Flash Report Week 9

Look for….

• This year’s Seasonal Spring Cream of the Crop publication, which will be in your March 2^nd Distinctive Values mailer. Orders need to be placed by 3/16 for delivery starting the week of 3/29. This short-term seasonal standing order will run for only thirteen weeks, perfect for this busy time of the year.
• Our Palm Cross and Palm Bud price sheet is out and you will find some very aggressive pricing offered for anyone who orders by March 4^th. Don’t wait, order and save!
• There is something “New” at DV!  Our Product Managers have been searching the world for a super grade of specialty flowers and found them. We have a source from Japan that is spectacular! If you have a need for a real high-end larger grade flower, talk to your Sales Associate today!

 Basics & Greens

• Parvifolia Eucalyptus from Florida has been unavailable for some time now.  The crops had some issues and ended up being completely pulled out and replanted.  The new plants are expected to be available around Mother’s Day.
• Vegaflor is no longer growing Cremon mums. This decision was made based on the lack of profitability. They were one of the industry’s biggest growers of Cremon mums.
• Even though currently there is plenty of production of Carnations, overall there is less in the market place than there was a year ago.  Farms like Papagayo have closed, so when demand increases, pricing will follow.

 Novelty

• Please note that our Local Calla Lilies are limited right now. The Greenhouses have not seen much sunlight in the past week due to the layer of snow on the roof. Hopefully within the next week or so we will see better availability
• Larkspur was still a challenge with no white available. We did see a slight decrease in pricing but it still remains high with supply being so low. We should see increase in production as we move into March, will bring prices back down to normal.
• We are starting to see an increase of Bella Donna light and dark blue Delphinium in the market. There is still a good supply of Sea Waltz dark blue, but a little shortage of the light blue Sky Waltz. There is nothing new to report in Hybrid Delphinium, there still is none being offered from California.  We continue to buy all we can from South America. There is very little white, light blue, and pink available but a fair amount of Blue River. 
• Production on Snapdragons from California has increased and the price continues to come down. Canada continues to have limited amount white and pink.
• Matsumoto asters have not yet recovered from the Valentine’s Day cut. We will see limited supplies for the next few weeks as prices remain on the higher side.
• California Laceflower continues to be limited. We have the heavier green South American variety.

 California Stock

The industry was faced with a number of quality issues the past few weeks with Stock.  Fortunately our ever-diligent Quality Control team caught and rejected much of the product with problems. The first issue was crooked and bent stems caused by the severe wind and rain storms that California had at the end of January. The second issue was caused again by the weather. California has experienced cold and rainy weather through out January and into February.

 As a result the crop that the northern stock growers call the “Desert” never made it for Valentine’s Day. To fill their orders they were forced to buy from the growers in the Baja growing region. As we all know rain and dampness is a recipe for disaster when shipping stock. The darker colors were affected the most. Our Quality Control team had their hands full this Holiday and did a great job considering the volume that passed through our building. We have had a number of conversations with our major suppliers and they have assured us that with the desert crop back online the problems will lessen considerably going forward.

 Roses

We are now in the typical post Vday market where demand is low and product is plentiful. We really don’t expect this to change much until Mid-April until we get close to Easter and Admin week.

• Reds- good availability and prices have dropped since Monday and we expect them to drop a bit more over the next few days.
• Colors- still plenty available and prices are somewhat low.

 Fillers, Etc

• There is good production in Waxflower in particular the hybrid varieties and purple pride. Production in the regular pink and white remain very low, as these are some of the later varieties. Pricing dropped considerably this week mainly due to weak demand. 
• We currently have 5-6ft tall Quince pink Branches, Cherry Pink and Cherry White available. Please note Quince White is coming to an end in California and Oregon, we have a shipment of the white arriving from Oregon and that will be it for the season.  Please allow time for the branches to open as the product is in a tight bud stage.
• There are limited amounts of Orange and Yellow Pincushion Protea available for next week. We have a good supply of Pink Mink, Pink Ice, Brenda, Trish Compacta and Queen Protea available for next week and only a few King Protea.

 Supplies

• QuickWater Simulated Water is guaranteed not to yellow and will cure sparkling clear in 8-10 hours. We are now carrying this product in a 12oz kit S9456 and a one-gallon kit S9457. Each kit comes with an “A” bottle and a “B” bottle to combine to create the simulated water.
• In a couple weeks we will be mailing out a prom flyer, wedding flyer, and our Easter flyer. Next week look for our Giftwares flyer that includes glass, new ceramics, and some baskets, everything you need for the spring season.  
• Before the end of March we will be mailing out our Administrative Professional Day and Mother’s Day flyers.

Product Info…

 Everything That You Wanted To Know About By Ace Reporter Felipe Bernal

Gerbera Daisy

Gerbera Daisies continue to increase in popularity in design circles. They were discovered in South Africa during the late 1800’s by botanist Robert Jameson and since then, have been very successful for the flower business.  

 Gerbera daisies are the 5th most popular flower in the world. They are perfect for spring weddings and summer weddings. They also work wonderfully in fall wedding arrangements, and can be used to brighten up winter weddings as well. These beautiful wedding flowers will bring happiness and joy throughout the day and also make vibrant bouquets and centerpieces that are sure to catch everyone’s eye.

Gerbera daisies can be found in a wide spectrum of colors that are often not found on any other flower. 

Care and Handling:

Keep the water in the vase of your Gerber Daises fresh. Replace the water every 4^th day with cold water keeping the water level near the top of the vase. Re-cut 1/2″ from the base of each Gerbera Daisy under water using a sharp knife each time you change the water.  Lastly, displaying the cut flowers away from direct sun, drafts and heat sources will keep them fresher and beautiful for longer periods of time.