Florists' Delight

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He picks up a flower bunch, trims the stalks,wraps them in a translucent gel paper with some green weeds,spreads sparkles over it and gives a finishing touch with a spray of water for a fresh look and the gift is ready within minutes.

Yes, your friendly neighbourhood florist can give you a perfect gift for any occasion.

One could find them with their makeshift stalls at almost every corner of the city's pavements, near colleges, bus and auto stands,metro stations, theatres, traffic signals and at the markets in front of some brightly-lit shops. They stock a large variety of roses, jasmine, carnations, chrysanthemums, gladioli, gerberas and sunflower besides the hot favourite orchids and artificial flowers of different colours.

"People don't need to think much as they can get bouquets of various designs with flowers of their choice at prices varying from cheap as Rs 10 to Rs 500," said 25-year-old Suresh Yadav, a florist at a shop tucked away in the busy pavement next to the metro station at Delhi University.

Asked how long has he been into this business, Yadav said, "following the footsteps of my uncle, I started this business almost eight years ago."

"Earlier, I was working in the fields in my village in Patna distict. The income was not good and I was not interested in the work, so I came here," he added.

Now many people in the locality are Yadav's permanent customers as he also home delivers the bouquets. He nurtures a plan to purchase a shop in a market and expand his business. Yadav, who learnt the skills of flower arrangement at Bengali Market here, said demand for flowers are on the upswing these days with people preferring to carry a bunch of flowers while visiting a friend or a relative and for several other small and big occasions.

"The income is around Rs 250-300 per day, while some occasions bring a rush of customers especially the DU students, when I earn as much as Rs 800."

However, for almost six months in a year, they suffer losses.In the winters, they manage to recoup with more sales during the several festivals and the flowers remaining fresh for a longer time in cool weather.

Keeping the blooms fresh is a challenge the florists face every day. Kaliram, an 18-year-old from Kolkata who sits on the pavement at Kamla Nagar said, "it is a tough job. We have to keep the flowers in the shade to protect them from the scorching heat of the sun, and at other times, from the wind and the rain."

Pointing to the buckets of water kept near the stall, he said,"we keep the flowers in clean water, change the water thrice a day and spray it over the blooms to keep them fresh."

About the source of his flower stocks, Yadav said, "we bring all varieties of flowers in dozens including the accessories needed to make bouquets from the flower market held in Connaught Place in the early morning hours everyday."

As to their earnings, 28-year-old Gajendra from Uttarakhand, who has a stall in Connaught Place for more than 15 years now, said he manages to take home daily between Rs 500-1500. "On special occasions like Valentine's Day, Rose Day and Teacher's Day, we pocket as much as Rs 3000," he chuckled.

Talking about the choice of flowers, he said, "people mostly ask for roses; in a bunch or single. So we keep roses of different colours like pink, yellow and white but red roses clearly stand out as a hot favourite among the youth. There is also an increasing demand for orchids and artificial flowers these days."

Offering 101 designs of flower arrangements, another florist Pinku Kumar, who has a stall at Defence Colony, is quite happy with his business started 20 years back, "I earn Rs 2000-3000 per day. I have stocked almost all varieties of flowers sourcing from the Mehrauli Mandi to meet the demands of the crowds here. The price varies from Rs 100-1000."

Sujit Beniwal, an engineer who is a regular customer, said, "these stalls are a rage now with the bouquet culture catching on everywhere. Flowers have become a favourite not only as a Valentine or birthday gift but they are now a regular and most convenient thing to convey regards, affection, and various other emotions."

He is also happy that he does not have to go far for flowers or bouquets. "Even if you visit them late night at 11, they will amaze you with a lovely bouquet with fresh flowers," he said adding he had averted the ire of his girlfriend many a time for being late from the office by grabbing a bunch of blooms on his way back.