Florists in India

Well this is not a post about Green Parlour for once but instead a note about flowers from around the world and how, on several occasions I have had to stop myself jumping into flower shops in India to show them 'how we do it in England'. Flowers are big in India, we are currently in Mumbai on a pre Christmas break, just a short walk from our hotel are 2 florists, shops open to the elements (30degree heat) with tiny yellow roses galore. They also seem set on strangling their colourful gerberas with an excess of cellophane wrapped so tightly all the petals are pressed up shaped into a tight funnel.

National Flower of India: Lotus flower (although I have seen none, they do seem to have a strong passion for yellow roses)
The meaning behind the Lotus flower: it symbolises divinity, fertility, wealth, knowledge, enlightenment and triumph. Generally growing in mud ridden areas and untouched by its impurity the flower is also meant to symbolise purity of heart and mind.

Onto the design...small dark wicker baskets with huge trangles of yellow roses sprouting from them and a collar or foliage around the base. Not a hand tie in sight. These colourful spears of flowers provide a rich colourful backdop to otherwise dowdy buildings.
They also make garlands to hang around their sacred objects in an act of, as offerings to the gods or Buddah or other religious figures. These bright colourful floral garlands are garish and enchanting and really quite beautiful. I think of the time and skill that goes into making these quite magnificant objects.

I want them to ask me what I do for a living and then I can be invited in to show them how I arrange flowers, talk of all the wonderful colours and feel like part of the 'florists' club. what on earth would they think of our style I wonder?