British flower power (From This Is Local London)

British flower power

5:46pm Friday 20th February 2009 in Blogs By Kevin Bradford

Roses are dead, narcissi are new. That was the message being sent out by a Hendon florist in the build up to Valentine’s Day.

Their aim was to promote British flowers as both an eco-friendly and more original gift idea in opposition to the genetically engineered red rose.

The traditional last minute present of a desperate Lothario is usually massively inflated in price and about as fresh as an Iceland microwave meal for one, which is often needed if a man avoids buying their partner flowers altogether on the day of love.

Even so, it meant boycotting the bland bunches was a brave move by the shop, considering the sale of roses can be so profitable at that time.

I try to avoid the specially created commercial gimmicks around Valentine’s Day. The “celebration” can usually be achieved, I feel, with a nicely worded card, a thoughtful present and enough wine to make them forget how bad the card and present actually were.

Rather than being grown in artificially heated tents, kept in cold storage for weeks, and wilting as soon as they are handed over to a loved one, fresh British flowers fulfil the requirements of being more attractive, longer lasting and appealingly cheap.

The fact varieties such as scented narcissi, from the Isles of Scilly, have a stronger aroma and more striking appearance should promote more florists to back the home grown campaign.

And as The Flower Workshop’s manager said, as a green industry, they should be doing more to reduce the environmental impact from transporting goods from the continent and further afield.

So come next Valentine's Day, as well as Mother's Day, birthdays and any other days requiring flowers in between, I intend to back British for the benefit to the environment, the level of quality, and for the sake of my wallet.