FlorGuitronNavarro

FRINQ:Portland
February10th2015
ResearchEssay
PortlandtheCityofRoses
Haveyoueverstoppedtothinkabouttherolethatflowersplayinoureconomy?Onahot
summerdayinJulyababygirlwasborn,andtheyhaddecidedtonameherflower.Fiveyears
laterthatgirlgrewintohavingapassionforallflowers.Whenshewasoutinthestreetsthe
differentshapesandvibrantcolorsofallthedifferentflowersappealedtoher.Shegrewuptobe
speciallyfondofroses,becausethatwashermother'sfavoriteflower.Theflowerthatherfather
wouldalwaysgivetoherinexcessiveamountsforherbirthday,Valentinesday,orjustbecause.
As,thelittlegirlgrewshenoticedthatroseswerenotonlyspecialinherfamily,theyhelda
specialsignificanceinotherfamiliestoo.OnceinhighschoolshecametorealizethatPortland
wasthecityofroses.Shealwayswonderedwhythatwasifsheneversawanyrosesinthestreets
orinpeoplesgardens.Later,whenshewasincollegeshehadtothinkaboutPortlandandits
artisaneconomyonadeeperlevel.IchosetowritemyessayaboutPortlandanditsartisanroses.
Flowersingeneralarenotonlymeanttoappealtooureyesbutalsotoholdaspecial
significance.Portlandisknownasthecityofrosesbecauseofmanydifferentreasons.Acouple
werethatin1889,20milesofroseswereplantedinpreparationoftheLewisandClark
CentennialexpositionandtheRoseFestivalthatbeganin1907.However,mostpeopleattribute
thenicknameCityofRosestoLeoSamuel.LeowasthefounderoftheOregonLifeInsurance,

hegrewrosesinfrontofhishomewherehekeptsheersforpeopletocutaroseandtake.This
beganwhatisnowthegrowing,andsellingofflowers.
Thedistrictofthepearlhasalotofrelativelynewbusiness,andsomewouldsayitsmuch
differentthanPortlandbecauseitsmoreonthehighendside.However,thisdoesntstopartisans
fromhabituatingdifferentplacesofthepearlandsellingtheirbeautifulselfmade,handgrown
items.Walkingdownthestreetnexttoastarbucks,ondisplayoutsideareatleast20different
kindsofflowerslaidoutforpeopletobuy.Theyarepleasanttoseebecauseoftheirfreshness
anddifferentcolors.SammysFlowers(FigureA.1)trytoofferthebestselectioninlocally
grownflowers.Besides,theirlocallygrownflowerstheymakeveryartisanalbouquetsthat
screamPortland.Fromtheoutsidethebusinessisveryvibrantandeyecatching.Onceinside
theSammysFlowersithasaverywelcoming,warm,andcarefreeatmosphere.Thegirlswho
workthereareveryniceandwelcoming,theydon'tmakeyoufeelpressuredandarevery
knowledgeableinflowersaswellascreatingtheperfectarrangement.Insidetheshopthereare
differentkindsofplantsthatyoucanbuyandkeepgrowing,orforthepeoplethatarelesslikely
tokeepaplantalivetheysellsmallcactusesthatrequireveryminimalupkeeping.
IntheirwebsiteSammysFlowersdescribethemselvesasaPortlandflorist,thebest
floristinPortlandandsamedayflowers.Bysamedaytheymeanthattheywilldeliverto
mostofthePortlandmetroareaonthesamedayanorderisplaced.Theyareanartisanal
businessbecausetheirflowerscomefromlocalfarmersandarehandpickeddailytoofferonly
thebestmostfreshestflowers.Anotherkeycomponentisthattheyhavenamedtheirartisanal
arrangementsafterPortlandstreets.SomeexamplesaretheGlisanst.arrangementthatismade
upofsmallyellowandpinkroses,Johnsonst.whichare2dozensofredroseswithgreenery,

andlastlyaseasonalarrangementcalledValentinesinGooseHollowwhichisasophisticated
lookingarrangementwithdeepburgundycoloredflowers.
So,whatsetsartisanalflowersapartfromwholesaleflowers?AccordingtoCharles
HeyingPortlandsartisaneconomyisaparticularandlocalresponsetothelargereconomic
forcesthatarechangingourworld.(p.23)Thisbeingsaidartisanalflowershavetobelocally
grownratherthanmassproducedandshippedtotheUnitedStatesfromoutsideofthecountry.
AsSajidaTajstatesoneofthethingsthatsetartisanalflowersapartwasthatMorefamily
labourwasinvolvedinretailer'sshopsascomparedtowholesaler.(p.10)Tajalsostatesthat
flowersspecificallyrosesinpakistanthataregrownbywholesalersgothroughalotmoresteps
beforereachingtheconsumerthanthosethatarelocallygrown,asheshowsinFigureB.2.Inour
fastpacedeconomytimeisverycritical,thereforeflowersneedtobegrownfasterandinmuch
morequantitiestobeavailableyearround,andnothaltbusinessinflowershops.

Americanbasedgrowerscounterthatyougetwhatyoupayfor.Artisanalflowersare
pricedabitmorethanthosethatcomefromwholesalers,howevertheyhaveunique
characteristicsthatsetthemapartfromthosethatarenotlocallygrown.InanInterviewwith
MariadelRefugioNavarrowhogrowsherownflowersandplantsinMexico,shebelievesthat
oneofthe
characteristicsoflocallygrownrosesinparticularisthattheybloommuchbetterthan
thosethatareshipped.
About80percentofthecutflowersusedinflorists'bouquetsare
imported.(Departmentofagriculture)Navarrobelievesthatsinceflowershavetotravela
coupledaysfromthedatetheyarecuttothedaytheyhitthestore,theirbloomhastobedelayed
withdifferentkindsofchemicalsinordertobefreshatthestore.

