Flowers might not seem like a controversial topic; after all, who doesn’t love them?
But spend a few minutes with a Maryland flower farmer, and you’ll make a startling discovery: approximately 80 percent of the flowers sold in the U.S. are imported from abroad. Big whoop, you may think; we import lots of useful things, like envelopes and wine and wedding dresses. What’s so great about Maryland flowers versus flowers from Colombia or Thailand? Buying local flowers can result in better quality blooms and support a healthier environment.
Better Quality Blooms
Imported flowers undergo a lengthy, complicated journey from field to florist. After being harvested, flowers are placed in a cool room to remove field heat, preserved in a hydrating solution, wrapped in plastic, sealed in boxes, loaded onto a refrigerated truck, and flown by refrigerated cargo plane. Upon arrival to the destination country, they are stored in a cold hall, until they can be inspected by customs officials for disease. Next, they are delivered via refrigerated truck to the wholesaler, who, 3 to 7 days after they were first picked, finally hands off the flowers to the florist. The entire time, the flowers must be kept at 33 to 35 degrees Fahrenheit; any deviation from this temperature and the blooms will deteriorate rapidly.
While the cold chain process is efficient, transport can take a toll on flowers. “Your flowers are putting on thousands of miles and lots of people are touching them,” explains Kelly Weisner of Davidsonville’s Fairytale Farmette. “It’s not good for the health of a flower.” In fact, there are specific varieties, Weisner says, that are too delicate to be shipped out of water. “A pretty, lacy-looking Cosmos is going to look like garbage once it’s gone through that whole process,” she says. Other blooms, like Dahlias, bruise too easily to travel from abroad.
Fairytale Farmette
There are also breeding practices to consider; international growers often prioritize uniformity and vase life over fragrance, whereas local growers can prioritize size, color, and heirloom varieties. Sarah Hultz, the third-generation owner of Zangs Farm, grows 40 different colors of Dahlias. “That’s something you’re not getting from a large-scale producer, who might just do 10 of the most popular colors,” she explains. Many local purveyors, such as Anchored Roots Farm in Hollywood, will also factor in trends or even plant specific blooms for a couple that reaches out a year in advance.
Zangs Farm
A Healthier Environment
In addition to benefiting consumers, buying local blooms can benefit the environment. Imported flowers have a huge carbon footprint and are often pumped with pesticides to achieve a near-perfect appearance. In many cases, international growers are not subject to the same regulations as growers in the United States. They are able to use toxins that have been linked to reproductive problems, developmental delays, and neurological disorders—posing serious risks to floriculture workers and their unborn children.
While not all local farmers will be organic, consumers have the option to self-select no- or low-spray farms that use integrative methods. Local flowers also support the pollinator population, providing vital food sources for butterflies and bees.
Anchored Roots Farm
Drawbacks
(Specificity, Seasonality & Quantity)
Local flowers aren’t the right choice for everyone planning a wedding. “You have to be the kind of bride that is open to being educated by the florist,” Weisner says. Most blooms have short seasons or might not grow in Maryland at all, so couples have to be flexible and willing to make substitutions. For example, for a bride who likes birds-of-paradise, a tropical plant that isn’t grown locally, Weisner might suggest calla lilies. Priscilla Leitch of Anchored Roots Farm likes to focus on seasonality. She encourages couples to pick a “feeling, a couple of shades and textures” and leave the rest to her. “Too often, brides lock into one or two flowers, when other varieties might be blooming that week that would work well,” Leitch explains. “We like to use what’s in season and really time stamp the moment.”
Set on white roses in December or clouds of baby’s breath? Neither will be Maryland grown, but that doesn’t mean you have to rule out local flowers completely. Look for a florist that takes a hybrid approach. Dede Hoopes, the owner of Easton’s Chesapeake Blooms, sources locally grown blooms as much as possible, often supplementing from her own garden, which in the spring is full of peonies and lisianthus. She purchases flowers from overseas only when she has to — when a bride’s preference for a specific bloom or budget necessitates it. For example, although American-grown garden roses are beautiful, depending on the season, it can be cost-prohibitive to do a large-scale wedding with them.
Flower farmers have different interests and capacities for supporting events. Some, like Weisner, enjoy working with couples to design bouquets and arches. Others, like Hultz, simply offer bulk buckets for DIY arrangements, and have ongoing relationships with local florists, including Days of May Florals, Full Bloom Aesthetics, and The Lke-Mnded Collective.
Visit marylandgrownflowers.com for a comprehensive list of flower farmers in the area. Or if you want to go the more traditional route, ask your florist: Do you buy local?
