Love makes the world go round but Colombian flowers are everywhere on Valentine's Day!

Ever wondered where the red roses you see everywhere on Valentine's Day come from?                                                                           The answer may surprise you!  

More than 500,000,000 Colombian flowers are  shipped to countries around the world for February 14th. These include over 5 million roses sent to the UK. Columbia is the main flower provider to the U.S.A. and the world's second largest flower exporter. Columbia first sent carnations to the U.K. over thirty years ago but has since expanded its flower exports to include roses, calla, hydrangea, agapanthus and alstroemeria in large quantities. Tropical flowers from the coffee belt region are increasingly popular while Chrysanthemums from the Medellin region are regularly bought by UK supermarkets.

The growing of flowers provides financial support for more than 200,000 workers in Colombia who work directly or indirectly for the country's second biggest export business.

Augusto Solano of Bogota, President of Asocolflores, the Association of Colombian Flower Exporters, recently said that "We are on the threshold of the most important season for our industry. Colombian growers are renowned for their quality roses which are sold in high end stores like Marks & Spencer, Waitrose and quality independent florists. With larger heads and strong stems they have become the rose of choice for customers wanting something extra special to express their love and friendship.....In 2011 over  5 million U.S. Dollars was spent by the Colombian flower industry on local social programmes that directly benefitted more than 90,000 workers and their families. Be it low-cost housing, schools, university programmes or medical services, the money spent on flowers throughout the world is directly fed back to the people who grow and look after them."

The near perfect growing conditions in the Sabana de Bogota, just outside the capital city, Colombia, produce flowers with larger heads, stronger stems and vibrant colours. Flower production is carried out  with an independently audited certification programme, Florverde, which has Global Gap approval and is respected by some of the most demanding flower buyers in the UK.