Theme Story

Roses have always been adored and in demand, even before their popularity as a cut flower surged worldwide. When the ancient Greeks and Romans associated roses with Aphrodite and Venus, the Greek and Roman goddesses of love, respectively, the flowers became a representation of love, and when Shakespeare’s Juliet asserts “that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” the symbolism continued. Many years later, Disney integrated the meaning attached to roses by featuring an “enchanted” solitary stem in Beauty and the Beast.

In this issue, we profile the Ecuadoran floriculture industry as a follow up to our spotlight on Colombian floriculture in the February-March issue of Super Floral. With the popularity of roses grown in Ecuador increasing worldwide, flower farmers in the Andean country are working to keep pace with global demand by streamlining their production processes, planting additional varieties and increasing staff. (Turn to Page 18 to learn more about the fascinating flower-growing industry in Ecuador.)

Also within this issue, you will find helpful tips for online marketing, along with how to deal with a possible slow-down in consumers’ discretionary spending during the second half of the year. In addition, the “IFE New Products Sneak Peek” showcases some of the new products expected at the International Floriculture Expo (IFE) in June, and our exclusive preview of Christmas trends will help you prepare for a prosperous holiday season this year.

I will be attending the IFE show, and I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible. I encourage you to give me feedback on this issue and the magazine in general, as it can never bloom completely without the acceptance of a few thorns. Only then can it grow into the kind of trade publication that you want to read, and more important, find valuable to your business.

In consideration of roses, Pablo Picasso said, “You can complain because roses have thorns, or you can rejoice because thorns have roses.” I suggest we rejoice and embrace the same optimism about the floral industry – encouraging everyone to stop and smell our roses whenever they can.