Give the Mother's Day Gift that Grows

Hopefully you know by now that Mother's day is Sunday, May 12.  If you are like most Americans, you will be giving your mom flowers.  In fact, Mother's Day is the 2nd biggest floral holiday in the United States, with 70% of gifts being fresh cut flowers.

However, if you are enviornmentally conscience, then you know that cut flowers, surprisingly, are one of the least eco-friendly gifts.  Did you know that 90% of the fresh cut flowers we get in the U.S. come from Colombia and other South American countries?  Some even come from Isreal and as far away as Thailand, Australia and Holland.  Canadian cut flower growers have begun tapping into the American market too, exporting roughly 4.8 million stems and bunches. Mexico, Costa Rica and Chile are other budding flower producing nations as well.

California and Florida still provide the U.S. with cut flowers but despite their long history of quality fresh flower production, many domestic growers are struggling to keep up with the foreign competition.  They are faced with much higher energy, land and labor costs than their offshore competitors.

With all the world focusing on going green and reducing their carbon footprint nowadays, why not give the gift of something living for Mom this Mother's Day?  

Plant her some of her favorite flowers in front of her home or give her a hanging basket to hang on her porch. What about planting her an herb or vegetable garden if she has a love of cooking, like myself? 

So go GREEN for Mother's Day......It's good for the local economy, good for the green earth and it's something that Mom will enjoy all sumer long!   ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