Hong Kong’s best kept secrets: real flowers that will last for three years

Hidden in an alleyway in Hong Kong’s largest flower market, Kafook Florist sells rainbow-coloured roses that will last for a good three years – and they’re not plastic.

Flower preservation dates back centuries, but it wasn’t until the 1980s when the French invented a method which could maintain the flower’s shape and suppleness.

By withdrawing the natural nutrients and injecting a solution containing glycerol, dye and other chemicals, flowers and plants can hold their shape and colour for years without any water or sunlight.

Elaine Lau Yu-ling, owner of Kafook Florist, opened her shop last November and received more than 1,000 orders around Valentine’s Day. The bouquets and jars of preserved flowers are also popular for wedding bouquets, gifts and table decorations.

Lau orders the preserved flowers from Japan, Europe and the US and she and two staff members arranges the bouquets. A small jar with one main rose and an assortment of accompanying flowers costs from HK$880. Larger, custom-made orders can go for as much as HK$5,000.

“It’s also a lot more environmentally friendly because you don’t have them throw them away after three days,” says Lau.