Some thoughts on sustainability
I remember a course I took on sustainability in college back when the word was just starting to become the buzzword it still is today. I thought we’d be discussing our impact on the earth but instead, for the entire semester we dissected the word. Meanings in different contexts, defining what, how, for whom and for how long we are talking about. Since then I have been skeptical of using the word.. especially in a business context.
But in my little corner of the world, the term sustainable floristry is something I think about daily. To me the word suggests that we are considering how our choices and actions are affecting the global systems we are a part of. Are we making choices that contribute to healing, not destroying? I know I’m not perfect and always have a long way to go.. but here are some things we pay attention to when working with flowers and trying to lessen our negative impact on the earth. I do not wish to shame or point fingers, but hope we can collaborate as florists and flower lovers as we strive for a cleaner industry.
-Local flowers first. We support our farm and other local/regional growers as much as possible. When I do ship, I order directly from farms or co-ops if possible. When ordering from outside wholesalers, I am conscious of what is in season near the wholesaler and ask for domestically grown flowers (not imports). I’m also always looking for the wholesalers who do not pack their products in unnecessary packaging and plastic.
-No floral foam ever! I didn’t know how horrible floral foam was until I really started diving into design. How could it be that bad? It’s green and flowers come in it! Well, turns out it’s one of the most destructive parts of the floral industry. Those green bricks are a toxic single use plastic. Even worse, it’s made up of micro plastics that crumble when used, getting all over the florist working with it, into our water systems and soil. Floral foam makes it so we can’t compost the flowers that were in it. I don’t know how we got here, to a place where we take a gift from the earth like flowers, stick it in plastic for a single event and then throw it in the landfill where it won’t feed our soil, all in the name of convenience. Florists designed without floral foam for thousands of years and we can absolutely do without it.
Luckily there are people out there promoting foam free mechanics, showing the world how you can accomplish massive floral projects without foam. People like Alyssa with Flowering Minds, Sustainable Floristry Network, Shane Connolly, TJ McGrath Design, Siren Floral Co… plus some amazing innovations in the works like Phoam Labs developing a cornstarch based “foam” alternative and New Age Floral for other foam free mechanics. My favorite is simply chicken wire and water.
I know it can be tough: florists are already sometimes working on thin profit margins and clean up without foam takes more time to separate the mechanics from the flowers after the event. However, we need to normalize this and charge accordingly for our time. On the farm, in exchange for the extra time it takes to clean up, flowers are composted and feed our soil for future growing seasons.
-Compost! Our flowers NEVER end up in the landfill. When clients ask me what happens to their flowers after events, I tend to giddily explain how amazing compost is. I mean, it’s pretty cool that flowers from a wedding in spring of 2023 are broken down and feeding the flowers for 2024 events. I love compost. We have onsite composting in a bin system that also serves as a good workout plan when it’s time to flip a pile. Our laying hens help heat the piles up with their manure, which also encourages us to clean out the coop.
-Foraging. We take minimal amounts from each plant, harvest with gratitude and are aware of the regulations of the land we are taking from. When cutting from private land, we get permission. People are usually stoked to share or are confused about why we are so excited about some funky shrub in their yard.
-Balance. One other piece to sustainable floristry that I am constantly learning and being challenged on is finding the right balance of work, play, self care, family time and other responsibilities. I truly believe we can make better choices in our businesses if we are taking care of ourselves and the people around us and not burning out. Without finding this balance, it is much easier to cut corners and choose the “easier” option that could be more destructive. For me currently, this is being very intentional about the clients I work with, making sure our values are aligned and that the flowers will reflect this connection. I have been so lucky to have worked with some really incredible couples, planners and other vendors this Spring who have been incredibly trusting and almost as giddy as me about the local Spring blooms.
Grateful for this work and for the incredible gift of flowers. Some images of the gardens captured some years ago by the talented Elisha Braithwaite
