Store bought flowers

[CrazyCatLady]

Wasn't sure where to post this, feel free to move it.

This is something that has played on my mind for a few months now. I don't know what I think about it because I don't know enough on the matter.

How do others feel about store bought flowers? Are they good or bad for the environment? I have tried see hung online and can't find anything. If you do buy them, do you have the option of organic and if so do you buy them?

Looking forward to reading some answers. Thanks xxx

 

[Second Summer]

I think some of them are grown in Africa and transported here (UK) one airplanes. It's not what you'd call "sustainable".

 

[SummerRain]

Most flowers are flown in from elsewhere, although some shops/supermarkets do also sell flowers grown in Britain and if you go to a flower shop and request British-grown only flowers I'm sure they'd be happy to help. If there is the option of British-grown I tend to buy them, I don't look for organic though (that's true of food also).

I do also buy flowers not grown in the UK too, which is also true of food, clothes, etc etc etc. It's not a "I wont buy them if they're not British grown" type of thing, but if I have the option I prefer to buy ones grown in Britain. I know Tescos do British flowers.

Hopefully in the future I'll have my own cut-flowers in my own garden! Although that reminds me of when my mum picked some wild flowers from my nans field for the house and was really chuffed at how pretty they were... until everybody asked what the funny smell was. A cat must have peed on them because they stank of urine!

 

[AeryFairy]

Thought this might be better in the environment forum

I never really buy flowers... Can't remember the last time I bought any. But we're looking for potential flower replacements for our upcoming wedding, so I've been looking into alternatives and exploring the option of British-grown flowers too.

 

[lucky_charm]

Someone once told me the flower industry is just as exploitative as the food industries where the products are from hotter and generally poorer countries- I mentioned that I only bought fairtrade bananas, cocoa powder, coffee, tea and sugar and I was asked if I only bought fairtrade flowers also- I hadn't even thought about that. The environmental issue is also a concern. I tend not to buy cut flowers for people- I more often buy potted plants- and I have recently tried to buy only plants grown in Scotland/ Britain.

 

[SummerRain]

Someone once told me the flower industry is just as exploitative as the food industries where the products are from hotter and generally poorer countries- I mentioned that I only bought fairtrade bananas, cocoa powder, coffee, tea and sugar and I was asked if I only bought fairtrade flowers also- I hadn't even thought about that. The environmental issue is also a concern. I tend not to buy cut flowers for people- I more often buy potted plants- and I have recently tried to buy only plants grown in Scotland/ Britain.

This is also a concern for me, I have noticed lots of places have started felling fair trade flowers in the UK though, including most supermarkets etc (http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/products/retail_products/product_browse.aspx?comps=FLOWERS).

Lots of people I know buy potted plants rather than cut flowers for these reasons... but personally I love cut flowers and don't really like potted plants so much. So I make an effort to buy ones grown in the UK and where that's not possible I look for fair trade.

 

[ledboots]

Thought this might be better in the environment forum

I never really buy flowers... Can't remember the last time I bought any. But we're looking for potential flower replacements for our upcoming wedding, so I've been looking into alternatives and exploring the option of British-grown flowers too.

Is your wedding in a flowery season? I have seen really pretty and innovative ideas that incorporate just a few flowers, or just alternatives. I love lots of flowers at weddings, I have to say. At my wedding, another bride was getting married later the same day, and we went together to the florist and split the cost of the church flowers. I had fun planning my wedding.

Here in Florida, US, some flowers are grown for commercial sale, so cut flowers are pretty easy to find and relatively inexpensive, and so are potted plants that will do well if planted outside.

 

[Moll Flanders]

I don't buy flowers that often for the reasons mentioned already. I have bought fair trade flowers from Aldi (or Lidl) and Asda do them too. I do buy Daffodils in the Spring.

 

[RabbitLuvr]

I love cut flowers but I've always been so disappointed when they wither, it's quite upsetting to me. I buy roses once a year when a local grocery store has a sale on them, but that's about it.

I do know the environmental and labor issues are as exploitative as the food industry, though I've never seen fair-trade cut flowers. (It's been a long time since I've been in an actual florist shop, though.)

I got married in Hawaii, and the day of the wedding Husband and I went down to the Chinatown in Honolulu and bought fresh cut flowers for the day.

I read a book once about the cut flower industry. It was quite awhile ago, but the main thing I remember is the awful chemicals that South American roses are dipped in before shipping.

Edit: The book I read about the flower industry is Flower Confidential, by Amy Stewart. Published in 2007, so I don't know if the info in it is totally out of date.

 

[CrazyCatLady]

Thanks for the replies so far. It's definitely given me more to think on! Xxx

 

[shyvas]

I only buy artificial flowers. I think that flowers look best growing naturally in soil, in a garden or in woodland.

 

[Moll Flanders]

I have tried to buy artificial flowers but I have only found ones made from silk.