Sustainable floristry is a huge area of focus and really important to Meadows and Mulberry. As a working florist it is important to consider where materials come from and where they are going to lessen my environmental impact.
There are many ways as a florist I can start to be a little more eco-friendly. From not using cellophane wrap, plastic ribboning and other single use plastic through to creating foam free flowers. I made the decision to avoid using Oasis Floral Foam in my Wedding work at the start of 2020.
What is it? It is a single-use synthetic plastic that is not biodegradable and contains carcinogens which are not only harmful to the environment, but also to us as florists. It cannot be composted and it is finding its way into the water although further research is required to determine what broader impacts this has on aquatic life.
I am pleased to say there is a growing movement of florists championing this cause and raising awareness of our need as florists to address ways we can be more eco-friendly. Not using floral foam is the easy bit! The next step means you have to find other ways to create the floral displays that adorn churches, ceremonies, tables and gorgeous spaces.... this is where the mechanics of our displays come in!
Creating foam free flowers releases these worries, reducing any lasting damage whilst bringing joy to wedding couples, becoming more sustainable and environmentally friendly is certainly high up on my agenda. So it's all about using the old methods of frogs, containers, chicken wire, glass jars and so on...
We use floral frogs which sit in the bottom of the container, where we then stick stems or chicken wire into them for structure, add moss, and finally, simply add water. To ensure this approach is as sustainable as can be, we continuously reuse the moss and containers.
We often get asked whether big floral features can be made, and the answer is... yes! There are many different installations that we do, which are foam free! For example, we have the Copper Octagon, Beech Arch. These are covered in pots, jars etc... and to hide all of the mechanics moss is used and the flowers are added.
The movement behind foam free flowers has fuelled my inspiration and drive to work as environmentally as I can. If you are interested to read more about these topics, then follow @sustainablefloristry and @nofloralfoam on Instagram. There are so many links to so many great accounts that are doing wonderful things for the Industry of flowers.
What comes next is our interest in sourcing quality flowers and addressing where our flowers come from!! Another topical issue.
