Where do your flowers grow?
Imported cut flowers are increasingly common and often cheaper than those locally grown, but they have a hidden cost, writes Katie Newton.
Few things can make you feel more virtuous and thoughtful than giving someone a bunch of flowers – unless of course you find out that bunch was flown half way around the world in a fug of carbon emissions and pesticides, arriving in their vase a whole week after they were first cut.
While buying New Zealand-grown flowers doesn’t guarantee they are organic or will last longer, it is one way to reduce your carbon footprint and support our local industry.
The benefits of buying local was the focus of New Zealand Flowers Week last week, which aimed to encourage florists and consumers to ask about where their flowers were grown.
‘‘Whether you’re a florist, grower or simply love having fresh flowers in your home, it’s time to think about where your beautiful blooms have come from,’’ says Rebecca Jones, marketing manager of New Zealand Flowers Week.
‘‘Here in New Zealand we are so lucky to have such a vibrant retail industry and talented growers who deliver an exceptionally diverse range of quality product.
‘‘We really are spoilt for choice when it comes to variety, availability and price.’’
About 900 florists and 800 domestic growers operate around the country, growing and selling hundreds of varieties of flowers each week.
Growers are found all over the country, but areas such as Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Manawatu¯ and Canterbury have the highest concentrations.
These growers have been under increasing pressure in recent years to compete with an expanding market for imported flowers and foliage as imports are estimated to make up almost half of all cut flowers sold.
And it’s not just the threat to our local industry and the imports’ extreme air miles that makes buying local a more sustainable option; flowers grown overseas are subject to our tight biosecurity controls, meaning their chemical exposure is likely to be much higher.
The best way to know where your flowers come from is to talk to your local florists and flower retailers to find out their place of origin and check labels where possible.
At this time of year, locally grown seasonal blooms include varieties such as peonies, hydrangeas, sunflowers and delphiniums, while those that are grown here year-round include roses, lilies and gerberas.
With our temperate climate and greenhouse growing, most varieties are able to be supplied throughout the country, although peonies are typically grown further south as they need the cold.
Alanah Conner from Christchurch’s A Twisted Bunch has worked as a florist locally and overseas and loves the diversity and variety of flowers and foliage available in New Zealand.
‘‘I adore seeing the clear seasonal changes we have in our floral markets from autumn to summer and the differences in availability from the North Island to the South Island,’’ she says.
‘‘The quality is always amazing and you cannot beat the freshness aspect, direct from grower to market.’’