Why? Because there’s more to buying flowers than we think
NOT-SO-ROSY FACT
ALL roses for Valentine’s Day in the UK are imported.
Flowers seem to slip through a loophole in our carbon consciousness and most of us think nothing of buying a big bunch of supermarket blooms. Take a closer look though, and this is what we found out!
First, they are mostly grown abroad. The Netherlands leads with Kenya, Ethiopia, Ecuador, and Colombia on its tail. They’re often flown to keep them fresh and refrigerated trucks are used to transport them to and from airports. Refrigeration is expensive on emissions, think another 25%.
Second, flowers can be grown in heated or cooled greenhouses to counter climate variations, make them grow faster and to guarantee growth for peak sale periods - like Valentine’s Day. That’s more emissions.
Third, they slip past pesticide regulations as flowers aren’t edible crops. They’re often treated with a cocktail of toxic chemicals that seep into the soils and groundwater, damaging local ecosystems, wiping out bees, and some even eroding the ozone layer.
And then there’s the packaging, which is typically not biodegradable or recyclable.
Wot. Who knew?
Ok got it. Now what?
So the main thing is, that it’s not about not buying the things that give us joy (who wants to be a grumpy monk) It is about choosing consciously. Just like we did with fruit and veg, the idea is to go as local and seasonal as you can. It takes a bit of effort, but feels so good. You’ll be supporting local industry, keeping farms happy and encouraging wildlife and biodiversity.
Here’s some ways:
Join the burgeoning Slow Flower movement i.e flowers grown in a considered manner and not rushed through with chemicals and artificial interventions. To order in-season flowers online or pick some in person (how nice is that!), here’s a local grower directory.
To know what’s in season, here’s a useful list.
When buying from a supermarket, check the label. They’re not yet obligated to state the country of origin but they usually highlight it if they’re British grown.
Where possible buy flowers wrapped in paper not cellophane (try your local florist).
And if you love your flowers and want to find out more, look out for British Flowers Week on 15-21 June 2020.
But will it cost me more money?
Depends on your pick of the bunch…
We…
Aimee: I’m typically a supermarket shopper when it comes to flowers. I’ve never looked at where they’ve come from so this has been a revelation for me! Having looked at Flowers from the Farm, I’ve found loads of small, local growers around the corner from me. Looking forward to trying them out to find a new go-to place for lovely, local flowers.
Sonia: For presents, I love, love, sending flowers from Bloom and Wild, but having re-checked their policy, they tick a lot of the boxes apart from home-grown. They make the case for some overseas flowers having a lower footprint, but…I might plump for The Great British Florist with the UK grown guarantee, till the balance shifts. For my own flowers, I’m going to switch to the florist down the road. A bit more expensive which is why I don’t usually, but..
“Say it with home-grown flowers
”
Photo: Brooke Lark