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Mono bouquets in Singapore: one variety, one route, one colour
Mono bouquets in Singapore each carry one flower and one route: about a quarter of the city's cut-flower imports come from Malaysia and about a sixth from the Netherlands. Chrysanthemums travel from Cameron Highlands farms that grow for this market, while tulips and lilies come from the Netherlands. A bouquet built from a single variety shows the recipient the flower and its colour at once, which is why choosing one usually means choosing both together.
Chrysanthemums grown in Malaysia for the Singapore market
Chrysanthemums and gerberas arrive from Cameron Highlands, hill farms that grow specifically for the Singapore market. Chrysanthemums fill one of the largest sections among mono bouquets here, in a wide run of head shapes and colours.
A chrysanthemum lasts two to three weeks in water, longer than most of the flowers sold as a single variety, though its leaves yellow before the bloom fades and are best stripped off early so the stem keeps its good looks.
Colour decides where a chrysanthemum bouquet belongs. In Chinese tradition, white and yellow chrysanthemums are funeral flowers, carried at wakes and sent as condolence, and a white one is not given for a birthday. For a celebration, a different shade of chrysanthemum, or a gerbera in a brighter colour, is the safer choice.
Dutch tulips and lilies, lisianthus from China and Taiwan
Tulips and lilies travel from the Netherlands, the source of about a sixth of the city's cut-flower imports. Dutch tulips are grown under glass and cut between December and May, so this one variety keeps a European calendar of its own, even though the climate here runs around thirty-one to thirty-three degrees all year with no seasons to speak of. The Netherlands also supplies lilies, bought here as a single-variety bouquet rather than mixed with other stems.
China and Taiwan supply roughly another quarter of the imports, sending roses, chrysanthemums and lisianthus, also known as eustoma. A bouquet of lisianthus alone, with its ruffled, paper-thin petals, works as a quieter alternative to a rose bouquet for much the same occasions.
Orchids, the one variety with a Singapore cut-flower past
Orchids are the one flower on this list with a cut-flower history of their own. Vanda Miss Joaquim was bred in a Tanjong Pagar garden in 1893, and on 15 April 1981 it became the national flower, chosen for its hardiness and year-round flowering.
Singapore Orchids Ltd, based at the Mandai gardens, was set up in 1951 to grow orchids for the cut-flower trade. Through the 1960s and into the 1970s its cut dendrobium sprays were exported to Europe, North America and Japan; the gardens closed for good.
A cut orchid holds for two to three weeks in a vase, in line with the other long-lasting varieties sold here as a single-flower bouquet.
One colour for a birthday, a new home or condolences
Red marks a celebration, a wedding or good fortune, and it is not a colour taken to a funeral; white and yellow chrysanthemums are kept for condolence instead. More than three in four residents live in HDB flats, and a single variety in one colour is an easy gift for a housewarming, meant for a whole family rather than one person in particular.
For a condolence visit, Malay Muslim families more often prefer a donation, sedekah, in place of flowers, while Indian families more often ask for a garland. A stem count that includes the number four, such as four, fourteen or twenty-four, is avoided; stem counts and colours that matter in Singapore sets out the rest.
Mono bouquet delivery in Singapore starts with a photo of the finished bouquet sent before the courier leaves, and the timing for each one shows on its own page; the full terms are on delivery terms.
To start choosing among mono bouquets in Singapore, chrysanthemums suit a birthday in any shade but white, and tulips are cut from December to May. Orchids bring a flower with a history of its own, while lisianthus offers a softer take on a rose bouquet.