Flowers & Florists - bringing hearts closer

ISLAMABAD—A thousand words cannot say what a delicate rose can to win your loved one’s heart. A sweet fragrant bouquet - when all words fail - is the best gift one can give to a person so near to one’s heart. It can do wonders for a sick person or someone recovering from an illness. Whatever the occasion say it with flowers.
Flowers have their own significance in every culture. In the west flowers of various colours are chosen for different occasions. Giving white flowers to bride and groom is an old tradition there, while red flowers signify love and affection. To condole with someone, a person usually presents the family with a white bouquet. There was a time when there were not many flower sellers around and the people would ask the ‘mali’ working in the garden next door to make a small bouquet for a loved one. Times have since changed. A number of flower sellers have set up their shops in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
Islamabad’s civic body, the Capital Development Authority, has allocated the florists, who used to do their business at various open spaces, permanent shops close to Super Market, Jinnah Super Market and F-10 Markaz.
A host of buyers, from young to old, men and women, rich and poor come to these tinned roof outlets to buy flowers and bouquets for someone who is sick, coming from overseas or for a birthday. Others buy them just to say those ‘special words’ - which most of us cannot - to some one they love.
“People of all sorts come to our shops and for various occasions and reasons they buy flowers,” said Shaukat Ayub at Super Market’s flower market which is now being renovated by a cellular phone company.
There are some ten flower shops close to Super Market, which the CDA allotted to the florists in 1997. Majority of flowers come from Punjab’s town of Pattoki and include rose, lily, iris, tube rose, daffodil and gladiola. Others are imported from Dubai and Holland and consequently they are a little expensive than locally produced flowers.
Shaukat, whose father and grandfather were also florists, took over the family’s business in 1992 and has since learnt a few tricks of the trade.
“There is no fixed price for a bouquet. We tell the customers the price which we think they can pay,” he said. Few years ago, very few people knew what the Valentine’s Day was, but thanks to new television channels and open media, the florists do a roaring business a few days before Valentine’s Day on February 22.
“This is the time of year when most of us do really good business and majority of customers comprise young boys and girls,” says a florist in F-10 market. The prices of bouquets generally follow the criteria - bigger the bouquet more the price. Add a few flowers of imported varieties to it and the price may jump to over Rs 1,000.
In Rawalpindi, the major flower centre is at Banni, but they mostly deal in garlands, rose petals and supply in bulk to retailer shops. Others are located on Saidpur Road, Commercial Centre Satellite Town, Lalkurti and Saddar. “We do make bouquets, but they are not much in demand in the area. Most people come here to buy garlands and flower petals for various occasions,” said Muhammad Najeeb at Banni who is in flower business for the past 20 years.
The florists at Banni have one speciality - decorating cars for marriages. “People come here to decorate groom’s car from far off areas, sometimes Attock and Chakwal,” Najeeb said. The cost of a well decorated car ranges from Rs 1500 to Rs 4000, depending upon the customer’s desire or individual florist’s aesthetic sense.
A ‘simple decorated’ car has rose buds, both real and artificial, and leaves of ‘Sarve’ attached all around with the sticky tape. While more elaborate decoration includes bright coloured ribbons, streamers, confetti and may also include a basket of flowers perched atop the roof or bonnet.
During the holy months of Muharram and Ramadan, when people visit the graves of their relatives, the florists sell flower petals and garlands in huge quantity.
Make shift flower kiosks are found outside most of the graveyards in Rawalpindi.—APP