Valentines Day is the biggest day of the year for local florists.
Stevestons Prickly Pear has been fielding calls for days leading up to the most romantic day on the calendar Feb. 14.
However, how many of us actually consider where our cut flowers come from?
Many florists purchase their flowers during the winter months from South America, more specifically Ecuador and Colombia.
Fair Trade Vancouver a non-profit organization that seeks to increase awareness, availability, and sales of Fair Trade products in Metro Vancouver (www.fairtradevancouver.ca) reports that while your bouquet might be beautiful, there is also an ugly side to how they are farmed.
Flowers produced in South America are reportedly among the most toxic and heavily sprayed agricultural crops in the world. And there are concerns surrounding the low pay and poor working conditions of those in the field, particularly women and in some cases children.
Fair Trade Vancouvers My Fair Valentine campaign aims to provide tools, resources and ideas for consumers concerned about where their flowers come from this Valentines Day.
Prickly Pears Brian Gilmore and his business partner Patti Maskall said 90 per cent of its cut flowers are locally grown.
We buy our flowers from the Fraser Valley but 10 per cent, such as the carnations and orchids, are from South America, Gilmore said. However, all of our potted plants come from the Fraser Valley.
Its too expensive to farm flowers in Richmond.
Amy Lopez, who along with her husband Abe Lopez, own Richmonds Touch of Class Florists and Fresh Touch Flowers, said they buy most of their flowers at United Flower Growers Co-operative Association (UFGCA) auctions. According to the UFGCA website (www.ufgca.com), its B.C. growers, most of them in the Fraser Valley, attempt to operate environmentally friendly farms.
Most of our clients like mixed bouquets of flowers, so some of the flowers will be local and others are imported from Ecuador, said Amy Lopez. Like most small florists, we buy most of our flowers at auction and our roses through a wholesaler. We normally only sell roses for birthdays, anniversaries and Valentines Day.
Approximately 75 per cent of all cut flowers sold in Canada year-round come from Colombia and Ecuador and another 10 per cent from Holland, the rest are from Kenya, California, Ontario and B.C.
