In January I posted about a book, Flower Confidential by Amy Stewart. It had not been published yet, but I was intrigued about what it might teach those of us that live in the city. It looked as if it would blow the doors wide open on a secretive industry.
I expected sensationalism, controversy...you know, dirt.
This book takes a better road. This is not about floral espionage and conspiracies; what Stewart gives us is a well-researched and fair-handed account of the cut flower industry.
New York also has its fair mention, from bygone Harlem flower farms to upscale florists on Broadway. We have a long history with cut flowers. And, though times have changed, prices – as Stewart points out – have not by much. In a recent Op-Ed piece in the NY Times she writes:
In fact, it is surprising how affordable flowers really are: 120 years ago, the best roses sold in New York for $18 a dozen, and arrangements went for $40 or $50 — this at a time when hotel rooms rented for $5. Today a bouquet costs about the same as it did then, but $5 won’t cover cab fare to a hotel, much less a room for the night.
Instead of raising prices, the industry finds more efficient ways to deliver the long-lasting and cheap flowers we demand. If we ask for flowers grown in an ecologically sound way by workers who are treated fairly, the industry will deliver. But they may also charge a fair price. In a time when a movie ticket costs ten dollars for 2 hours of entertainment I will pay more for something that I can enjoy for a whole week. Do I expect everyone to feel that way? No. But I can dream.
Amy Stewart's book is fascinating. It shows us the lengths the industry will go to deliver what we want. It is a book full of anecdotes, facts and statistics of the kind that you cannot shake out of your head, and hopefully will rise to the surface when you are contemplating your next bouquet.
Here's a roundup of reviews for Flower Confidential.
You can find Amy Stewart blogging here and here.
matt at apartmenttherapy dot com
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
I would love to know where in the city, aside from farmers' markets, I could find "flowers grown in an ecologically sound way by workers who are treated fairly". Also, does anyone know if good and ethical mail-order companies? I am all for pressuring the industry.
I am so glad you asked this.
I think if you start to read over Amy Stewart's blog (and her book) you will find out more about what the floral industry is doing to certify their products and growing practices.
The only one in the U.S. that puts their sticker on the flowers for the consumers to see is VeriFlora. You can ask your florist if they have flowers that come with this certification. Organic Bouquet also uses Veriflora certified flowers.
I have been told that WholeFoods carries bouquets with the Veriflora sticker. There are other certifications used around the world but their sticker never makes it onto flowers sold in the U.S. So you may or may not be buying 'the good guys'.
The best first step is to ask your florist. They will then start to question their suppliers. Who will then question the growers. At some point the industry will listen. They may even realize that people will buy MORE flowers if they know about how they are grown. we have organic food and fair trade coffee - flowers can be next.
But even among certifications, there is a big difference in quality. Click on my name to see what the Chicago Tribune had to say about FlorVerde, the certification used within Colombia.
But honestly, besides Wholefoods, and the Greenmarkets there is not one I have seen. My local florist, when I ask, tells me when the flowers are locally grown.
If anyone knows of a good florist that sells organic or certified flowers please share wit the rest of us!