In the UK we are buying more flowers than ever, as gifts and to decorate our homes. Whereas we have started demanding locally produced, seasonal foods, we often give little thought as to where our flowers originate, and the impact their production has on the planet.
Over two-thirds of flowers on sale in Britain come from abroad. The country we import the most from is Holland, with large quantities also coming from Kenya, Colombia and Israel. But you might well find proteas from South Africa, anthuriums from the Caribbean, carnations from Morocco and roses from India in a bouquet from your local florist.
Flowers are no different from food crops in that they require energy to grow and also rack up carbon footprints as they travel from their point of production to our living rooms. Therefore, this week we are asking you to pledge not to buy intensively farmed flowers from afar.
As with food, a greater distance from the country of origin to the UK does not necessarily equate to a higher carbon footprint for cut flowers. A study conducted by Cranfield University found that 12,000 rose stems grown in Kenya incurred a carbon footprint of 2,200kg CO2, while the equivalent supply from Holland generated 35,000kg CO2.
The Kenyan roses thrived outside in the sunshine, while the Dutch ones were grown in greenhouses heated by fossil fuels. The annual yields of marketable stems were almost 70% higher per hectare in the Kenyan operation.
As with the debate over whether we should buy long-haul foods such as green beans from Kenya, it is worth noting that the cut-flower industry provides income for as many as two million people. Likewise, Colombia's flower industry contributes to the livelihoods of 800,000 people.
However, environmentalists are concerned that the rapid expansion of the flower industry around Kenya's Lake Naivasha is draining the lake of precious water and polluting the environment with pesticides. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization rated more than a third of toxic chemicals in use on some Colombian flower farms in 2005 as "extremely" or "highly" toxic.
A better option, therefore, is to adopt the same approach to flowers as to food, and aim to buy locally produced, seasonal varieties as much as possible. The website Online Florists has a list of what's in season. You can order seasonal bouquets of flowers that have been grown outdoors from Isles of Scilly Flowers and Scent from the Islands.
If you have the space, the best idea is to grow flowers yourself. Daffodils and tulips are a good bet for spring in the UK, sunflowers, sweet peas and rudbeckias offer bright summer colours, while heathers, ivy and holly can be used for winter decorations. Wiggly Wigglers sell almost 100 types of wildflowers and traditional flowers for planting in British gardens.
Just as home-grown beans plucked from the plant taste a lot better than travel-weary refrigerated ones, so garden-fresh flowers look and smell a whole lot better than flown-in pesticide-soaked carnations bought from a roadside garage.