Flower Gardening

Local Flower Farms: A Great Source for Fresh Flowers

By Jean Starr

Do you know where those flowers come from? The ones in other-worldly colors wrapped in cellophane and heaped in colorful chaos at the supermarket? Chances are they were grown in Columbia, where they were drenched in an anti-fungal agent before being packaged and hopscotched from refrigerated containers on ships or planes to trucks before arriving at florists and chain supermarkets throughout the U.S.

According to the California Cut Flower Commission, nearly 80 percent of all cut flowers sold in the United States are imported from South American countries. Columbia is the biggest exporter, followed by Ecuador, Mexico, Netherlands, Costa Rica, Kenya, Thailand, Guatemala, Peru and India.

It’s no wonder flowers have become just one more inexpensive produce item offered at the supermarket. American florists also have been ordering their products from the array of options provided by countries with ideal weather and cheap labor.

While some commercial flower growers sell only to florists, others sell at farmers markets and supermarkets. Many flower farmers offer design services and can design an entire wedding from fresh flowers they grew and harvested themselves.

Why Go Local?

There are several reasons to consider a florist who purchases at least some of her flowers from local American growers. Buying locally-grown is a win-win situation, ensuring freshness while injecting just enough variety in each individual blossom. Think about the typical bouquet of roses. They’re pretty much identical—grown and bred for uniformity. This isn’t the case with local field grown flowers. A little diversity in a clutch of dahlias, for example, makes a bouquet much more interesting.

Related Featured Articles

Cut worthy Flowers Come in Many Forms
Cut worthy Flowers Come in Many Forms
By Jean Starr
Read article
Seed Starting for Cut Flowers (Easy-to-Grow)
Seed Starting for Cut Flowers (Easy-to-Grow)
By Jean Starr
Read article

Related Videos

How to Prune Roses and Make Bouquets Simultaneously
How to Prune Roses and Make Bouquets Simultaneously
Runtime: 3:03
Watch Video
Winter Garden Bouquets: Creative Ideas and Suggestions
Winter Garden Bouquets: Creative Ideas and Suggestions
Runtime: 3:24
Watch Video

Related Blogs

Early Springtime Musings- Hyacinth Memories
By Andy Vanable
Read this post
Support Your Local Farmer’s Market
By Julianne Jamel
Read this post

Here’s more information about gardening that you’re going to want

Membership has its perks!

Become a PlantersPlace member! Registered users can ask Marianne Binetti questions, create personal photo gallery and post product reviews.