Rungis Flower Market

We had an opportunity to visit Paris recently and our hosts, Nancy and Paul Godbout of New Hampshire, suggested we visit the Rungis National Market... specifically the flower and plant section. The market is a square mile of wholesale vendors of every type(meat, fish, poultry, vegetables, fruit, and, of course, flowers and plants.

What an experience!

The barn shown above is but one of several and there are at least three or four aisles as shown above. Each with a great variety of products.

The above shot is typical of the depth and breadth of supply at each of the vendors.

The supply of holiday goods was astounding and this is just a sample.

Paul Godbout pictured in one supply vendor's warehouse... which was three stories!

Holiday Ribbons available in patterns and colors for every taste.

An incredible experience that is off the beaten track if you ever visit Paris:
Marché d'Intérêt National de Rungis

November Birth Month Flower is Chrysanthemum

Botanical Name :	Chrysanthemum X morifolium (Dendranthema X grandiflorum)
Common Name :	Chrysanthemum, Mum, Florist Mum
Product Use :	Cut Flower
Pronunciation :	kris-AN-the-mim X mor-i-FOL-i-um (den-DRAN-the-ma grand-I-FLOR-um)
Family Roots :	Member of the Asteraceae or Compositae (aster or sunflower) family. Native to China. Common relatives include Cosmos, Dahlia, Calendula, Zinnia, strawflower, lettuce, artichoke and endive.
Personality :	Composite heads of ray and disk flowers in numerous forms and sizes at ends of branches. Stems are leafy, usually branched or pinched to form one or more flowered stems. Plant is a semi-woody perennial, classed as a dicotyledon, leaves not parallel veined. Flowers are not fragrant in the typical manner but may be aromatic.
Availability :	Year-round.
Flower Color :	Shades of red, pink, orange, bronze, yellow and white.
Decorative Life :	7-14 days, some types last longer.
Ethylene Sensitivity :	Low
Ethylene Comments :	Not sensitive at generally encountered ethylene levels in the commercial world. At higher levels, growth can be stunted (internodes shortened) and leaf fall is possible.
Post Harvest Care Opportunities :	Make sure stems are cut above any woody portions to ensure good water uptake and do not pound stem ends, as this does not increase water uptake. Rather, remove bottom leaves if present, recut stems under water and place into a fresh flower food solution. Deionized water may reduce vaselife compared to tap or well water. The sugar in flower food is required for florets to develop to maturity. Foliage yellowing and wilting can be due to improper storage, growing conditions and/or high levels of sugar in the vase solution. Using commercially sold benzyladenine sprays or uptake solutions can retard leaf yellowing. A more novel approach is to place freshly harvested cut stems into a 3-4% methanol and water solution for 12-24 hours at 70F prior to shipping. Flowers failing to open entirely generally means that they were harvested too immature and/or they were exposed to high temperatures after harvest.
Storage Specifics :	Storage at 36-38 F (3 days or less) is fine, 32-34 F (if over 3 days). Stems with well-developed buds may be stored for up to 3 weeks.
Preharvest & Harvest Factors:	Plants grown at high (93%) relative humidity lasted longer after harvest compared to those grown at 81 and 70%.
Tidbits :	From Greek "dendron" (tree) and "anthemon" (flower). Many flower forms exist-standards have one flower per stem, spray mums are branched with several flowers per stem. Some form classes are daisy, spider (Fuji), quill, football, pompon, cushion, button and spoon. The "X" in the name means that it is a hybrid between at least two species. The specific epithet name grandiflorum means large flowers. Mums have been cultivated in China for 2000 years, infusions of the leaves and flowers were used as medicine and fermented into wine. The dew collected from the flowers was said to promote longevity. The mum was introduced to Japan in 400 AD and became the emblem of the imperial family. Name was recently changed back to Chrysanthemum X morifolium. It is a short day plant meaning that it will only flower when the days are short and the night long. That is why it naturally only flowers in the fall. At other times of the year the light/dark periods of the day have to be controlled by growers to promote flowering. Mums reached Europe in the late 18th century, where the Chusan daisy became known as the pompon chrysanthemum because it resembled tassels on French sailors' hats. In Italy, mums are associated only with funerals and death. Some favorite cultivars and their respective flower colors include 'White Diamond' (white), 'Pelee' (orange and yellow) 'Shasta' (white), 'Regal Davis' (purple) and 'Miramar' (yellow). Appearance of pink/red coloration on petals for cultivars not of this color indicates old flowers and/or flowers grown too cold. Material leaking out of carnation stems held in the same container as mums can often reduce the life of the mums. The Compositae or aster family is vast, with over 20,000 species, and is also one of the most developed families. It was named Compositae because the flowers are actually a "composite" of many individual flowers into one head. Hence, when children pull one "petal" off at a time, saying "she/he loves me, loves me not", they are actually removing a complete flower, not just a petal. Today, the flower heads, when dried, are used to flavor soups and stews and as coloring for butter. According to Creasy (1999), fresh petals are edible. Can be used in salads and teas or sprinkled over clear soups. Chrysanthemum is the Birth Month Flower for November: http://www.hoogasian.com/BirthMonthFlowers.html

