(Care2.com) Many of us will be buying or sending flowers for Valentine's Day and Easter and Mother's Day. You may not know that it is now possible to send organically-grown flowers. There are very real and important reasons why this is the best choice.
Find out why organic flowers are best—and where to buy them. According to Organic Bouquet, growing flowers organically:
- Reduces toxic chemical usage.
- Brings life to the soil.
- Best for the environment.
- Safer for farmers and farm workers.
- Promotes long-term sustainability of farmland.
One of the problems with pesticides is that they don't stay put: They drift, getting into and contaminating water supplies, our homes, gardens, and bodies. Since many pesticides have been implicated in ozone depletion and the rising incidence of cancer, non-organic flower-growing has a serious impact on our health and the environment.
Rather than using toxic chemicals to destroy pests, organic farmers rely on prevention, and also on growing thriving, pest-resistant plants through healthier soil and environment. So organic flower-growers not only reduce the amount of toxic compounds in the biosphere, they actually improve the environment and promote the sustainability of farmland.
Many of the flowers we buy at supermarket floral departments and florists come from other countries where pesticide regulations are far more lax than they are here. Floral workers suffer the risk of exposure to chemicals that have been banned in the United States.
Support the health of our planet and ourselves by supporting the organically-grown flower industry. Here are a few links to help you find organic flowers.
To order organic flower bouquets:
And to find local organic growers, see Local Harvest.
