Flower baskets with Covid essentials to greet the New Year

Tirupati: Flower bouquets prove to be a great option for anyone to wish their near and dear on every occasion. Greeting the loved ones and higher-ups on a New Year Day by presenting them a beautiful flower bouquet is always special.

Florists use this opportunity to showcase their skills in designing bouquets with current themes.

Amid the Covid pandemic which has made its lasting impact on the year which is going to end in a couple of days, Covid flower baskets have appeared in the market to woo denizens in Tirupati.

With many people scared of buying flower bouquets with the fear of spread of coronavirus, florists are taking extra caution in preparing them to create confidence in buyers.

Blue Petals florist in Tirupati CBV Sai Kumar Reddy confidently says that any strain of coronavirus can never touch their floral bouquets or baskets as they completely sanitise their products. After vegetable bouquets and bouquets with succulent plants that hit the local market during the last two years, this time they have relied on Covid baskets.

Using various flowers from several parts of the country as well as from abroad, these bouquets and baskets are being readied.

These include masks, sanitisers, oximeters, sanitary wipes etc., which will help in spreading the awareness on the preventive steps to be taken by people to protect themselves from Covid and without fear people can exchange pleasantries and usher into New Year 2021 wishing a virus-free year ahead.

However, he felt that the business this year may witness about 40 per cent drop from last year's sales, thanks to Covid fears. With severe drop in flower growing across the country, the availability of flowers has reduced to a great extent and so too the labour supply.

The supply of imported flowers also hindered to Covid restrictions.

All these factors caused a huge price hike this year. The normal bouquet which was available at a minimum price of Rs 200 last year now costs Rs 300. There are bouquets and baskets up to Rs 5,000 in the local market depending on the variety of flowers and baskets used.

Orchids priced at Rs 600 per stem which will have 20 flowers are the exorbitant varieties used in baskets and cost more. Liliums priced at Rs 500 per stem while each Taj Mahal rose costs Rs 30.

Varieties like Bird of Paradise, Anthurium and Gypsophila Double gladiolus are also used as per the tastes and budget of the customers.