CALLAS OLD AND NEW Mini callas fall into the category, “cut flowers that should be on standing order for most professional retail flower shops.” Reliably available and affordable year-round, they are yet just a cut above what your customers are likely to find in a supermarket bouquet. They come in just about any color you can imagine—in fact, one of the few that’s been lacking is a true red. At best you could find a reddish burgundy—like the flower André Ruigrok, of Sande Flowers in Ecuador, is holding in his left hand. In his right is Red Dragon—spray-painted, but with a translucent dye that looks very natural and that actually seems to extend the flower’s vase life. Also new from Sande is a white mini calla with a rounder cup than the classic mini calla, which has a more curling, elongated, wavy-edged lip. The new type is bigger, stronger, and whiter, lasts longer in the vase and is easier to combine with other flowers in a bouquet. Still, some might prefer the elegant curves of the old-fashioned kind. Which do you like better? www.sandeflowers.com ORANGE PLUS Brilliant orange star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum dubium) has been on the market for a while, but it’s only this year that Sun Valley is able to supply its new variety, Royal Valley, in commercial quantities. What makes Royal Valley special? Apart from its color and long vase life, this particular O. dubium is remarkable for flowers that cluster near the top of long, relatively straight stems (with just a little natural curve). Those features are also partly a result of careful growing technique. Similar star of Bethlehem varieties are also available in creamy yellow and pure white. www.tsvg.com
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