We recently took a local trip to the LA Flower Market, one of the oldest flower markets in the States (located reasonably/surprisingly close to down town LA). Now sadly many of the flowers are flown in from other parts of the world where historically most of the offering was locally grown. This got me to thinking about India and their floriculture; not just because of the food project - but also because we picked up a nice bunch of tropical flowers grown in remote parts of the world.
India has a rich history there with references to flowers in ancient Sanskrit classics like the Rig Veda (C 3000-2000 BC) and Mahabharata (prior to 4th Century BC). India's vast natural resources and wide ranging climate conditions allow for growth of tropical flowers virtually year round somewhere in India - very similar to California and the Pacific Coast. Most flowers these days are grown and sold for individual and bunch sales e.g. marigold, jasmine, chrysanthemum, aster, crossandra, tuberose etc. India's growing economy means the appetite for roses, carnations, orchids, etc. will likely grow. Not sure that means the imports we receive will be redirected to India or that red roses on Valentines Day will be the next big business opportunity in India. Something we'll look into a bit.