WhencomparingarosegrownbyNavarrotoaroseboughtatthegrocerystorewecan
immediatelyseeadifference.ThebiggestdifferencethatInoticedwasthattherosedidn'tlook
likethetypicalperfectroseweresousedtoseeinginthegrocerystore.(FigureC.3)Navarros
rosewasbiggerinsizeandinhernurseryallofherflowersrangedfromsizeandtheirbloomsall
seemedtovaryaswell.Withthisbeingsaidwhenevershesellsabouquetofflowersnotwo
flowersarealikeintheirshape,color,orbloom.Navarrostatesthatwhatreallymakesherflower
arrangementsartisionalisjustthat.Thefactthatherflowerseachandeveryoneareallunique
andspecialintheirownway,makingherbouquetsallhaveapersonalityoftheirown.In
mexico,mostpeoplelookjustforbouquetsthathavealotofroses.RosesinMexicoseemtobe
moreembracedthananyotherflower.NowwhenSammysflowersmakeanarrangementitis
alsoartisional,howevertheirarrangementsexpresssomethingverydifferent.Sammysflowers
arrangementsscreamPortlandtheynotonlyincluderosesbutlotsofgreeneryandevenparts
oftrees,someevenincludecactuses.ThisishowsammysflowersincorporatePortlandsculture
intothePortlandartisaneconomy.
Whencomparingthepricesofanartisanalflowershopandflowersfromthegrocery
shop,therecanbeadifference.AtSammysflowersthepricerangeofsingleflowersrangefrom
$2.50to$5.00.WhileatCostco2dozensofrosesareonlypricedatabout$15.00andatFred
Meyerthey'repricedatonly$10.00.Thepricedifferencecanbeabigonewhenlookedatthis
way.Howeverifwelookatqualityoverquantitythepriceissuedisappears.Leavinguswith
goodqualityflowers,andgettingwhatwepayfor.
Since,theartisaneconomyissowellknownandsupportedmostPortlandersdon'thave
anissuewithpayingalittlemoreinordertohelpasmallbusinesssucceed.Thatiswhyour

artisaneconomyworkssowell,becausewearealwayssowillingtopayalittlemoretohelp
smallbusinessthrive.Purchasingartisanitemsisnotonlybeneficialtooureconomybutto
ourselvesaswell.Itisbeneficialtopurchaseartisanitemsbecauseweknowforsurethatweare
gettingourmoneysworthoftheitem.Theitemswillalwaysbeofthebestqualitybecausethey
aren'tmachinemade,rathertheyarehandmadewhichtakesmoretimeandefforttomake.
Anothergreatwaywecanbenefitfrombuyingartisanalproductsisthattherewillneverbetwo
identicalitems.Artisanalitemsarealwaysuniqueandspecialintheirownway.
AstheweatherstartstogetwarmerSammysflowers,willstarthavingawiderselection
offlowerstooffertheircustomers.OrinMariascasemostifnotallofherflowerswillbeginto
bloom,andcompaniesshesellstowillhaveahighdemandtobuyflowersfromher.Whatbetter
wayofsayingthankyou,congratulations,orjusttoadornyourhomebutwithfreshlocalartisan
flowers?Bybuyingartisanflowersnotonlydowehelpoureconomybutwetakehome
somethingprofoundlyspecialthattooktimetomakeorinthiscasegrow.
Therearemanybenefitstobuyinglocalartisanproducts,andPortlandhasanamazing
artisaneconomy.However,wemustnotforgetthattheartisaneconomyismadepossible
everydaybyourdecisions.Wedecideeverydaytobepartoftheartisaneconomybybuying
locallymadeartisanitems.Artisanscontributebymakingsuchamazingproducts,withouttheir
hardwork,wewouldn'thavethechancetoownthesespecialitems.
Normally,wewouldn'tthinkofflowersasbeingartisional.However,thankstolocal
farmersthattakethetimetogrowflowersnaturallywenowhavethechancetobuyartisanal
flowersratherthanstorebought.Flowersthatcomplementeachandeveryoccasion,whetherit
betoadornourtableourtogivetoalovedone.Artisanalflowersaresuretoimpressyour

guests,familyandfriends.Theyareperfectforeveryoccasionandwithoutadoubthelpour
artisaneconomy.Whatsnottolikeaboutartisanflowers?

WorkCited:
Heying,CharlesH.
BrewtoBikes:Portland'sArtisanEconomy
.Portland,Or.:Ooligan,2010.
Print.
"MexicanGrownFlowers."Telephoneinterview.15Feb.2015.
"ArtisanEconomyInitiative."
ArtisanEconomyInitiative
.Web.20Feb.2015.
<
https://artisaneconomyinitiative.wordpress.com/
>.
Beck,Margery."'slowFlowers'"
AbcNews
.AbcNews,7Feb.2015.Web.20Feb.2015.
Taj,Sajida,etal."PriceSpreadAndMarketingMarginsOfCutRoseInPunjab,Pakistan."
PakistanJournalOfAgriculturalResearch
26.1(2013):815.
AcademicSearchPremier
.Web.
26Feb.2015.

FigureA.1

FigureB.2
Graphthatshowsdifferentstepsthatartisanflowersvs.wholesaleflowershave


FigureC.3
ArtisanalRose


FigureD.4
Verygenericlookingrose(exportedandstoreboughtatFredMeyer)

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