Every week at Floreat we move closer and closer to being foam-free and just generally more sustainable and environmentally friendly in our practices. It's not been an easy transition, but one made easier by the community of hard-working florists and growers that we draw inspiration from. Here are a few of our favourites:
We know how hard it is to avoid imported flowers entirely (which come with a lot more chemicals and air miles), when the current trends have meant greater demand for them, but Rachael at Botanica Bird has done an amazing job of balancing the needs of her clients with her values by using only "locally grown & seasonal flowers, with a side of orchids". Hats off to you Rachael for staying true to your values.
Who can forget that ginormous floral arch at Harry & Meghan's wedding? The scale alone was mind-blowing for any florist trying to work out the mechanics of it, but more incredible is the fact it was made in a sustainable way, entirely foam-free. We love Philippa's commitment to passing on this knowledge to other florists through her courses.
Sophie, the owner of Puggle & Squib, goes to great lengths to limit the environmental impact of not just her own business (by carefully breaking down unsold bunches and reusing/recycling each element), but of other florists businesses too by organising the collection of soft plastics for recycling.
Jardine has used foam-free techniques since she learned them in her very early days as a florist interning at Worlds End in the US, and she continues to pass on that wisdom to others through her floral masterclasses.
At Floreat we feel so lucky to be able to support and buy local, seasonal flowers from the team at East Coast Wildflowers three times a week. They work tirelessly to supply a huge variety of native flowers (both grown and sourced from other local growers), which we're so grateful to have access to.
6. Oh Flora
Tanya at Oh Flora was so fed up with floral foam and the difficulty of creating low arrangements of the same effect, that she went and made her own vessels! Now that's dedication to going foam-free.
7. Feld Flowers
Rita Feldman in Melbourne is an absolute trailblazer for sustainable floristry and has gone without floral foam for longer than most florists. While she admits it can be more labour intensive, Rita and Feld are so dedicated that now the only non-compostable waste they produce is from the plastic sleeves that the bunched flowers arrive in.
8. Mary Lennox
Ruby and the team at Mary Lennox are such innovators and trend setters in the floral space who work with such influential brands. Hats off to them for putting forward sustainable concepts like this one - no doubt it'll have a ripple effect.
This family-run rose grower in NZ announced this year that they've swapped plastic packaging for their roses for 100% recyclable and sustainable paper sleeves.
10. We'll finish with one of our own.... just because we're proud! Not long ago at Floreat this bowl arrangement is one we would've used foam for, but two weekends ago we used chicken wire and it turned out just as good, if not more beautiful. Baby steps...
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