The Italian poppies, with its silky petals in various shades of red, pink and orange, is a real eye-catcher. Grown on beautiful mountain farms, they enjoy the southern European sunshine and fresh Mediterranean air – making them grow into strong, brightly colored flowers.
Discover our enchanting poppy assortment from Italy – and read our tips & tricks on how to best care for this special flower!
An Italian poppy farm
Our Southern European flower buyer & sourcing expert Marc van Graas takes us on an exploration of a special poppy farm near San Remo, Italy, where this delicate flower is still picked and tended by hand. It’s a long drive uphill, but the view of beautiful, brightly colored poppies with an idyllic village on the Mediterranean coast behind them more than makes up for it.
A smart grower
What makes the half million poppy stems from insightful grower Steffano so special is that they are authentically pretreated, yet delivered ready for sale. As an importer and wholesaler of cut flowers, Greenflor is proud of its warm relationship with this officious yet ingenious poppy grower.
Tending poppies
In the nursery’s processing room, 5 ladies are busy pre-treating the poppy bunches fresh from the field. On the table is a large pan of boiling water. After cutting them to size, the bottom centimeters of the poppy stalks are dipped in the hot water for about 10 seconds. “By searing the bottom edges, the poppies retain water. That way they stay beautiful longer,” flower buyer Marc tells us.
Ready-made poppies
The poppy bunches are delivered ready-to-use in stylish packaging, which includes care tips and QR codes to accompanying videos. In this way, through this particular grower, flower wholesaler Greenflor delivers a handcrafted product that is ready for immediate sale in flower stores and garden centers throughout Europe.
Tips & tricks: how to care for a poppy?
The special poppy has its own manual. Share the steps below with your clients and let poppies bloom and shine together!
- Remove the delicate poppy from the package. Be careful; do not cut off the dark ends of the stems! Cauterizing helps the flower retain moisture better.
- Carefully peel off the green skin from the flower. The colored petals will seem a bit shriveled at first, but will fold out on their own.
- Place the poppies in a clean vase with cut flower food and enjoy the beautiful budding flowers!
