Asocolflores Donates Flowers to the Antioquia Back-saddle Flower Artisans

The customary Flower Swap kicked off the 57th Medellin Flower Festival in Colombia this past Friday, August 1st, 2014 in the midst of the delivery of the first 500,000 stems of flowers donated to 500 Santa Elena Back-saddle Flower Artisans. The event is an tribute to these traditional specialized flower artists, and is jointly organized by the Mayor of Medellin and Asocolflores.

A flurry of pompons, gerberas and hydrangeas changed hands among the bustle of Back-saddle Flower Artisans present thanks to the annual flower donation originated by Asocolflores 15 years ago with its member companies. With this annual gesture, Asocolflores contributes to the conservation of the tradition and values of these regional rural farmers – farmers with a knack for a unique-in-the-world flower arrangement prowess. This coming Sunday, August 10th, these world-class artists will parade the fruits of their labor through the streets of Medellin for all to see.

The Antioquia region produces nearly 20% of Colombia’s export-quality chrysanthemums and hydrangeas slated for international markets.

Asocolflores and its member companies will not only donate over 600,000 stems for the Back-saddle Flower Artisan Parade, but will also contribute the flowers for one of the more recent festival attractions – the 5 Flower Giants, as shown in the photo.