Going Green for Mother's Day Bouquets

Dallas, Texas (WiredPRNews.com) - Mother's Day is one of the biggest floral holidays of the year making up one fifth of all the flowers delivered during peak holiday sales. With all of those roses, daisies and baby's breath traveling to deserving mother's everywhere, why not stop to consider how "green" those roses are? What much do those high-priced bouquets full of heavenly aromas cost the environment?

According to Yahoo! Green, "about 70% of all cut flowers sold in the U.S. are imported. Most come from Colombia and Ecuador." Exporting, in itself, is highly costly to the environment requiring energy, gas for transport, and chemicals to keep the buds fresh. A more unfortunate fact regarding pesticides is that the flower growers in Latin American utilize loads of earth-eating chemicals on their fields, including many pesticides that have been permanently banned in the U.S.

"The Natural Resources Defense Council notes that roses have been found with more than 50 times the pesticide residues allowed in food. Florists who handle these flowers frequently develop dermatitis on their hands. But those who suffer the worst are the farm workers themselves. Studies in Ecuador, Colombia, and Costa Rica found that nervous system damage, genetic damage, miscarriages, premature births, and congenital deformities are all linked to chemical exposure in the flower industry. Plus, runoff from these pesticides pollutes the waterways due to lax environmental laws in South America."

With Mother's Day only two days away, what steps can you take to ensure that your mom has a lovely, earth-friendly holiday where you can celebrate her in all of her glory?

Opt for organically-grown flowers using natural pesticides (if any). The USDA certifies organic florals and you can find those with the "organic" logo on the package-the same as you find on your favorite organic foods! An even better option is to take a stroll through your backyard and clip your own fresh buds from your garden. Tie them up with a ribbon and voila!

If you opt to order flowers from the comfort of your computer, many of the biggest online flower shops have gone green too! For the mother that is a sucker from roses, visit Organic Bouquet or Organic Style and feel good ordering VeriFlora-certified roses.

If you opt to order flowers from the comfort of your computer, many of the biggest online flower shops have gone green too! For the mother that is a sucker from roses, visit Organic Bouquet or Organic Style and feel good ordering VeriFlora-certified roses.

This Mother's Day, show your favorite ladies that you love with with organic blooms that haven't been grown in a way that hurts our planet. After all, a rose grown in an earth-friendly way smells just as sweet!

Happy Mother's Day!