The wonder of flowers
This Eid, flower sellers are readying their shops for brisk sales at every corner of the city. Go to a roadside flower vendor and you will find an array of flowers. Take Orchid Corner on Kamal Ataturk Avenue, which stocks roses, gladioli and orchids (in the range of Taka 5-Taka 20 each). According to Muhammad Hanif, proprietor of the shop, the business will pick up when Ramadan comes to an end and people get caught up in the Eid spirit.
Meanwhile, Hanif's neighbouring stall Paramona Flowers Corner, also expects good business as the countdown begins to Eid. "I am happy with the response from buyers. Flowers have become an all time favourite, especially as gifts to friends or as a decoration in offices and restaurants," says Mohammad Amin Khan, who runs the shop.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. For those in search of exclusivity, there are the upmarket flower outlets in Dhaka. Take the case of home-based orchid grower Zeba Rasheed Chowdhury, artist, entrepreneur, and author, who has 1,000 pots of orchids on her roof top garden. She received her first introduction to the flowers on her travels in the country with her husband who was a forest officer. Later, Zeba began to import them from Bangkok.
Though sales are picking up, says Zeba, "Over the last two years there are many other orchid growers in the market and competition has increased." However, flowers are a popular gift for Eid, birthdays or any special occasion, she maintains. Her fondness for orchids stems from the fact that they grow all year round.
Another entrepreneur at the top end of the market is Tootli Rahman. Her firm Interflora undertakes the supply of flowers and floral arrangements for special occasions such as Eid. Tootli experiments with a variety of flowers and colours-- roses in exquisite shades of peach, pink and lemons, orchids and gladioli. She also uses seasonal flowers.
Tootli draws heart from the growing market for flowers. As she says, "The aesthetic appeal of flowers make them a popular gift on many occasions." Her floral table arrangements range from Taka 200-Taka 1, 000. Her works, she says, are a class apart as they have unique designs and colour schemes. Another distinctive feature is her use of cane and wrought iron containers which can be reused for plants. The flowers in containers go for Taka 200-Taka 500.
As most people in the business testify, flowers sell like hotcakes. They are relatively inexpensive giveaways by students for their friends, parents and teachers. They are a great way to celebrate Eid and other festivals, at any age. So what are you waiting for? Go in for flower power this festive season.