It’s great when you can turn your passion into your life’s work. This is what Syrian expat Abu Mustafa has been doing for over 25 years in Kuwait. His flower shop is filled with beautifully designed bouquets of different types of flowers and colors, all made by him. He and his partner work for six hours daily in shifts. “When I was young, back in my home country, I used to regularly visit my uncle at his flower shop and worked with him during school vacations. I fell in love with this work, and decided to do the same,” Abu Mustafa told Kuwait Times.

His dream came true after he concluded his studies and obtained a university degree in philosophy. “I love drawing and painting and flowers are very similar to art, as they symbolize beauty. After my graduation, I realized that I could turn my passion into my profession, so I launched ‘Farah Flowers’ with my partner 25 years ago,” he said.

Most flowers in his shop are imported from the Netherlands. “Dutch flowers make up about 90 percent of my stock, while the rest are from Africa, Colombia, Ecuador, Iran, Thailand and other places,”

Abu Mustafa said. “All my flowers are natural. This is the only field that has not yet been invaded by fake or imitation products. I never spray water on the flowers, as this may cause the flowers to fade as oxygen is blocked,” he said. Abu Mustafa receives fresh flowers twice a week that are transported by air. “Apart from special orders, I have a fixed quantity that I order every week. But during special occasions, the quantity increases. During Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and New Year’s, our flowers are in great demand,” he stressed. “Out of all the flowers most sought, red roses top the list, followed by lilies and orchids for their strong essence and fragrance. In general, the color red is the most prevalent color amongst flowers. When we mention the word flower, we immediately think of a red rose,” he noted. ”Sometimes, customers demand bouquets containing particular flowers and colors that aren’t an exact match to the ones I have, so I arrange them with my special touch to make the bouquets look beyond beautiful!” he added.

The logistics of floral beauty

Prices depend on the size and the type of flowers. “On a daily basis, I prepare 15 to 30 bouquets, and the majority are small-sized baskets that are not very expensive and everyone can buy them. I also prepare expensive bouquets that cost around KD 200, and these usually depend on the orders placed. The prices are high due to the expensive flowers used, which are from the Netherlands. Also, customers pay extra for some seasonal flowers like chrysanthemums and some types of lilies, as these flowers are ordered from abroad,” Abu Mustafa told Kuwait Times. “It takes around 15 minutes for me to prepare small bouquets or a regular basket and rarely more than that for special orders. Big bouquets take between 30 to 60 minutes depending on the details,” he added. Usually, he prepares the bouquets at the shop, and only for big occasions does he go to the venue. “For wedding parties, I have to see the hall and other decorations, and the bride’s dress if possible, to choose the best-matching bouquets. I also consider the customer’s demands.

It takes us half a day to prepare the floral arrangement, as we do the smaller pieces in the shop, while we spend about six hours in the hall to prepare the flower decorations. We have to wind up work two hours before the guests start arriving,” Abu Mustafa explained. “We also do floral decorations for graduations, birthdays and sports events. We previously worked for the honoring of HH the Amir, the award ceremony of a local football cup and many graduation parties. For birthday parties, it depends whether it is at home or a public ballroom, as space in a home is usually small and the selection is limited.

We have also decorated a yacht for an occasion,” said Abu Mustafa. There are special patterns of bouquets and baskets depending on the occasion. “I follow international trends in arranging flowers and always look for new designs. I don’t copy them, but get inspired. I use pearls, crystals and mock diamonds to decorate wedding baskets and wedding seats. For newborn baskets, we add small toys and so on,” he said. Abu Mustafa concluded that he is happy, now that more people are interested in flowers. “Everybody buys flowers now, while in the past only certain categories of people were buying them. It’s nice that flowers have become a basic part of people’s life. This is why there are so many flower shops in Kuwait, and all kinds of flowers are available now.”

By Nawara Fattahova