Aalsmeer Index

We found the Aalsmeer index an interesting service of the auction. They maintain auction statistics on the volume of cut flowers and potted plants (both green and flowering) presented here in graphic format.

The four indexes are based on systems used in the financial world, like the Dow Jones Index. They show the current daily mood each week, with the current week compared to the same week the previous year.

For more information about the Dutch auctions, we visited the Rotterdam School of Management and the website of Eric van Heck, Professor of Business Administration. This paper, Experiences with Electronic Auctions in the Dutch Flower Industry (PDF file), is worth reading if you're interested in a better understanding of the auction processes and their history.

Awesome Aalsmeer

According to the Guinness Book of Records, the largest commercial building in the world is Bloemenveiling Aalsmeer, the flower auction at Aalsmeer, Netherlands. Here are a few photos to give you an idea of the magnitude of this impressive world-renowned auction.

You can read about the auction, where almost 19 million flowers are sold each day, on the cooperative's official website.

Mystery Peace Lily

Click to enlarge. Does anyone know what Spathiphyllum cultivar this is? We bought it at Lowe's for $3.50 in an unlabled 4" pot. It's a beautiful little plant with multiple spathes. It appears to be a compact variety. We'll find out.

Perhaps, one day, we'll get adequate consumer labeling of houseplants. It hardly exists here in Southern California. Wishful thinking?

He's Back

On October 1 we posted about Joe Cialone and linked to an article in the Sun-Sentinel online.

Excerpt: After 34 years in the ornamental plant business, Joe Cialone will soon close because of the near complete devastation caused by Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne on his western Lake Worth property.

"We're done," said Cialone. "It's going to be hard to tell my employees -- some have been with us for 20 years -- that they don't have a job anymore."

Four wooden sheds that shaded his indoor plants, part of Tropical Ornamental's 17-acre operation, collapsed and crushed the plants inside. What Frances didn't destroy, Jeanne finished off, he said.

Evidently he was misquoted according to this post on the Interiorscape forum.

We have no idea how this happened, but we're glad to find out that he's still in business and wish him the best of luck. The folks in Florida were dealt devastating blows and we wish them a speedy recovery.

Houseplant Sources

Dave's Garden has a helpful feature called The Garden Watchdog Guide to Gardening by Mail. Scroll down and you can browse by category, Plants: Houseplants for example.

There are almost 140 suppliers listed. Many of them have customer ratings and comments along with website links. This can keep you busy for a good while and most likely enlarge your credit card balance.

NYC Flower District

The Museum of the City of New York has a virtual exhibition about Single Trade Districts which includes the Flower District a significant source of indoor plants.

Excerpt: The wholesale flower trade is shrinking. Smaller firms have disappeared; others have relocated to newer buildings away from the chaos of midtown. Gentrification and new construction are sweeping through this weary part of town as Manhattan real estate values rise, rendering the old structures less valuable than the dirt they stand on. Clutter and heavy traffic along these streets and sidewalks charm the occasional passerby, but they are a daily headache for the florists and other trades who use them. No business can long afford to remain where costs are high and operations difficult.

IKEA Coming to Austin?

It looks like our favorite big box houseplants, planters, home furnishings retailer is coming to Austin, Texas. Lucky Austin.

If you don’t have an IKEA store yet, their website is an online shopping treat. We received the new 2005 catalog recently and were impressed with the number of houseplants included in the product display photos. We vote IKEA the most houseplant friendly big box retailer of the year although you do have to go to a store to buy them.

Here’s their website index including a link list of information about all 24 of their US stores. The 2004 paper catalog is now out of stock. However, their entire catalog is online.

Orchids From Taiwan?

Phalaenopsis at Pothos prices? Probably not, but their prices will likely get a lot closer if things go according to the plans of the Taiwanese. They’re investing some serious money in a bid to dominate the world’s $2 billion (U.S.dollars) orchid industry. They're looking to become the orchid capitol of the world.

Their plan has understandably created some unhappy orchid growers in Florida and Hawaii. The Hawaii orchid growers are fighting the recent USDA ruling in the courts. They have asked a federal court for a preliminary injunction to block the imports. A ruling is due this fall.

Stay tuned as we track this story.

Asiatica Mail Order Nursery

Asiatica is a mail order micro-nursery in Pennsylvania specializing in exclusive and rarely-offered plants. They have been in business since 1996.

We were attracted to their website and varied plant selection. This is a link to their extensive collection of indoor and tropical plants.

We have no first-hand experience with them so please let us know about any experience you may have. Thanks!