Hong Kong’s best kept secrets: real flowers that will last for three years
Mong Kok florist sells bouquets and jars of preserved flowers that are much more eco-friendly than usual bouquets that are thrown out after a few days
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.
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.
Customers are advised to keep the flowers away from direct sunlight and not to water them.
Kafook Florist 160D Prince Edward Road West, Mong Kok, tel: 25280103. Orders can be placed through WhatsApp on 9236 1195
