BENGALURU: When Sara Sharma decided to give her friend something for her birthday, she knew flowers would be the best choice. But Sara decided to give her something that would last longer than a few days. “So I got her flowers that will last two years,” says Sharma, an employee at BYJUS, Bengaluru, who spent around `5,000 for one box of the flowers.
These flowers are available under different names, such as exotic flowers, everlasting roses, forever roses and long lasting flowers. Nydile Ranganath, co-founder of Plush Floral, a city-based online platform that sells flower boxes, says Bengaluru has been showing great demand for long lasting roses. “We get orders from individuals as well as companies in real estate, automobile and hospitality sectors. For example, when automobile companies hand-over the key to the customer, they present them these roses, which will be remembered for a long time,” she says, adding that the flowers are sourced from Ecuador.
Malavika Madhusudhanan and her mother Reshmi, residents of Sheshadripuram, say these flowers, though expensive, add value to an occasion. “The long lasting rose my daughter got me for my birthday four months ago is still fresh,” says Reshmi.
Since exotic flowers cost between `1,000 and `7,000, some choose to indulge in them on special occasions. Keerthi Reddy Kumbam, founder of OneRoze, which has an outlet in Vittal Mallya Road, however points out that in Bengaluru, people order long-lasting flowers in bulk during baby showers and weddings. “Our biggest bulk order has been 120 long lasting roses for a company,” she says.
Vendors are now trying to expand the range of varieties available. “We use glycerin and ethanol to dry out the natural moisture from the flower,” says Mehak Sareen, manager, Champs Fleur, Bengaluru.