Floristry

In the heart of Türkiye's cut flower production hub, the southwestern province of Antalya, preparations for Valentine's Day are in full swing, with a noteworthy demand from Europe worth a staggering $7 million in vibrant flower exports.

As the New Year's is around the corner, a rising demand for Butcher's broom, known as "kokina" in Türkiye and believed to bring luck and prosperity, is being witnessed.

The ornamental plants and cut flower sector in the southern province of Antalya has started shipping a total of 75 million cut flowers, mainly carnations, and 4 million Christmas wreaths to nearly 30 European countries and Russia for Christmas and New Year celebrations this year.

With the new year around the corner, the southern province of Antalya's local female producers have embarked on an intensive endeavor to transform pine residues, pine cones and juniper berries collected from forest-cutting areas into Christmas wreaths for export to 20 countries.

Planeloads of Turkish carnations are headed to the United Kingdom for Queen Elizabeth II's funeral next Monday.

Flower producers in southern Türkiye are working to meet high demand for the event in London.

Florists saw one of the busiest days of the year as Turkey marked Mother's Day on May 8.

Like most other countries in the world, Turkey celebrates Mother's Day on the second Sunday of May every year.

"Customers usually prefer wild flowers, such as carnations and daisies, on this day," said Yıldız Çalıoğlu, who is running a florist shop in Istanbul's Taksim Square.

Celebrating Valentine's Day might not be a widely celebrated traditional festivity for most Turks, but the day was a perfect opportunity for some romantics in the country to redeclare their love or even pop the big question.

Boxes of roses, lilies and carnations pile up as influencer Caicai speaks into her smartphone from a small studio at Asia's biggest flower market - with thousands of customers eagerly awaiting her view on the best deals.

E-commerce is big business in China and influencers and livestreamers have made their fortunes showcasing products for luxury brands and cosmetics firms.

Antalya, Turkey's greenhouse cut flower production base, continues to export flowers all over the world.

So far this year, 650 million branches of flowers cut and bundled by women from greenhouses were exported to 27 countries in Europe.

There was a time, pre-pandemic, that Thierry Boutemy's flowery creations graced catwalks, magazine covers and celebrity weddings.

Now, of course, the French florist - who has worked for Sofia Coppola, Lady Gaga and the fashion house Hermes - is having to weather the crisis like anyone else.

But his passion for petals has not withered.