Greening The Flower Ecosystem

Flowers are at the centre of every occasion -- from birthdays and anniversaries to work celebrations. A beautiful arrangement is what makes every occasion elegant and beautiful. According to Market research, the Indian floriculture market size reached Rs 231.7 billion in 2022 alone. In this growing industry, the art of floristry is evolving.

Florists are upskilling everyday and trying to adapt to new sustainable and environment friendly methods of floristry.

Florists today are moving far from the plastic wreath or silver chain, they are opting for methods that include natural products, such as forms made of tree branches, tree barks and eco -friendly foliage.

The global cut flower industry leaves behind  a massive carbon footprint by using synthetic chemicals liberally, harming farmworks and habitats, to produce convenient blooms in contrast to robust blooms available at local farms.

Shopping at local farms from around the country for eco-friendly foliage not only helps with securing organic chemical free foliage, but it means investing in farms that value their workers, biodiversity, ecology, ethical farming practices and superior quality blooms. Flowers from local farms brim with fragrance that blooms from big boxes cannot match. 

Floral arrangements can be designed and put together in countless ways. Florists always have the option of choosing ethical techniques like replacing floral foam with moss, wood wool, straw chicken wire, floral tape grids and so much more. Customers today have the option of choosing from foam free arrangements which helps florists to be more forward thinking and sustainable.

As florists, choosing sustainable methods of thrifting and upcycling from local artisans are ways to reduce the waste cycle. As a florist it is important to understand that any vessel holds water and can be used as a vase. It is the arrangement that truly matters. Shallow bowls, cocktail glasses, pitchers and vintage bottles can be used to showcase blooms. 

As a florist it is important to always ask the Why question when putting together floral designs and arrangements. It is pivotal to make conscious decisions when choosing flowers and techniques to put together an arrangement. Opting for minimalistic approaches like the Japanese art of Ikebana, makes floral arrangements minimalistic with less wastage and great affordability while adding to the heightened awareness of everyday beauty.

Seasonality plays a vital role in the art of floristry. Making use of seasonal blooms, along with branches, moss, vegetables, fruits, seed pods, mushrooms and foliage makes a great table top arrangement. Seasonal arrangements never fail to add spark and wonder in comparison to rigid expectations.

The cut flower industry of today is built to match expectations of customers while resorting to cheap packaging that is mostly manufactured and made of plastic that serves for a single use only, accounting to an increase in plastic waste. Arrangements often come in layers of packaging and choosing butcher paper in place of plastic is a great alternative.

Fresh cut flowers require plenty of water to remain fresh, lush and beautiful, water wastage can be minimised by measuring the water requirement per arrangement or by marking fill lines on buckets. Changing water from buckets can be used to water pots and plants, which means it doesn't have to be poured down a drain.

Turning floral scraps such as cut steams, leaves and petals into floral feed or compost is a great way to feed future flowers. 
Organic floral waste turned to compost improves soil life as it ensures harvests are abundant and helps close the loop of the floral cycle i.e. soil to flowers and flowers back to soil again.

Collecting floral waste and handing it over to a local farm to add it to their compost system is a useful way to prevent the use of chemical fertilisers.

Practising the various methods of floristry to be more sustainable and environment friendly is not easy but it is worth the effort.

(Garv Singhal is founder and ceo, Farmerr.)