Eco-friendly florals: How to choose sustainable flowers for your Alaska home
· 10 min read
Flower arrangements and bouquets can add beauty and life to any event or room. However, they can adversely affect the environment. From chemical herbicides and pesticides used to grow flowers to the high rates of energy used for transportation and refrigeration, flower arrangements can significantly increase the carbon footprint.
Moreover, the floral industry has not always been sustainable. The floral sector uses high amounts of water to grow flowers. Furthermore, the pollution from pesticides runs off into the waterbodies, thereby heavily contaminating the water. The scenario is changing in the present age when individuals and industries are moving towards sustainable options.
Additionally, Alaska is home to hundreds of native flowers. Even while this is the case, most florists in the US fly in flowers mostly from Columbia, leading to an increased carbon footprint. Hence, from reducing the overall carbon footprint to supporting local florists and growers, we can make sustainable choices based on our floral choices in many ways.
The best thing you can do is undertake sustainable practices like opting for Alaska flowers grown by local florists, using natural pesticides, etc. Here, we will explore some essential tips for choosing eco-friendly flowers that reduce carbon footprint and support local ecosystems. Let’s begin.
When choosing flowers in Alaska, ensure to opt for native flowers. These native flowers are the foundation of sustainable practices in the floral industry. Locally produced plants have mastered the art of growing in the local soil and in different climate conditions.
This reduces their maintenance and makes them more resilient. You can choose many native flowers in Alaska, like fireweed, wild irises, and forget-me-nots. By selecting the local flowers, you will positively impact the environment by making it easier for bees and butterflies to pollinate and transfer the seeds.
Moreover, these local flowers are essential for the local habitats to boost their overall health. Additionally, native flowers require less pesticides, water, and fertilizers, thereby significantly reducing the negative impacts.
Moreover, due to their adaptation to the local climate conditions, they thrive in any weather condition and can easily withstand diseases and local pests. Hence, you can build yourself a self-sustaining garden that supports the local ecosystem.
The best way you can promote sustainable gardening in Alaska is by supporting local florists. Purchasing flowers from local vendors can significantly reduce carbon footprint. This is because most florists are known to transport their flowers from outside the USA, leading to high carbon footprints due to transportation and refrigeration.
Local flower farmers also use organic farming and biodegradable pesticides that do not harm the environment. Moreover, local florists provide beautiful and fresh flowers free of chemicals.
Hence, you should opt to visit the farmer’s market or visit your local florists to get the best quality and fresh flowers.
Furthermore, you will also find seasonal flowers that are unique to your location and climate. By supporting local florists and vendors, you will also create a sense of community. This will help you learn more sustainable practices in horticulture.
Before you choose the perfect, fresh flowers, ensure to check their organic certification. Remember, organic flowers are cultivated using chemical pesticides or fertilizers. Moreover, they do not include any GMOs or genetically modified organisms, making them a perfect choice for your home and environment.
Interestingly, the organic certification ensures that the flowers are grain, prioritizing soil health, supporting the ecosystem, and conversing water. Some of the sustainable practices include using compost, crop rotation, and using organic pest control.
The best part is that organic flowers are more vibrant with a better scent. This is due to their natural growing processes that make these flowers look and smell better while making them last longer. Moreover, when you decide to switch to organic, you greatly reduce the adverse impacts on the environment.
This is in sharp contrast to conventional modes of growing flowers that promote water pollution, soil erosion, and other environmental concerns. Hence, checking for organic certification and ensuring your flowers are grown sustainably is vital.
While people mostly overlook the packaging in which they receive their flowers. It is essential to discard traditionally non-recyclable foams and plastic wraps that increase pollution. Instead, opt for biodegradable or paper packaging to significantly reduce waste and carbon footprint.
Most florists across Alaska have become more environmentally conscious and are promoting the use of compostable wrappers, reusable containers, or recycled paper. These eco-friendly options are not simply to boost the aesthetic appeal of the flower arrangement but also add a touch of natural beauty.
Hence, flower gifting does not have to impact the environment. You can now choose more sustainable options by moving towards sustainable practices. Remember, small changes in your choices go a long way to helping the environment.
One of the most affordable and sustainable ways to enjoy the freshness and aesthetic appeal of your flowers in your Alaska home is by growing your flowers. By using gardening tricks, you can grow your own garden with beautiful flowers.
You can altogether ditch the chemical pesticides. You can start your gardening by placing small potted plants. Moreover, you should pay extra attention to perennials and native flowers.
As these are already well-adjusted to the soil and the climate, you can remain stress-free and grow flowers in your garden. Gardening is truly one of the best therapeutic experiences, offering a peaceful retreat and giving you a sense of accomplishment.
One of the best sustainable methods you can opt for in terms of gardening is choosing perennial flowers over annual ones. Perennial plants can survive for more than two years. These plants require minimal replanting and naturally reappear the following season.
On the other hand, annual gardening requires more resources. These include preparing the soil, watering it, and effectively fertilizing it. Moreover, perennial plants have deeper roots that help water retention and improve soil health.
