DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR FLOWERS COME FROM?
Most consumers, even some people that work in the floral industry, don’t know the origin story of their flowers. It’s not their fault. Lack of information has been pervasive in floriculture for many years. But much like the “Slow Food” movement that has driven the expansion of sustainable and organic practices used to grow and transport our food supply, a “Slow Flowers” movement has begun to take hold in floriculture. The Slow Flowers movement encourages understanding about how flowers are grown, who grows them, where they grow, how the flowers are treated for pests and disease, who is harvesting them, and whether those workers are treated fairly with living wages in safe conditions. When we engage in asking these questions and finding the answers, we are empowered to make more informed decisions about principles we support and how we spend our money. Consumer demand for change in food production has propelled the food industry to meet a new standard. They are producing organic, higher quality food and providing more transparency to their customers. Floral consumers are now catching up by asking the same questions. We believe that the floral industry can change, in part, by reconnecting consumers with the people that grow green things. When you know your local flower farmer, you know the where, how, and why of the flowers you purchase and that supports a healthier supply chain that improves the local economy and the environment. We want to be a part of that and we hope you do too.
Things you may not know about flowers
A long way to go for a stem
How many miles does a flower travel after being cut before it ends up in a U.S. florist shop or grocery store? Too many, way too many. The sad truth about the U.S. floral market is that flowers are traveling by plane more than 2000 miles just to get to their first entry point at Miami International Airport. Their second leg of the trip involves being trucked to all corners of the U.S., adding another day or two onto their trek. During this marathon trip, cold storage is critical to try and slow the dying process of these fragile blooms. This only multiplies the already massive carbon footprint that this “commodity” requires. To put this into perspective, the three weeks leading up to Valentines day, one of the biggest days for flowers (right next to Mother’s Day), the carbon dioxide emissions top 360,000 metric tons! For contrast, if local farms provide these flowers, at most they have to be hauled by van or truck between 100-200 miles or less.
Not all flowers are created equal
Clofentezine, famoxadone, methiocarb, and pyridaben. Sounds like a mix of Greek and an alien language, but these are actually pesticides that are known to be toxic to humans and yet are still to this day allowed to be sprayed on flowers coming in by the millions through the Miami port of entry. And this is just the tip of the iceberg! These are irritants, carcinogens and toxic to multiple organs. Chronic, high dose exposure to these chemicals can cause life long health problems for florists, floral designers, and consumers. Many argue that growers MUST use these pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides to have a chance of producing high volume, quality of flowers. We don’t believe this is how it has to be, and we bet most people wouldn’t either, if they knew about it. And that is the real problem, a lack of information and exposure to the true identity of the chemicals that are hiding on most imported flowers. To change this troubling reality, more education about the floral industry is critical. Floral designers, florists, flower farmers, and consumers can support innovation in green and organic growing practices buy altering their sourcing practices. We may feel powerless to change such a vast problem, but we can collectively speak with our wallets. No industry can ignore that.
Here’s what local looks like
It’s all about community. When you invest in your local community you get so much more in return and this is especially true of the flower world. We’ve met the kindest and most generous floral enthusiasts, floral designers and we want to pay homage to many of them here. Thank you to the designers and market customers that keep us motivated and encouraged to forge ahead, even when the road is bumpy and unknown.
Our Market Customers
We adore our customers, many who have become dear friends.
We have the great fortune to work with some of the best floral designers in the world.
From top left: Haley Tobias (Cedar & Lime Co.), Tonya Jones (Wilding Flowers Co and Kentlands Flowers and Bows), Blair Lynn (The Sweet Blossoms), Amy Balsters (The Floral Coach), Caitlin Robinson (Sungold Flower Co).
Falls Church Farmers Market transformed our business
Every week we get opportunities to talk about the benefits of local flowers.
We have learned so much from the floral design community
From top left: Susan Mcleary (Sue Mcleary), Lauren Anderson and Rachel Bridgewood (Sweet Root Village), Holly Chapple (Holly Chapple Floral Design), Deborah Hudgens (The Little Garden Spot Floral Design), Christie Lopez (Propel Business Coaching).
The art that Floral Designers create is nothing short of amazing.
From left to right: Terry Godfrey, Ellen Seagraves (Chic Florals), Ursula Gunther (FleursDC), Francoise Weeks, Mary Sall (The Pink Poppy), Holly Chapple (Holly Chapple Floral Design).
The Floral Design community has embraced us and we will always make them a priority.
From left to right: Lauren Anderson and Rachel Bridgwood (Sweet Root Village), Meg Owen (Meg Owen Floral Design), Amy Cordy (Drive By Flowers), Sarah Khan (Sarah Khan Event Styling).
We get both floral enthusiasts and floral designers at our markets which makes for a great way to spend Saturday mornings.
Designers pictured here: Tang Austin (Tang Austin Floral), Annie Kelly (aifiorillc).
our green methods
We’re passionate about growing as green and sustainable as possible. Learn about the organic methods we use and why.