How are locally-sourced flowers different than those purchased
at the grocery store?

 

Here in the United States, well over 70% of flowers used in the floral industry are imported from places like Central and South America. Flowers are picked up to three weeks before they arrive at the florist or grocery store. Because most flowers are shipped dry, they’re bred specifically for durability; not delicacy, beauty or fragrance. However, when you buy flowers locally, you can be sure that flowers were harvested as recently as the morning of your purchase. Local flowers last longer in the vase than imported flowers because they have not endured the stress of travel.

 

Have you ever noticed that you don’t see zinnias, dahlias, sweet peas or cosmos for sale at your grocery store? Local flower farmers can grow and sell a wide range of flowers, many that are quite delicate, because they are not subjected to long-distance shipping. Purchasing local flowers allows you to enjoy more out-of-the-ordinary blooms. Not only that, but flowers purchased locally reflect the time of year in which they’re grown. Enjoying local flowers is enjoying nature’s subtly changing seasons. You’ll celebrate the arrival of tulips in spring, hydrangeas in summer and heirloom chrysanthemums in fall. If you’re crazy about a certain flower (for me, it’s Sweet Peas), you’ll anticipate it’s season of bloom all the more sweetly.

 

So many of us want to make the world more beautiful. When you purchase local flowers, you are actively reducing the burden of burned fossil fuels on our planet; local flowers are not shipped thousands of miles. Additionally, many flower farms, including Bloom Junction, practice sustainable and organic farming methods. Pesticides and harsh chemical sprays never touch the flowers, leaves or soil. The number of small scale flowers farmers in the United States and around the world is rapidly increasing; the majority use sustainable growing methods. All of this care for the earth and its inhabitants adds up to make a huge difference.

 

You can make a difference, too, by being aware of the impact of your purchasing choices. More and more consumers are choosing to purchase regional, seasonal flowers not only for their beauty, but also for the immediate benefit to the environment and local economies. This new awareness has sparked the Slow Flower movement and it’s spreading around the globe. Almost anywhere you look, you can find gorgeous fresh flowers passing from the hands of local flower farmers straight into those of flower-lovers in their own community. What can be more beautiful than that?

Read more about the Slow Flower movement here.