October Birth Month Flower is Marigold

Marigold

Botanical Name :	Tagetes erecta
Common Name :	African Marigold
Product Use :	Cut Flower
Pronunciation :	ta-GAY-teez e-REK-ta
Family Roots :	Member of the Asteraceae or Compositae (aster family). Native to Mexico and Central America. Common relatives include calendula, cosmos, dahlia, zinnia and strawflower.
Personality :	Flowers single or more often double, up to 2 inches across, at stem ends. Stems hollow, leafy, 24-32 inches long. Plant is an annual, classed as a dicotyledon. Flowers have a somewhat pungent odor, as do the leaves.
Availability :	Mostly summer but more being grown year-round.
Flower Color :	Yellow, orange, solid colors.
Decorative Life :	About 7-10 days.
Ethylene Sensitivity :	Medium
Ethylene Comments :	Severe levels can cause epinasty or bending of the stems. Under some conditions where exposure to high ethylene levels is possible, treating with an anti-ethylene product could be beneficial.
Post Harvest Care Opportunities :	Remove bottom leaves if present, recut stems under water and place into a fresh flower food solution. Leaves left in vase water rot easily and have foul odor.
Storage Specifics :	In one study it is reported that 34-36F is best, but not recommended for long periods. In another study, French marigolds stored better at 40F compared to 33F.
Preharvest & Harvest Factors:	Treating with the growth retardant Uniconazole for plug height control during production does not adversely affect subsequent growth and flowering.
Tidbits :	Named for Tages, an Etruscan deity, the grandson of Jupiter, who sprang from the ploughed earth. The Compositae or aster family is vast, with over 20,000 species, and is also one of the most developed families. It was named Compositae because the flowers are actually a "composite" of many individual flowers into one head. Hence, when children pull one "petal" off at a time, saying "she/he loves me, loves me not", they are actually removing a complete flower, not just a petal. Scent of foliage deters insects, roots exude chemical that repels soil nematodes. Marigolds often interplanted with crops or other ornamentals for pest control. The specific epithet name "erecta" means upright. Appropriately named Mary s Gold, these were the flowers of the Virgin Mary and were used to decorate church altars. Sometimes fed to chickens to improve yolk color. Suitable for drying. According to Creasy (1999), fresh petals are edible. Can be used in deviled eggs and butter and sprinkled over broccoli and other strong flavored vegetables. T. erecta are generally taller, have bigger flowers and their flowers often consist of one color whereas T. patula are shorter, smaller and have bicolored flowers.

Aster is September Birth Month Flower

Aster novi-belgii

Botanical Name :	Aster novi-belgii
Common Name :	Michaelmas Daisy, New York Daisy, Aster
Product Use :	Cut Flower
Pronunciation :	A-ster NO-vee BEL-gee-ee
Family Roots :	Member of the Asteraceae or Compositae (aster or sunflower) family. Native to the Eastern US. Related species include sunflower, daisy, gerbera and chrysanthemum.
Personality :	Flowers are daisy-like heads to 1 inch across with colored ray florets and yellow centers. Stems leafy, branched, 2-3 feet long. Plant is a herbaceous perennial, classed as a dicotyledon, leaves not parallel veined. flowers not fragrant.
Availability :	Nearly year-round.
Flower Color :	White, pink, lavender, red and blue.
Decorative Life :	5-10 days.
Ethylene Sensitivity :	Low
Post Harvest Care Opportunities :	Remove bottom leaves if present, recut stems under water and place in plain tap water containing regular household bleach (about 20 drops [1/4 teaspoon] per quart). Stiff hairs on leaves can be irritating to skin.
Storage Specifics :	32-38 degrees F. However, because of the many cultivars and even species, making broad storage temperature recommendations is difficult. For example, Aster bigelovii, more accurately known as Machaeranthera bigelovii, has an optimum storage temperature of 45 degrees F.
Tidbits :	Flower aficionados recommend constant "pinching back" of the leaves and petals to best preserve the flowers' form. Latin for "star," after its star-like flower shape, the aster was originally recognized for its healing properties. It was said that, when beaten with old hogs grease, and applied, that aster was good for "the biting of a mad dogge". The Compositae or aster family is vast, with over 20,000 species, and is also one of the most developed families. It was named Compositae because the flowers are actually a "composite" of many individual flowers into one head. Hence, when children pull one "petal" off at a time, saying "she/he loves me, loves me not", they are actually removing a complete flower, not just a petal.

