Valentine's Day is in the flower market the day with the most sales of the whole year and the red rose is undoubtedly its symbol. But at what cost to the environment? Making a sustainable choice is possible. Red is the color of passion and every loved one wants to receive a bouquet of flowers on Valentine's Day. At RAW Fleurs we have chosen seasonal flowers from Italian crops, sustainable daffodils from the province of Como, buttercups from Sanremo, anemones and carnations from Tuscany, eucalyptus from Liguria! Our choice starts from the awareness and desire to offer a high quality product, grown in Italy without pesticides. 75% of the flowers sold in Italy are imported, partly because Italian cut flower producers disappear with the generational change and partly because imported flowers cost less and are able to satisfy a demand for non-seasonal flowers, such as roses in February! Look at the grandmother's garden in the countryside or the flower beds in the city, have the roses already blossomed? From December to March the rose is in hibernation, all the branches have been pruned and only a few small buds encouraged by the heat shyly peep out. Where do red roses for Valentine's Day come from? From the southern part of the globe, mainly from Kenya (51%) where the local population believes that roses are eaten in Europe as we have drained a lake to grow them. They are cut up to five weeks earlier and begin their long journey by air or ship to major markets. In Europe they pass through Amsterdam, where the main auction is based and from which the roses leave to reach their final destination by land. The price, up to four times higher than the same product in another period due to the enormous demand, is also set six months earlier.
