Building a Sustainable Flower Business

One of my goals this year is to build a more sustainable flower business from seed to centerpiece. Because wedding flowers y’all? Despite the blooms + gaggles of greenery involved, they’re not so green.
 
According to the United States Department of Agriculture around 80% of flowers are imported. So they’ve already racked up A LOT of frequent flier miles, and quite the carbon footprint, before they even arrive at your florist. They’re fumigated at the border, and who knows what the hell they were sprayed with before that? I’ll tell you who knows friends- my sad, sad florist paws the day after a big event. They’re chapped, cracked, and ready for Halloween. I will spare you that visual.
 

The environmental impact doesn’t end once the flowers reach your florists hands either. Flowers arrive with packaging (both paper/plastic) and one of the more popular methods of flower arranging involves floral foam, a non-biodegradable petroleum product. And of course there are more sprays.

So what’s a floral designer to do? Throw up her hideous hands and call it a day? And how about all you newly engaged folks with stars in your eyes and visions of peonies in your head?

Don’t despair. I want you to have your peonies damn it! We’ll get through this together- you’ll have your flowers, I’ll have my hands, and hopefully we all (you, me, and mother nature) have a little more green in our pockets this year.

Here at Winston & Main, we already avoid flower foam, compost our trimmings and scraps, and recycle as much packaging as possible.

In 2017 we will:
*Find and use local flowers whenever possible
*Donate Day-Old wedding flowers
*Get serious about Flower Farming in Los Angeles + plant our first bridal garden

There is an aesthetic bonus to all of this of course, a silvery green eucalyptus-like lining. Ahh eucalyptus. Be still my heart. Just like a garden fresh tomato tastes like sunshine and a store bought tomato tastes like dirty water, fresh flowers look, feel, and last longer.

The magic lies in their imperfection. I don’t know about you, but I’ll take a wonky garden rose over it’s more manicured long-stemmed cousin any day.

Join us! If you’re in Southern California (or beyond) I’d love to chat about making your wedding flowers more sustainable, more affordable, and more beautiful AND we still have some availability for 2017!

Less waste. More love. I’ll have some local fresh flower sources for you soon + updates on my wannabe flower farmer adventures.

Photos: Linda Abbott/Kirsten Ellis/David Coe/W&M