Flower Facts:

* 80% of the cut flowers sold in the U.S. are imported from other countries. Yes--your florist likely sells imported flowers.

* Unlike fruits and vegetables, flowers are not screened for illegal pesticides before they enter our country.

* A study in 2017 found that at the end of the day, florists had 111 toxic pesticide residues on their gloves!

So, that cheap, colorful supermarket bouquet on your counter could literally have 1000 times the levels of chemicals considered to be safe for food...and we touch them...and smell them...and sit them in vases where we eat!  And then...millions of chemically treated flowers are dumped into our landfills...

The answer? BUY LOCALLY GROWN FLOWERS! 

Most local flower farmers work hard to utilize sustainable growing practices so that their flowers are not only gorgeous...but safe.  I grow all my flowers with NO chemicals. It's a bit of extra work (and chicken manure and fish emulsion don't smell that great!) but at the end of a busy day on the farm, I know that my bouquets were grown without compromise!

I love a fresh bouquet more than anyone. Because I have some hefty family responsibilities, however, selling fresh flowers is not possible. So, I learned to preserve them so I that I can work with them on MY timetable...and am honestly quite smitten with the results!

Dried flowers have become very trendy recently, particularly because they are so economical compared to fresh flowers. While the cost of a dried arrangement may be the same or even a bit more at the outset, properly cared for dried flowers will last at least a year, and likely several, while fresh flowers last days...not years. This saves money, but also is far better for our environment than the imported flower model.

I hope you'll hop on the local, chemical-free dried flower bandwagon with me and bring everlasting beauty into your life!