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(208) 850-9421
It's true. It is a mysterious world beyond the North End. The Bench! South Boise! The Mall! And why go there? Travel is stressful. There's rush hour traffic to consider. And then there's the dreaded CARBON FOOTPRINT. Besides, we'd much rather patronize local businesses that are often owned or run by people we know and whose profits tend to stay in the community.
So what about the flowers you buy? Did you know that the average cut flower travels more than 1,500 miles to your grocery store or florist down the street? Well, the flowers you get from Filigreen are anything but "average."We search for flowers grown as sustainably and as close as possible to our location in the North End. In fact, during the growing season we are able to shrink that travel distance from 1,500 miles to...oh, about 3 miles. That's because we have carefully cultivated relationships with local growers, some of whom are growing cut flowers for the first time. Growing flowers is good for them, because it adds another revenue stream to their fruit and vegetable sales. And it's good for you, because your dollar goes further, supports the local economy, and reduces energy consumption. (Visit our Sustainability link for more on where flowers come from.)
Of course, it's hard to grow daisies in a Boise winter so when locally grown flowers aren't available, we do our best to select flowers that are certified as being VeriFlora sustainably grown. This is your guarantee that the flowers we use are grown in an environmentally and socially responsible manner, with high quality standards. (Filigreen is the first VeriFlora Preferred Retailer in Idaho, and one of only 10 such retailers in the U.S.)
So the next time you want a spray of fresh flowers to decorate your hall, give to a friend or loved one, or for that special occasion, choose Filigreen. Then you can rest easy knowing that you're supporting the local economy and reducing our global carbon footprint... all from the comfort of Boise's best neighborhood.
To see more examples of our work, visit the Gallery link. To speak with us contact Filigreen at (208) 850-9421 or gbessire@filigreen.comIt's hard to believe that the bouquet you bought on a whim one day while shopping for cereal and milk could cause you any harm. But consider where most flowers come from:
More than 70% of all cut flowers sold in the United States are imported, usually from Latin America. That's mostly because American companies that buy these flowers don't have to pay import taxes on Latin America product, and the labor is cheap. These flowers are cheaper still because they're most often grown using many chemicals. And not just any chemicals...dangerous chemicals that have been outlawed in this country because of the threat they pose to the environment and to the people who work with and around them. I'm talking about really nasty chemicals like DDT and methyl-bromide. In fact, according to a survey of flower plantations near Bogotá, Columbia, workers there were exposed to 127 different pesticides, three of which are considered extremely toxic. And then there are the fungicides, nematodicides (these kill microscopic worms living in the soil), and a host of other ___cides.
The irony is that many of these chemicals are used because of U.S. policy that requires imported flowers to be closely inspected for pests and diseases...but not chemicals. So flower-producing countries go heavy on the pesticides, etc. to make sure they pass the bug/disease inspections--but don't have to worry about failing inspection because of all those toxic chemicals they used. The end result? The people who grow and handle the flowers suffer health consequences, the environment is exposed to poisons and, last but in no way least, chemical residues can linger on the flowers you bring into your house, give to your loved ones, or pin to your lapel.
Filigreen is different. We carefully select the growers we work with. As much as possible, we work with farmers right here in the Treasure Valley. Bright and early most mornings from April through September, you'll find us roaming fields and gardens hand-picking seasonal flowers at the peak of their natural perfection. In the off-season, we work with growers who are certified for their safe and, in many cases, organic growing techniques.
Unlike most florists, we then process the flowers using U.S.D.A. organic-certified solutions to help your flowers stay naturally fresh and bursting with color. We also avoid the use of floral foam--a staple of traditional florists. Instead of using this dense, non-recycleable product to hold flowers is place, we find more natural ways to create our floral delights. And, finally, we compost our floral waste to feed my husband's vegetable garden.
Our love of the natural beauty of flowers makes us work a little harder to make sure that the Filigreen floral arrangements you give or receive are all created with this utmost attention to sustainability. And we do all this at a price we know you'll find competitive with traditional florists.