Life is Like A Box of... Veggies!

I was walking around the flower market looking for some flowers for an order and my bud, Vikki at Florist at Large walks up to me with a box of veggies! She said she picked them all herself and they were looking for a home. I guess my part time vegan vibe was working overtime. She laid them on me and told me the big green ones were Armenian Cucumbers. I am totally into heirloom tomatoes and beets, but have never had Armenian Cucumbers. We used to sell seeds at our flower shop at The Cannery at Fisherman's Wharf back in the '70's and sold the seeds. Tonight I find out what they taste like! I go looking for flowers and end up with homegrown vegetables. Just goes to show that life is like a box of... veggies! You never know what you are going to get!

Survey Shows: San Francisco Residents Appreciate Tourists

Tourism is San Francisco’s most important industry according to resident survey

August 14, 2012  Residents of San Francisco named tourism the City’s most important industry in a survey released today by the San Francisco Travel Association.

The study found that San Franciscans were almost unanimous in understanding the economic importance of tourism 98% responding that tourism is very important or important to the vitality of the City’s economy.  Additionally, when directly asked if they believe tourism is The City’s most important industry, almost 70% agreed or strongly agreed. 

Based on these independent findings, it is deeply gratifying to see that the vast majority of San Francisco residents appreciate the important role tourism plays in the economic vitality of our city? reflected Joe D’Alessandro, President and CEO of the San Francisco Travel Association.

The survey also found residents consider tourism important to the financial health of San Francisco’s city government with nearly all of the respondents ( 94%) agreeing that tourism has a strongly positive or positive impact on the San Francisco city budget.  When asked about paying for City services like police, schools, road repairs and firefighters, 91% “strongly agreed” or “agreed” that tourism plays an important role. Only 3% felt tourism has a negative impact on city finances.

“As a member of the travel and tourism sector, it is extremely rewarding to learn that our fellow San Franciscans value the benefits tourism provides in terms of city services,” said David Nadelman, Chairman of San Francisco Travel Association’s Board of Directors. “It was also exciting to discover that residents appreciate the benefits residents enjoy in their everyday lives as a result of tourism.”

Nadelman was referring to a finding that 78% of respondents agree that “tourism makes San Francisco a better place to live.”  The study also found 80% of residents agree there is a healthy balance of tourism and resident activity in the City. This may explain why most respondents believe their elected officials should support public policies that promote tourism with 76% saying they would be more likely to vote for a Mayor whose policies support tourism and 81% agreeing that “it is important for their district supervisor to support tourism.”

The survey was conducted by San Francisco-based Destination Analysts in early July 2012.  A total of 400 adult San Francisco residents were interviewed by telephone.  The survey included open-ended and close-ended questions gathering resident opinions on tourism-related topics and was commissioned by the San Francisco Travel Association.

The San Francisco Travel Association is a private, not-for-profit organization that markets the city as a leisure, convention and business travel destination.  With more than 1,500 partner businesses, San Francisco Travel is one of the largest membership-based tourism promotion agencies in the country. Tourism, San Francisco's largest industry, generates in excess of $8.4 billion annually for the local economy and supports over 71,000 jobs.

The San Francisco Travel business offices are located at 201 Third St., Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103. San Francisco Travel also operates the Visitor Information Center at Hallidie Plaza, 900 Market Street at the corner of Powell and Market streets. For more information, call 415-974-6900 or visit www.sanfrancisco.travel.

The San Francisco Resident Survey is available at  http://media.sanfrancisco.travel/documents/RESIDENT+SURVEY+-+EXEC+SUMMARY.pdf 

It's Dahlia Season (all photos in this post taken at the San Francisco Dahlia Garden in Golden Gate Park)