Earth Day 2021

Sun rising on Earth Day 2021, a cold night and a warm sunny day now.

We’re slowly establishing a cut flower farm on this field in west Cumbria, using farming practices that builds up the soil, creates rich biodiversity and offers a very low carbon alternative to a high carbon norm. We’re not perfect, we use diesel in our vehicles, have tunnels made from plastic and some plants come to us in plastic, peat and in some instances from abroad, but we’re working to reduce all these things to the absolute essential minimum measuring harm versus benefit. For example Polytunnels extend our season so dramatically that we can use our own flowers sooner and later, reducing our reliance on flowers grown in heated greenhouses further away (never abroad!) We don’t use plastic weed suppressant. We don’t use peat compost, we use lovely sustainably made cumbrian stuff! We reuse pots (over and over) and soil block a lot to avoid plastic too. We don’t use plastic in our packaging, it’s always compostable. We never use floral foam. Or chemicals on our plants, soil, weeds or cut flowers.

Electric vehicles. Solar. Wind energy. Permaculture water management. They all have a place here. We’ve planted 500 trees, an orchard, hundreds of shrubs and perennial plants, which not only provide a a rich abundance of year-round sustenance for pollinators and birds but reduce the nutrient run-off into the stream and river.

The problems our earth faces are really scary but there are lots of things we can change and do to help. As businesses. As florists. And as consumers. Buying local, seasonal produce where you can, and reducing waste by reusing and recycling (and buying less) are things we can all do to help.