THIS is fascinating

You know the areas of South America that were SO known for drugs a few years ago? They were growing poppies, among other things, and poppies are.....flowers.

These days, when you stroll down to your favorite flower seller and buy a bouquet, you're most likely buying flowers grown in and imported from one of those areas. The growing conditions are excellent on the high savannahs there, labor is cheap and plentiful and the American market is endless.

AND, they know what we Americans want: huge head size, strong stems, long-lasting color and foliage--a long vase life. They're furiously breeding for those qualities and producing exquisite colors, too.