Plants with flowers > cut flowers
The flower trade is fast. According to TED, the goal is to get a bloom from field to vase in three to five days, which makes the environmental impact much worse. When considering the water footprint, travel emissions, pesticide use, and land use, sprucing up your home with fresh-cut flowers doesn’t seem so appealing anymore.
Personally, we think that cut flowers are overrated and outdated. Who wants to spend their money on something extremely temporary? Especially when you could have something just as good (if not better) that lasts years.
Flowering indoor plants last longer than fresh cut flowers and are more economical
After a few days, petals start falling off fresh-cut flowers, and before you know it, they’re in the bin. Goodbye to your hard-earned cash. Whereas, if you take care of your potted plants, they’ll stay with you for many years. I’ve had a jade plant in my family for almost 20 years, and it flowers every year. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather give a gift that stands the test of time rather than wilts and dies within several days.
Most fresh cut flowers are flown thousands of miles and die within a week of being purchased
Only 14% of cut flowers sold in the UK are grown here; the rest are flown in from other countries. Sure, fresh flowers are lovely to look at, but for how long? A week? Maybe less. And then they wither and die. So then you throw them out, scrub the vase clean, and splash your cash on a new bouquet.
Fresh cut flowers often come from the Netherlands
In the UK, 80% of cut flowers are flown in from the Netherlands. However, more flowers are now coming from places near the equator, such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Ecuador and Tanzania. As the most carbon-intensive form of travel, flying should ideally be avoided. We’re not telling you to forgo travelling the world, but maybe you can bid the long-haul flower delivery flights adieu (not to brag, but all of our plants are grown in Holland using geothermal energy and shipped by road).
The blooms on flowering plants last longer
Indoor plants will provide you with blooms for much longer than fresh-cut flowers. Some plants, like a mature jade plant, will flower from winter to spring. You can also get plants such as purple flamingo(which also comes in red, white, pink and peach) and flaming sword that have long-lasting blooms. Yet another long flowering plant is the scarlet star which can blossom for as long as five months!
Indoor flowering plants will reduce your carbon footprint
Switching from cut flowers to houseplants is a super easy way to lower your carbon footprint. An estimated 79% of energy used in the agriculture industry in The Netherlands is used in powering greenhouses for horticulture. And that’s not even taking into account the travel emissions, pesticides and water usage. Ditching the fresh flowers is honestly such a win-win. You can turn your home into a Pinterest-worthy urban jungle and save money while being more eco-friendly too.
Many of our indoor plants are also air-purifying
The advantages of keeping plants in your home are never-ending. Just being in their company can make you feel better and reduce stress. But did you know they can also eliminate airborne toxins? We have a pretty impressive selection of these magical air-purifying plants, including flowering types like the orchid and peace lily. So, next time you reach for a flower bouquet, consider a potted plant instead (aka leafy air purifier).