouses, raised 4 children, remained true to our path, and still do a pretty mean two-step! In addition to growing the best cut flowers in Texas …”  Taking a trip out to visit their farm is a spring day trip I always enjoy.  I look forward to seeing the wild colors, smelling fresh cut grass and what Johnny Cash described as that southern air and watching the butterflies and buzzing bees.  Their flowers come in a rainbow of colors and can be purchased at their farm, at Central Markets, Whole Foods Markets and a hand full of other locations in Austin.   Buying local flowers is a benefit to the local economy and reduces CO2 from shipping.  If you plan to go to their farm rather than the local store to get flowers be sure to take your camera!!

And in case you are interested, the flowers pictured at the front of this blog are Texas Specialty Cut Flowers purchased at Whole Foods Market and arranged by this author.