Starting with dumping my florist. Sorry Mr Lee on Lyndhurst terrace, but I am going to have to stop my regular trips to your sweet little flowery haven.
As much as one loves cut flowers, the cost of these beauties has increasingly become clear. Commercial, large scale flower farming comes with a host of problems- pesticide overuse, carbon emissions that transporting these beauties entails, human cost in the form of bad working conditions for the farm workers- pesticide exposure, water source pollution- to think of a few.
For some time now, I have been trying to sustain my love for fresh flowers in ways that are less damaging to the environment. Uploading a few pictures and ideas- most of which are pretty obvious, but I am putting them together anyway.
The first of course is to grow your own blooms, if you are lucky enough to have a garden.
I have been growing Hibiscus, Bogun Villa, Gerbera, Orchids and Anthurium on my small balcony for some time now. The plants are able to provide small single stemmed arrangements if not huge centerpieces on a daily basis.
Less is more ! A single stem is enough to give you enough flower power sometimes. It helps to work with various textures and materials in the form of pots containers and platters to complete the arrangement.
The next time you are out walking, try to notice flowers and foilage that grow in your own neighbourhood or city. A few wild flowers, originating from trees or shrub - Bauhinia, Gulmohur, Frangipani, the stunning Amaltas- very evocatively called `Sona Jhuri' in Bangla - there is a limitless bounty available with the changing seasons around. But do be kind with how much you pick..!
Last but not the the least, potted plants are a wonderful alternative to cut flowers. Combine plants with different colours shapes and textures for fun results.
Would love to hear of similar stuff you might have done at your home or are able to think of. Coming up more ideas, big and small to save, conserve, recycle and reuse.. Watch this space.
10 comments:
hi girl about home. that was such a good post and the photographs are beautiful (as always). yes, there are so many alternatives to sad cut flowers forced to bloom in artificial conditions. i find potted plants (and my bottled ones) a wonderful alternative. sometimes if a pot of chinese balsam is in full bloom with its riot of colour i bring it into the house for a day or two and at christmas, a cutting from my pointsettia shrub, blooms beautifully within a pot and doesn't mind being indoors for awhile.
:-)
Thanks for Sharing Priya! Whats a christmas without pointsettia glam indeed...
Hi chandan,
no posts for a long time.i was actually waiting for your posts.Hope u read my blogs.u can find flowers in plenty there.Loved ur images as alwways...keep posting
What an inspirational post. I love your camera work, can I ask what camera you use? I'm a stylist working on a portfolio and just wondered.....
Lakshmi, Have frequented your lovely blog often.. Thaks for dropping by!
Black Zebra, Am glad you like the pictures. I use a Nikon digital SLR camera.
I so agree! I am a frequent picker of flowers fallen on roads, in gardens, and think that twigs, branches, even some wild shrubs make such interesting arrangements. Sadly as much as I love small potted plants, I can never get them to flourish within the home..:|
P.S: good to see you back on the blog. love your pics as always!
Loved the ideas presented here, uncut flowers ass their own charm to the decor.
Lovely to see you posting again! I completely agree with you....less is definitely more. Love the simplicity of a single bloom or leaf.
Hi, great post! I work in a green NGO and the points youve made about cut flowers are so true. And yes, less is more.
In my home,I try and experiment teaming wild grasses with wild flowers and grains too.. wheat, rice, sorghum look great, especially in this harvest season:)
Like your blog too.. its simple and elegant. thanks
You have such beautiful little things... I love the vignette of items in the second photo! I am addicted to little decorative knick knacks, especially those I find on my travels around the world, they become priceless.
I also have an obsession with succulents and cacti, which is what I use in my apartment instead of flowers. I see you have a Haworthia in one of your photos so you probably already have some of your own. :)
~Catherine
Inspire Bohemia
InspireBohemia.blogspot.com
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