My mission at J. Lynn Florals is to provide floral consumers with a sustainable choice for purchasing fresh flower bouquets and arrangements.
We grow all of the flowers that we use in our designs without the use of harmful pesticides or chemicals. Our bouquets and arrangements are designed using only recyclable or compostable materials that are not harmful to the environment.
Consumers need to be aware of the impact that importing flowers has on our environment and our health. Listed below are a few very compelling environmental related reasons to purchase seasonal sustainably grown and arranged flowers from a local flower farmer or farmer florist in your area.
Have you thought about where the flowers you purchase from your local florist or grocery store come from?
Imported flowers are one of the most carbon-intensive crops in the world. The majority of the flowers used by florists or sold at your grocery store are imported from countries such as Columbia and Ecuador, rather than from seasonal local flower farms. Doesn't it seem wasteful to transport these flowers to Canada to live in a vase for just a few days?
Not only are the flowers flown, shipped or driven long distances from other countries but they are also loaded with toxic chemicals and pesticides that are used to grow and preserve them.
Photographs by Breezze Creative
Ever wonder how the bright coloured flowers in grocery store bouquets get their unnatural colours?
Harmful dyes are being used to change a flower's natural colour. Bleaching flowers and fillers are equally as bad for the environment. Flowers go through an extensive bleaching process with chemicals that are not allowed to be used in Canada as they are toxic. Once dyed or bleached, flowers can no longer be composted.
What about the plastic sleeve that your flowers are wrapped in?
Most wholesalers and growers wrap their flowers in single use plastic wraps which end up in our landfills.
What is the green foam used in the arrangements you buy from the florist?
The green floral foam that is used by many florists in their designs is made out of micro-plastics and chemicals such as formaldehyde smoke, phenol, cresols, xylenols and sulfur dioxide. Floral foam is single use, non-compostable and breaks down into micro-plastics that are dangerous to both our waterways and wildlife.
These are only a few of the reasons to buy only local seasonal flowers from growers in your area. There are also the health and well-being issues of the floral workers in Ecuador and Columbia that I haven't even touched on.