Where do flowers in Singapore come from? Where can I get large amount of flowers or small batches of flowers?
These are some questions we will be covering in today’s post!
With the measures easing and the economy going into Phase 2, the flower wholesalers are opened once again. During the Circuit Breaker period, the supply chain was heavily disrupted by the closure of global borders and there was virtually no flowers during a certain period of time. Luckily things have managed to recover slightly and although some prices have revised due to higher transport costs.
Where do flowers come from?
Since Singapore is in the Tropics and due to scarce land space, once of the few flowers grown locally and exported are Orchids. A bunch of orchids can last beautifully as they are perfectly suited for our weather.
Majority of the fresh flowers come from China, Kenya, Netherlands (Holland) and Malaysia, followed by Australia and South Africa. Some also hail from Colombia, Ecuador, India, Italy.
That’s the reason why cost of flowers in Singapore are so much more expensive than in other countries! Each country also have their speciality exports (Such as Roses from Kenya, Proteas from South Africa, Tulips from Netherlands) and the same flower from different countries may have different characteristics (different size or colour or price) .
Is there a flower market in Singapore?
There is no single flower market in Singapore unlike countries such as the UK or Australia where many suppliers congregate under the same roof. Instead wholesalers in Singapore operate individually and are scattered throughout the island.
Where can I get large amount of flowers?
For quantity and variety definitely head to the various flower importers / wholesalers around Singapore. Fresh cut flowers are stored in Cold Rooms where temperatures can go as low as 6 degrees Celcius! So always bring a jacket.
There are many other smaller wholesalers as well but these are some of the largest ones in Singapore:
Where can I get small batches of flowers?
Not all of us are able to use the whole entire bunch of flowers retailed in wholesalers. Hobbyists who want to get small batches of flower for a single arrangement or to gift friends can visit the
Neighbourhood wet markets: there are usually 1-2 shops in the wet markets selling loose flowers. You can visit Tiong Bahru market where there are several (4-5) flower shops on the first level all retailing by small bundles or by stalk.
Grocery stores: Most NTUC Fairprice and Cold Storage outlets have a section of cut flowers, some larger then others (like the section in Parkway Parade). They come in small bundles of 3-5 stalks.
During our 2 day courses (i.e. Basic or Wedding Course) we take participants on a flower supplier visit, where we introduce the purchasing process and give tips on how to select flowers, what to look out for when buying wholesale etc. We will be resuming the courses in August soon, can’t wait!
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