Hey guys the following is a post from Patricia Hall a lady who found me, spoke my language (green) and got me excited. She has some great points in this post, I never thought of ‘fake flowers’ being eco-friendly. Come back next week for my “green in the news post when my shoulder is feeling a little better. Thanks Patricia for filling in.
Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Flower Decorations
One way of environmental protection is using sustainable and Eco-friendly flower decorations to make places beautiful. Flowers are found naturally and abundantly, thus they will be less expensive than the artificial decorations that are in use today during weddings, get-together parties, graduation ceremonies, and many other celebration parties.
These functions are usually colorful but modernity has made the decorations to consist of less natural materials such as shiny paper and plastic flowers. Unlike naturally growing flowers, such materials contribute to environmental degradation.
Benefits of Environmental Sustainability
It is common in these day and age for people to be conscious of the benefits of sustaining our environment. For example, the water towers that we have today will still be in existence many years from now. There will be plenty of clean water for domestic and agricultural use.
Likewise, environmental sustainability reduces the occurrence of greenhouse gases, which contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer, which protects us from the harmful Ultra Violet rays of the sun.
These advantages are being enjoyed in this generation, and will be felt by the coming generations. They will inherit a world that could otherwise have been destroyed if Eco-friendly measures were not taken earlier. For the sake of humanity, people are being educated on how they can contribute to saving the natural environment.
Dangers of Non Eco-friendly Decorations
The use of artificial products such as balloons and plastic bags has caused a lot of harm to the environment. Some of these materials are blown many miles away to the sea where they cause the deaths of millions of marine life.
They cannot decompose after use or dissolve into harmless substances like plants and animal products. Therefore, it is wise for things such as balloons be replaced by flowers, which are beautiful, have no chemicals in them, and nurture life instead of destroying it.
What Materials to Look For When Using Faux Flowers
It can be extremely costly to replace live flowers, which only last a couple of weeks, (if one is lucky). Real flowers are typically more expensive to begin with because they are so delicate, and must be purchased in season. Faux bouquets and arrangements can be collected and stored, and displayed in season. They can also be rearranged and mixed for a fresh, new look. It can be fun to experiment and find the inner decorator within. Another plus with faux, is there are no messes such as spills, or petals dropping. Forget worrying about them dying or wilting, they are perfect for anyone with a busy lifestyle. There is no worry about allergies because there is no pollen. If the household has animals, some plants and flowers are toxic to them when ingested. Lastly, there is the fact the flowers will not be picked from the earth, and therefore one can be proud they are sustaining the planets natural resources.
Many flowers today are made from organic and green materials. All that is required is a little information from the supplier of flowers online, to determine if they contain earth-friendly fabrics. Some of them are:
Bamboo – Bamboo grass is made into a pulp, and in turn produced into a strong fiber. This fiber is in most cases stronger and longer lasting than many textile fabrics.
Cork – Cork can be adapted to a textile, and also used in arrangements in place of Styrofoam.
Hemp – Hemp is grown pesticide and fertilizer free. It has been a popular organic material for many years.
Soybean or Soy Material
Organic Cotton
Recycled Polyester
Sending Flowers
Sending flowers is also easier and faster than it was before. Although fewer people are still romantic enough to send flowers to loved ones, the tradition is far from dying. There are still romantic people at heart who cannot resist the occasional bouquet of roses to send to their sweet women. However, instead of the usual bunch of roses, one can send flowers that are still growing inside a pot and the recipient can watch their love grow as days pass. The pots can further be painted in Eco-friendly colors that match well with the colors of the flowers growing in them.
The living decorations will continue to bloom and the lucky woman will enjoy their fresh fragrance everyday as she waters them. Instead of using balloons, they can be used as well to decorate events and they be taken care of even after the event is over.
After the party, guests can carry home living gifts of the potted flowers that were used in the decorations. That will lead to the spread of the green idea as each guest will go to their homes and try hard to keep their gifts alive. They will, in turn keep sending flowers to their friends and relatives to stay faithful to the green cause.
Flower decorations used in parties are organic and thus do not need chemicals to create them. Kids and pets will be safe and so will the soil on which they are planted. If you are not decorating with live flowers, the flowers that are arranged to follow different shapes should also make good decorations. For instance, the flowers can be arranged to be heart-shaped.
About the Author
Patricia Hall works part-time for a florist and flower delivery but loves to surround herself with flowers at any given point of time. Even in her free time she loves to involve herself with everything flora and fauna.
‘To me there is nothing more beautiful and global as the language of flowers – it is the easiest to understand all around the world in the same way. That is one reason why I truly admire flowers for what they represent in some ways – unity of all mankind!’
Green, Guest Poster
