Avoid buying imported flowers and instead use the plants, trees and herbs from your local environment to decorate your home
Flowers and foliage go a long way towards making a house feel like home. However, imported flowers from supermarkets and flower shops come with a high environmental price tag. Fresh cut flowers are treated with synthetic pesticides, which are known carcinogens that can pollute waterways and seep into drinking water supplies. They are grown intensively using large amounts of water, fertilizer, pesticides and are refrigerated and transported long distances – all of which generates a large amount of carbon emissions.
As an alternative, consider using foliage, flowers and herbs from your own garden, a local woodland/park or a friendly neighbour’s garden perhaps? See below photos for some inspiration!
If you are buying a gift for someone maybe consider a plant rather than cut flowers, and if possible look for locally grown plants and flowers (ideally sustainably certified), as these are more sustainable, protect biodiversity and require minimal inputs.
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