Flowers have long since been used for everything from table centrepieces at special occasions to quick and easy “just because” gifts. However, recent emphasis has been placed on the environmental impact of importing fresh flowers every day. If you’ve always been keen on sending your loved ones flowers, you may be wondering how this affects your favourite gift option.
Fortunately, the florist Yarraville locals rely on has an answer to your sustainability queries. In addition to switching to more sustainable practices and reducing overall plastic usage, local florists are encouraging people to opt for bouquets made of native blooms and greenery. What are native flowers? Are they as beautiful as imported blooms?
What Are Native Blooms?
You may be a keen gift giver, meaning you already know which flowers you enjoy giving to the people in your life. With sustainability in mind, you should be asking where these blooms come from. Few people know that a great deal of flower types aren’t available year-round. This means that they need to be imported, which increases carbon emissions.
The simplest way to overcome this is to use the blooms and greenery that already exist in the environment. Enter a wide range of native plants. Essentially, native plants can be defined as those which have originated and thrived in local environments.
These plants have spent hundreds of years adapting to the ecosystem, soil conditions, and climate where they grow. This not only means that they require very little maintenance, but they are also more readily available. They also last longer when cut as fresh flowers.
Excellent for Your Arrangement, Even Better for the Environment
Native plants may not always be the first choice when choosing flowers for a bouquet. The main reason for this is that many people have become accustomed to the beauty associated with so-called exotic flowers.
The reality is that native flowers are abundant in Australia, and you may be surprised to learn that there are species in all types of shapes, colours and fragrances. This means making an eye-catching arrangement from native flowers is easier than you think.
Native Plants are Beautiful
There are many misconceptions about native plants. Some regard native blooms as weedy, cheap, and not as beautiful as exotic flowers such as roses and orchids. The reality is very different.
A little-known fact is that Australia has about 24,000 native plant species, and thousands of these can be combined with native greenery to create unique-looking floral arrangements. Within this group, you’ll find flowers of all colours, shapes, and fragrances, beautiful enough to rival any imported exotic flower.
That said, here’s a list of some of the local native species that your florist can use to create the perfect bouquet or centrepiece:
- Billy Buttons: Among the easiest native plants to grow, this species feature gold shape flowers with woolly leaves. Tall and woody stems make them an ideal choice for fresh-cut flowers.
- Rice Flower: Sometimes also called a Sago bush, this woody shrub grows beautiful heads of small white flower clusters resembling rice.
- Kangaroo Paw: A firm favourite of florists, this species is available in a wide range of bright and bold colours such as orange, yellow, pink, red and green.
- Banksia: A popular native plant throughout Australia, this species boasts cylindrical shaped flower. It’s often an ideal choice for centrepiece arrangements as it has a very long vase life.
- Thryptomene: This pink-flowered species is available year-round and very tolerant to drought, making it a lovely addition to any flower arrangement.
- Waxflower: This pink-white flower shrub can easily reach heights of 3 metres tall, making it one of the most common options for taller flower arrangements.
- Everlasting Strawflower: Colourful blooms available in shades of white, red, purple, pink, orange and yellow make this a very popular choice for local florists. Its daisy-shaped flower not only adds a lovely colour to any arrangement but is also used for dried decorations.
They’re Good For the Environment
If you’re looking for a way to be more eco-friendly, then opting for native floral arrangements is as good a place to start as any. The more people request native arrangements, the more local flower farms will grow them.
This benefits the environment because areas rich in native plant species have increased biodiversity. More pollinators can be found in these areas, and these plant species also help to maintain healthy soil for crops and food growth. Native plants also require less water and can thrive without artificial fertiliser and harmful insecticides.
Final Thoughts
If you want to extend your sustainability to your gift giving, opting for arrangements made of native blooms and greenery is a simple way to achieve this. In addition to having a wide variety of blooms to choose from, you’ll also be supporting local ecosystems and flower growers.
More good news is that these arrangements are often more affordable, while at the same time requiring less care. Once you see how beautiful native floral arrangements are, you’ll be glad you made the switch!
Laila Azzahra is a professional writer and blogger that loves to write about technology, business, entertainment, science, and health.