In my vast experience of life (all twenty odd years of it), I have found that the best ideas often start with a Gin & Tonic.

Have you ever wondered how a simple chat about nothing in particular could turn into a discussion on what we as individuals and businesses can do to save the planet?

This week I popped into our neighbouring business, Hennings, the wine merchant for a bit of advice. I needed to find out which of the many brands of gin currently on the market would go with a new tonic water that I’d discovered. The discussion started with a simple question about single-use plastic. Hennings have recently made a corporate decision to do whatever they can, not only to reduce the amount of waste they produce, but not to stock products sold in single-use plastic bottles and this got me thinking.

How green is your florist?

Well, obviously we have lots of green flowers and foliage. There couldn’t be a greener business than floristry, surely? Fresh flowers are naturally biodegradable and do so in a relatively quick time, so do I really need to worry about The Flower Shop’s environmental footprint?

I thought some more;

Oasis, something we use almost a daily, isn’t easily biodegradable and ends up in landfill. I quickly searched for biodegradable oasis and there are some varieties available which are more environmentally friendly…but at a cost.

Oasis used by most florist

Floral cello essential for aqua-packs

Cellophane, again something we use all the time, not only for wrapping but for creating aqua-packs (Hand-ties in water filled cellophane pouches). For obvious reasons aqua packs can’t be water soluble and therefore tend not to be biodegradable, but what else can we use? Aqua packs are very popular but here are alternatives, we can send bouquets in glass vases for only a fraction more than it costs to aqua-pack and box , customers can even bring in their own vases which we’d be more than happy to fill with the perfect arrangement or we can simply wrap and deliver in tissue and paper, finished off with lengths of reusable ribbon.

Then there’s the air miles!!

There are some flowers such as ‘Astromeria’ that I will always source locally, then there are seasonal flowers which I can and do buy from the UK, but if you want the best quality roses all year round, or a tropical twist to a grand occasion, then they have to come from Holland or from as far afield as South America.

So, what can WE do?

Giving you, my lovely customers, the very best quality flowers at a reasonable price will remain a top priority, but I’m also going to try and source as much recycled, biodegradable and more environmentally friendly products as I can. As existing stock is replaced I will let you know what’s changed and why, so keep an eye on our Facebook page.

What can YOU do?

As I’ve mentioned, you are always welcome to bring in our own vases, vessels  and receptacles for us to fill (the more obscure the better), or ask us to deliver in a glass vase (we can do this at very little extra cost), or ask for flowers wrapped in paper or tissue rather than an aqua-pack.

If you think there’s a chance your flowers might not find themselves in water for some time, then we would always recommend an aqua pack, but don’t worry, be assured that The Flower Shop, Pulborough are doing our utmost to keep the planet green.