Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 11.6
China Grafted and
potted chrysanthemums are
grown for the widely popular
chrysanthemum exhibi-
tions held every 4-6 years
in the Chrysanthemum City,
Xiaolan Town, PR. (Photo
credit: Neil Anderson)
During the year a number of special days or events are famous for giving flowers
as gifts: St. Valentine's Day (February 14), Mothering Sunday (4th Sunday in Lent),
Mother's day (first Sunday in May), Julian and Orthodox Easters (Varying from
end of March till beginning of May), All Saints Day (November 1), Jewish Hanuk-
kah, which in 2013 falls from Sunday November 27 to nightfall December 5, and
Christmas Day (December 25). Besides these annual celebrations other important
moments in life for which flowers are used are birthdays, marriage and funerals.
Sympathy work for funerals and memorials always involves flowers as they are
reflective of the shortness and fragility of life. Floral gifts in many countries, either
as potted flowering plants, fresh cut flowers, or flower arrangements are also popu-
lar hostess gifts when invited to someone's house. Their freshness, bright colours,
artistic arrangements and fragrance are always welcome.
Floricultural Exhibitions
The most important modern-day flower production areas in the world have tra-
ditional national and international exhibitions in which industry professionals
(breeders, producers, distributors, brokers, growers, retailers, and landscapers) are
involved. In the Netherlands, the International Hortifair (Anon
2013b
,
http://www.
hortifair.com/)
is the most well-known, while the IPM (Messe Essen) in Essen, Ger-
many Anon (
2013c
, http://www.ipm-messe.de/en/ipm_essen/index.html) is another
important European event. The International Florist Organisation for the European
ornamental plants industry (Fleuroselect) holds annual European Spring Park Tri-
als for breeder, producer and distributor companies to display their new bedding
plant cultivars Anon (
2013c
, http://www.ipm-messe.de/en/ipm_essen/index.html).
Fleuroselect also awards outstanding new cultivars in these prestigious awards.
In the USA, the comparable California Spring Trials occur in the early spring of
each year across California so that breeder, producer and distributor companies can
also display their new bedding plant cultivars Anon (
2013d
,
http://www.ofa.org/
All-America Selection (AAS) trials and awards in the USA are a national trialling
