It’s American Flowers Week! This floral celebration runs from June 28- July 4 each year and celebrates American grown flowers and the farmers who grow and florists who use those blooms.

Flowers are growing in all 50 states right now and the diversity of plants is extraordinary. A large portion of American grown flowers are produced on California farms but there are flower farms in every state. The Pacific Northwest and New England in particular has a great number of flower farms. Florida provides a large amount of foliage to the floral trade and Alaska’s second largest export is peonies!

However, approximately 80% of the flowers used in the U.S. floral trade are imported from other countries. While there will always be a need and market for imported flowers, many are trying to sway that percentage to include more American grown product. The infographic below highlights some of this information.

Why does this matter? One of the main reasons is the environmental impact. Shipping those flowers creates a much larger carbon footprint than purchasing from local farms would. Purchasing from local farms also puts more money into our local economies.

As a person and as a business, I strive to live in an environmentally friendly way by recycling, composting, and making decisions with the environment in mind. I also try to support local businesses whenever possible so it makes sense that I would support the local flower movement!

Something else that using local flowers provides is uniqueness. Not every flower can survive the shipping process. You can often purchase flowers and foliage from local farmers that you may not see in the mass market. Also, scent is commonly an attribute that is bred out of flowers to help them survive the shipping process. A bucket of local blooms is almost always more fragrant than a bucket of imported flowers. Think of it like a tomato–Do you prefer a tomato that was shipped to a grocery store from hundreds of miles away or one picked this morning from a local farmer and place on their farm stand?

If you are interested in learning more, you can visit www.americanflowersweek.com or www.slowflowers.com .

If you are interested in purchasing local flowers I encourage you to visit the following farms and stores/markets in the Evansville area. You can buy directly from them or at the places listed after their business name.

Emerald Design–Farm 57

Timberview Flower Farm–River City Coffee + Goods, Mayse Farm Market, Franklin Street Bazaar

Darnell School Road Farm

Eastham Flower Farm–Franklin Street Bazaar

Black Water Flower Co.–Market on Main

Thanks for reading!