With Valentine’s Day
round the corner, Taslim is all set to buy 400-500 dozens of roses. No, that’s
not because he has that many ‘special friends’ but because this is his bread
and butter.
“At this time of the
year, men buy more roses than women,” says Taslim who runs the modest little
cut flower shop ensconced between Rolex Centre and Mobin’s Garments, on the
southern end of Zaibunnisa Street.
This is Punjab
Florist, a name familiar to anyone born and bred in Karachi for it has been
around since 1949.
“My father, Haji
Mohammed Shareef started the fresh flower business well before Partition. He
used to take flowers from Lahore to Delhi. After Partition, we came to Karachi
and started selling flowers here,” says M. Taslim, whose father passed away
five years ago. Sixty-six years later, the shop is being run by the third
generation.
Walking on the narrow,
busy pavement, dangerously close to the fast-moving traffic on Zaibunnisa
Street, the overwhelming scent of an assortment of fresh blooms engulfs you —
you appreciate life for a moment or two, as you pass by a shop that leads to an
alley stocked full of pre-packed bouquets, ridiculously irresistible hand-tied
posies, baskets, buckets and bundles of roses, tube roses, daises, gypsophalia,
lilies, carnations, baby’s breath, gladiola and marigolds in a riot of colours
— at Taslim’s shop, every flower tells a story.
“People buy more
flowers now than they used to, not just because Karachi has become a huge city,
but also because people have become more aware and buy flowers for different
occasions and events, but most of all at Valentine’s.”
Over the years, the
flower shop has been providing professional services for the multicultural
populace of Karachi. “Earlier, our customers were mostly Parsees and
Christians. They came to us for corsage and garlands, funeral wreath, cross and
wedding bouquets.
We provided floral
services to five star hotels, multinationals, embassies and consulates and did
their orders for receptions and conference arrangements. Now Muslims also buy
flowers for their events and occasion like garlands and bouquets for people
coming back from Haj, as well as the total wedding package which includes
flowers for the guests, the bride, for the stage and venue.”
Love is eternal, but roses are not; however
there are ways to keep them fresh for longer
Where do all the roses
come from? “Growers sell them to the buyers in the Patoki mandi who in turn
sell them to our local mandi. Prices start going up a week before Valentine’s.
We buy flowers at exorbitant prices during this time but when a rose for Rs10
goes up to Rs100, florists get a bad reputation when it is actually the
middlemen in the mandis who make the real money. A day after Valentine’s, prices
will come down with a thud and retailers suffer!”
Some people prefer to
buy imported roses from Kenya and Malaysia. “These are Rs250 per piece, long
stemmed and they stay fresh longer. The majority who cannot afford imported
ones buy local flowers.” Taslim knows his flowers and his tip to keep roses
fresh for longer is to keep them in fridge-cold water with a bit of salt in it.
Happy Valentine’s Day to all!
MORE TIPS TO KEEP YOUR ROSES FRESH FOR LONGER
Add 2 tablespoons of
vinegar and 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar to a gallon of water or combine
equal parts of lemon-lime soft drink (not diet) and water. Flowers in a
preservative solution will last about twice as long as those in plain water.
Remove all leaves and
foliage from the portion of the stems that rests beneath the water. Re-cut
stems at an angle with a sharp knife or a sharp pair of kitchen scissors. Be
careful not to crush the stems.
This ensures better
water absorption. The angle is important, because it means the bottoms of the
stems won’t be sitting straight against the bottom of the vase, blocking water
uptake.Any cut flower arrangement will last longer if it’s kept cool. Place it
where it won’t be exposed to direct sun, heat from appliances or electric
lights, or hot or cold drafts. Both heat and moving air take moisture from the
flowers at an accelerated rate.”
On the other hand, if
your roses are in tight buds and you want them to open more quickly, place the
vase in a warm room till they do, then move the vase back to a cooler spot to
extend their lives.
Add more water daily
to keep the level high. It’s a good idea to change the water every fourth day,
replacing the old water with fresh and replacing your refreshing mix as well,
whether it is salt, vinegar, sugar or lemon-lime drink.
What happens if you
carefully take all the precautions yet the roses wilt? You can re-cut the stem
under water and submerge the entire rose in warm water by laying it in a sink
or a plastic tub. In half to one hour, the rose should have absorbed enough
water to reinvigorate it.
We scoured the internet to bring you these tips
Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, February 8th, 2015
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