As recently reported in the
New York Times, the cut flower industry is finally beginning
to wake up and smell the roses. There is money to be made
selling organic and sustainably raised flowers, which are
now available mail order and at savvy supermarkets like
Whole Foods.
This is lovely, as far as it goes, but like the organic
spinach that goes from California to New York, most of those
flowers are going a lot farther than is healthy for the
planet.
And like most conventional cut flowers, they tend to be
stiff and boring. Don’t think you’ll be able
to put together combinations like this:The solution as usual
is to buy local, which is getting easier and easier. Independent
florists sometimes offer organic blossoms from fairly close
by, and farmers' market growers are increasingly likely
to sell cosmos and zinnias as well as carrots and zucchini.
From mid-spring to late fall, an impulse stroll through
the market is likely to yield the makings of a first class
bouquet. But when you need enough for – oh, let’s
say a wedding – some planning will be required. A
few green event planners include organic flowers as well
as organic food, but in a lot of cases you’ll have
to do the sourcing yourself.
Start asking around as soon as possible; these deals can
take some time to set up. Northern growers may not be selling
flowers yet, but they will know whether they’re planning
to and what they’re planning to grow. If you strike
out with local leads, try the searchable database at localharvest.org
before you give up.
Using the shopping tips below should help you find the right
grower. If you can swing it, make that two right growers
and order duplicates of everything. It’ll cost more,
obviously, but when the event is important it’s worth
having insurance.
Reasons: Most retail flower farms are small; weather is
highly variable – a hailstorm might hit one location
and leave one 10 miles away unscathed - and in real life,
manure happens. Worst case, you’ll have done even
more for local farms and will have extras to give away.
Flowers for those who’ve helped with the event is
always nice, or you could share your happiness and donate
them to your local food bank. People who can’t afford
enough to eat have probably gone without cut flowers for
quite a while. |
Select a Florist
