Green Flowers. Available in Every Color

"Sustainability is the ability to achieve continuing economic prosperity while protecting the natural systems of the planet and providing a high quality of life for its people. Achieving sustainable solutions calls for stewardship, with everyone taking responsibility for solving the problems of today and tomorrow-individuals, communities, businesses and governments are all stewards of the environment". (US EPA) 

Green flowers are often an overlooked element of a green lifestyle. You may share the top three reactions I get from people when I introduce the concept:

• "Aren't all flowers organic?" No, they aren't. Organic refers to farming practices for agricultural products, including food and flowers. Visit this link from the USDA for a fact sheet. Flowers are commercially grown on large farms in regions around the world, and farms may use practices similar to food production. Just as there is a distinction between organic and conventionally grown food, so is there a distinction between organic and conventionally grown flowers.
• "What does it matter since you dont eat flowers?" It matters for a lot of reasons, including the health and safety of the farm workers who handle the product and are exposed to chemicals and the environmental effects on the soil and groundwater. The sustainability standard for cut flowers is called Veriflora, which address eight elements of sustainability including the environment, people, and product quality. A handful of farms in the US and other flower producing countries such as Equador and Colombia have been certified. By using Veriflora-certified flowers, we are supporting the efforts of these farms and influencing other farms to go through the certification process and do business in a more sustainable way.
• "We should just use potted plants instead." While its true that potted plants do live longer than a cut flower arrangement, they just aren't a substitute! I feel that most people who think this way are making a great effort to do things more green, but in the absence of knowledge about the green alternatives to conventionally grown cut flowers, namely Veriflora and organic flowers. And since sustainability strives to create a balance between the environment, economic, and social forces, we must remember that there is a huge economic engine behind the $20 billion annual floral industry and cutting flowers out of your corporate or event budget could have unintended economic and social consequences. There are also thousands of floral designers whose livelihoods depend on your support.

Are you Planning a Green Wedding?

Green weddings are an emerging trend for brides and grooms who want to start their lives together without contributing negative impacts on the environment. Recent publications highlight the ingredients for a green wedding:

Elegant Bride, Winter 2007          

The Knot Website, Spring/Summer 2007    

Backyard Nature          

Brides, January/February 2007       

New York Times, 2/11/2007                          

Orange County Register, 4/2/2007

Portovert Magazine 

NBC4 News, 4/6/2007 

I'll post more resources as I learn of them. Find something not listed here? Email a link to me! 

The Spiraled Stem Floral Design is proud to be one of the first wedding and event floral designers in Southern California to offer a comprehensive sustainability program for our eco-conscious clients who are planning a green wedding, companies that are going green, and those who want to incorporate green elements into their event. As we are collectively beginning to understand how we can each reduce our environmental footprint, I examined my business practices and found ways that I can reduce the impact of my business on the environment and promote sustainable practices in the wedding and event industry. Here is what I commit to my clients, and the environment, as part of my Sustainability Program:

Organic/Veriflora/Local Flowers

   Container Rebate Program

Containers of glass, wood, ceramic, wrought iron, etc. can be returned to me after the event for a cash rebate. The amount of the rebate will be determined based on the type/size of the container. This allows you and/or your guests to enjoy the flowers at home, but not be stuck with a container that may end up being thrown away. A sticker will be hidden on each container that encourages your guests to pass the container on to their local florist for their reuse if its not effective to return individual containers to me.

Eco-Friendly Containers

Many of the standard glass vases commonly used in event work are made in China, requiring a long supply chain and a lot of packaging to arrive unbroken. I am sourcing alternatives made from recycled glass and/or made in the US whenever possible, as well as using alternative containers of wood or vintage vessels when the design allows. I am avoiding the use of toxic and non-biodegradable floral foam as much as possible. I deliver bridal bouquets in blumeboxes, which are made of recycled materials and can be recycled, and they ship flat and are not fragile. They can be easily personalized for the event or client. Blumeboxes are also great for centerpieces that can be personalized with the table number, as decor for businesses that can have their logo added to it, or as gifts that can have an eco-friendly message easily displayed on the box.

Soy Candles

All candles and votives will use soy candles. Read about the benefits of using soy candles here.

Rental Items

Featured below are some of the items that are available to be rented for your wedding. I can share rental item inventories with several Orange County wedding florists, which expands the items I can offer, and reduces each of our needs to purchase and store large props.  

         Silver Candelabra Pedestal                      Pedestal and Urn                      24" Glass Cylinder                 30" Fluted Glass Vase

                                                       Manzanita Branches                         30" Eiffel Tower Vases              Black Wrought Iron Stands

                                            White Organza Aisle Swag                       Wrought Iron Arch                              Wrought Iron Hooks

                                 White Fabric Aisle Runner                   Stands with Glass Vases

                                                                                              Satin Fabric Sashes             Satin Aisle Runner/Swag

                                                                                                  Additional Colors Available - Made to Order

     Also available - Bamboo Arch and Chuppah (Green and Natural), Wrought Iron Chuppah and Centerpiece Stands,

Variety of Glass Votives, Soy Candles Made to Order-Custom Colors and Sizes, Tall Glass Vases (Square, Fluted, Cylinder)

Reduce, Recycle, Reuse

Floral materials come packaged in a lot of paper, cardboard, and plastic. When shopping at the flower market, the custom is to wrap flowers in newspaper, which I can reuse for packing arrangements, but I always end up with more than I need. I don't wrap any but the most delicate flowers in newspaper and box the rest. I recycle all of the paper and plastic materials I can at the studio. The City of Anaheim has a composting program where all of my cuttings are composted with yard waste.

Delivery

Business Practices

I recently created a new postcard, which was my first purchase of print material using www.greenerprinter.com, an eco-friendly printer who uses recycled content paper and soy-based ink.

Additional Sustainability Measures

I am constantly looking for more ways to go green, and I will share those as I discover them!

Please email me if you have a tip to share.