Sustainable is Here to Stay
Sustainability is a buzzword that has its roots in 18th century German forestry, but has been flying around in the mainstream for much less time. Its evolution in the restaurant and hospitality industries has been quick, but it has started to take hold in the floral world as well. Clients are not only interested in where a product originates, but the vendor’s environmental practices as well.
When the world came to a screeching halt in 2020, supply chains were rapidly cut off, and overseas flowers were left floundering on docks and in shipping warehouses. Florists able to stay in business made the necessary pivot to patronizing nearby growers. Here at Garden Vivien, we have continued to expand the existing relationship with our local Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware farms in an effort to not only reduce our carbon footprint, but to support our industry friends. It shouldn’t take a world-wide crisis to “shop small” or “buy local” but we are continuing to doing our part to work with the local floral community and keep each other’s businesses blooming!
Let’s be honest….flowers are definitely a luxury item. When we’ve designed arrangements for large galas, we could see hundreds of arrangements gracing the elegant tables, bars, and stages. Sometimes guests are encouraged to take the flowers home at the end of night. Mostly these beauties come back to the shop and unfortunately make their way to the refuse bins. In order to give them a bit more life, we work directly with the client, then in turn with hospitals, nursing homes, and VA staff to repurpose those arrangements and add a spot of color to someone’s day.
It’s no secret that landfills are in a dangerous position. By utilizing biodegradable and natural wraps for bouquets, we are keeping extremely harmful plastics and carcinogenic floral foam out of the oceans and away from our furry friends. Making use of recycled glass vases helps to lower greenhouse emissions, keeps reusable containers out of landfills, and even cuts down on energy costs. We all probably have several vases gathering dust from loved one’s previous sweet sentiments. Our designers would be happy to take them off your hands and turn them back into a beautiful bouquet of fresh fleurs! Think of a continuing daisy chain of love…
These small steps remind us to keep looking down the road to ensure the beauty of our planet is maintained. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and look for new building blocks in sustainability. We are all here to continue to learn and grow and hopefully preserve our natural world for the next generation.