Have a Green Valentine’s Day

Posted by Katie Elzer-Peters
February 13th, 2009
Filed in Organic Book Reviews
Tags: flower, gardening, seeds

Happy Valentine’s Day (almost) everyone!  Need a gift?  Ditch the pesticide/chemically drenched conventionally grown cut flowers and go green!  This morning, I learned that my husband is planning for us to celebrate this event.  So, basically, I find myself in the position that most men find themselve in on or near Valentine’s Day.  I HAVE NO PLANS!  I have no gift.  I have no idea.  I thought we were past this.

The Dirty Truth about Roses

I recently read the book Flower Confidential: The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful in the Business of Flowers. For one, I just love Amy Stewart’s writing style.  She could write about worms and make the book fun.  (Oh, wait, she did write about worms!  Check out And the Earth Moved and other books in our Organic Gardening Book Store!)  I always enjoy behind the scenes peeks at industries, especially those in which I work. 
I knew a little bit about the cut flower industry, but not nearly the detail Stewart describes in her book.  In addition to telling some fascinating stories about the Dutch Flower Auction and the Flower Clocks, along with the tragic story of the development of the much-beloved Star Gazer Lily (the creator died penniless and unknown), Stewart pulls the curtain back on the dirty deeds done to cut flowers in the name of beauty.  Let me put it this way:  you don’t want to put petals from 99.99% of cut flowers in your salad, regardless of whether the un-treated plant is “edible.”  ‘Cause when the growers, shippers, and florists finish with them, they aren’t.

In addition to the chemicals you are exposed to when you buy cut flowers, the workers that grow, harvest and ship the flowers practically bathe in the stuff, dipping the blooms into vats of toxic treatments all without adequate protection.  Hard to enjoy your flowers when you know that the growers have major health problem after sending you your beautiful bouquet.  For the ultimate behind the scenes look, read the book!  In fact, if your Valentine is an avid organic gardener and reader, this book would make a great gift!

Go Green on this day of Red

You can give your sweetie something he or she is sure to love and give a little love to the planet while you’re at it!  Here are some greener gifts ideas for Valentine’s Day.

• The book Flower Confidential. This way, you don’t have to explain why you didn’t spend $100 on roses!
• Organic cut flowers.  It isn’t too late to order from places like Organic Bouquet or California Organic Flowers.
• Houseplants.  A guy up in Alaska had a great article about giving houseplants for Valentine’s gifts.  He admits that the houseplants that are conventionally grown have also been exposed to chemicals, but not in as great a concentration.  Additionally, the workers growing houseplants are exposed to fewer chemicals, and with more protection.
• Seeds.  Give a gift of flower or vegetable seeds, tucked into some new gardening gloves.  This is the time of year when gardeners are drooling over their seed catalogs, trying to narrow down their selection.  Casually ask your sweetheart to show you pictures of the plants for which he or she wants to order seeds.  Then, sneakily order them!

Don’t get left in the dog house (compost bin?) this Valentine’s Day.  Treat your organic gardener to a guilt-free gift and you will be loved forever!