Now that International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month are behind us, it’s time for Easter, Passover, and Mother’s Day – is yet another set of busy annual holidays during which fresh flowers draw big numbers of consumer sales. This means it’s also a big time business for both Prime Group and our valued customers – wholesale and retail grocery stores, corporate clients, retail florists and convenience stores, among others. So, as the spring floral gift-giving season begins, how do you assure that the fresh blooms you sell to your clients are fresh? And what tips should those consumers follow to do the same?
In other words, will the fresh blooms last?
First, it’s essential to understand the importance of the shipping and handling process. From the moment flowers are harvested in fields or greenhouses across the globe, they must be lovingly cared for at every stage of their journey to market. That where Prime Fresh Handling’s expertise is invaluable.
“Our skilled, experienced perishables experts workbe their magic to assure the flowers making their way to you are kept at precisely the proper temperature,” says Cristina Moscoso, PFH’s West Coast general manager. “We arrange all types of cool-temperature transport – refrigerated trucks, cargo containers, and aircraft – and also utilize our own temperature regulated facilities in such spots as Los Angeles, Miami, Bogota, Quito, and Amsterdam.”
PFH also has a global network of additional cold storage facilities and can tap into a well-developed international network of reliable transportation channels. Both are essential for quickly handling any transport delays or supply chain issues. “So, if your customers wonder how long do roses last and other blooms, too, our team truly understands that schedule integrity is critical when dealing with highly delicate perishable products,” Our team truly understands that schedule integrity is critical when dealing with fresh flowers,” Moscoso emphasizes. “Our employees will quickly tackle any unexpected issues that arise in order to help maintain the freshness and appearance of the customer’s flower and plant products.”
Once their flowers are delivered, our customers then quickly prepare, package, arrange, transport, and sell them – again speeding the process along to help maintain the blooms. So, as consumers admire the pretty blooms on shelves at flower shops, supermarkets, and convenience stores, how can they tell if the flowers are fresh?
Time for Tips from the Experts
Well, we’ve gathered a few tips from the experts. So, drum roll please….
- The best time for consumers to buy be buying roses and other blossoms is when they see flowers that are slightly opened. The blooms are still fresh and haven’t yet peaked.
- Rose petals should be a bit loose at the top of the rose head. That means the rose has an exceptionally good shot at breaking into a lovely full bloom.
- Also, look for vibrancy in rose petal coloring.
- Recently cut roses will sport sturdy, firm stems that are typically green or white.
In turn, here are some “red flags” that may indicate that the blooms aren’t as fresh:
- Wilting or brown edges along the petals may indicate that the rose is past its prime.
- Rose heads that are super tightly wrapped, particularly if they have any of those brown edges or cracks, may never fully open.
- If the flowers have fully opened, well, that’s a sign that the rose has already reached its peak. Thus, the blooms may not last as long as others just beginning to open.
- Blackened cuts or dry edges on the flowers’ stems also can signal decay.
- Soft, not-sturdy stems also signal that a bloom is on a downward slope.
What if you’re buying tulips or lilies? Each flora species has its own growth and longevity characteristics, though, so be sure to ask your local florist about what to look for as well. Consumers should also do “easy maintenance” while caring for fresh roses at their home or office. For example, water is critical. It should be fresh and clean. If not, pesky bacteria will cause flowers to wilt and die more quickly. Be sure to change the water in the vase every few days. Also, make sure the water is free of leaves or petals that have fallen off the blooms.
Skilled Logistics Assistance at Every Step
Yes, fresh flowers certainly can “light up” a room in the eyes of the beholder. They’re the perfect gift for many occasions, whether that’s International Women’s Day, a religious observance, birthday, anniversary, college graduation or Mother’s Day. But whatever the occasion, the fresh flowers’ journey to market requires skilled logistics assistance at every step along the route. The good news for our customers is that despite the great care needed in shipping perishables, it’s possible to arrange expert logistics, shipping and handling of such delicate commodities at competitive prices.
“We’re happy to answer questions from new or existing customers,” says Moscoso, adding that PFH also can assist with online tracking and tracing, vacuum cooling capabilities, end-to-end document visibility, and CFS facilities as well as sorting, repacking, bar-coding, labeling services, and tracing. “For our part, our teams will do everything possible to assure that your customers can expect to enjoy their lovely fresh flowers for the greatest time possible.”
Global Services
Whether it’s a box, a pallet, or a companywide logistics operation, PFH is skilled in achieving safe on-time delivery of temperature-sensitive material and products between any point of origin and destination around the globe.
In fact, PFH is also known as a global leader in perishables transportation of fresh produce, fish, cut flowers, and plants. With state-of-the-art facilities in Europe, South American, and across North America, PFH leverages industry-leading technologies such as vacuum cooling, sorting, re-packing, bar coding, labeling, and temperature monitoring to guarantee a consistent, safe, and fresh delivery.
Contact Prime Fresh Handling
Cristina Moscoso, PFH-West Coast: 323-328-8650 or via email at infopfh@prime-fresh.com. Also visit www.prime-fresh.com.