Some popular perennial flowers in Alaska are columbine, yarrow, and lupine. These plants boost and maintain the local ecosystem by providing food for pollinators. You will create a more sustainable garden that needs minimal effort and offers vibrant flowers yearly.
Avoiding invasive species of flowers is vital to maintain sustainability. Invasive plants are a great threat to Alaska’s ecosystem. They can destroy habitats and adversely affect many animal and plant species. Invasive plants are like weeds you absolutely do not want in your garden.
These plants can outcompete the floral plants growing around them. They can outgrow their designated space and can harm the flora, fauna, and human lives around them. Some invasive plants you should stay away from are chokecherry, orange hawkweed, white sweet clover, bird vetch, butter and eggs, and others.
Instead, you should opt for Arnica, goatsbeard, alpine sweet vetch, yellow locoweed, and others. Hence, if you want to beautify the appeal of your home with flowers, choose native species that support the local ecosystem. The best advice for individuals with a knack for gardening would be to seek expert advice from local gardening experts or florists.
Conserving water is a big part of sustainability. Hence, it is vital to save and conserve water to reduce your home’s environmental impact effectively. You can employ techniques like mulching, rainwater harvesting, and drip irrigation to conserve water.
Mulching is the technique of retaining soil moisture, enhancing soil health, and reducing the growth of weeds. However, drip irrigation involves directly watering the roots and reduces evaporation or water loss.
Rainwater harvesting is probably the simplest and best way to save water. Moreover, you can keep plants that require less water, like drought-tolerant plants, together to minimize the use of water. These methods will help conserve water and significantly reduce your water bill, thereby saving you bucks!
Chemical pesticides should be a no-no when it comes to sustainable gardening. They are harmful to water and soil and kill many beneficial insects. Hence, you should opt for natural pest control options. Many insects are good for your flower’s health as their food involves other harmful insects.
Ladybugs, predatory beetles, and lacewings are some insects that are highly effective in drawing away harmful insects. Interestingly, you can plant companion plants that can naturally draw away insects. For instance, you can plant basil and mint to repel many insects or plant marigolds to avoid aphids.
Moreover, you can create homemade remedies like garlic spray, neem oil, and other soap products that can remove pests without harming the ecosystem. Remember, you need to maintain healthy soil through effective compositing to make it resilient against common insect attacks.
You can improve your soil health and reduce landfill waste by composting organic waste. Look around you, there is natural compost everywhere. Save kitchen scraps, flower trimmings, yard waste, and others to make a natural and rich compost.
This natural waste compost is a great way to keep waste away from landfills, reduce greenhouse gases, improve soil structure and fertility, and retain water. You can start your own compositing today by simply putting a compost bin in your garden and adding green and brown waste.
Moreover, you need to occasionally turn the compost to boost its decomposition. Put this waste in your plant beds to enrich your soil with important nutrients. This will create a sustainable flow of nutrients that can improve your plants and ecosystem.
Involve your community in improving your ecosystem in terms of planting and gardening. You can engage in plant swaps to promote sustainable planting practices. Not will will this increase your flower collection, but it will also reduce the demand for commercially grown flowers. You will contribute to the system of a circular economy that supports the local eco-system and minimizes waste.
Another great fact about plant swaps is that you can get different kinds of plants that are best suited for your location. These can include many heirloom varieties that might not be sourced through other retail channels. Moreover, you can exchange tips and ideas to improve your gardening skills.
You can search online gardening communities or local gardening clubs to engage in plant swaps in your locality. By participating in such community events, you will significantly reduce your carbon footprint and build important connections with fellow green thumbs.
Many indoor plants require artificial lighting for their growth. Hence, you can opt for energy-efficient LED lights. Compared to conventional incandescent or fluorescent bulbs, LEDs use much less energy, which lowers power costs and has a smaller environmental effect.
Furthermore, the extended lifespan of LED grow lights translates into fewer replacements and waste. Additionally, they emit less heat, which lowers the possibility of overheating your plants and improves the stability of the growth environment.
Energy-efficient lighting preserves resources while promoting the development and health of your indoor plants. A lot of LED grow lights are made to provide plants with the precise light spectrum they require for the best possible photosynthesis, which produces plants that are healthier and more colorful.
Making the sustainable decision to use energy-efficient lighting helps your plants and the environment, making your home gardening setup more environmentally friendly.
Selecting environmentally friendly flowers for your Alaskan home is a practical approach to improve your living area and promote environmental sustainability. You can design a garden that flourishes while reducing its environmental impact by putting these eighteen recommendations into practice.
Every action, whether choosing native plants and buying local water-saving techniques or using natural pest management, helps create a more balanced ecology. In addition to being good for the environment, sustainable gardening strengthens your ties to the surrounding area and the natural world.
Through deliberate floral selection and growing practices, you can appreciate the beauty of flowers and contribute significantly to protecting Alaska's distinctive ecosystems for coming generations.
Hence, go green today and watch the world bloom! This article is part of a sponsored partnership with illuminem. The content reflects our collaboration with the sponsor and aims to provide valuable information to our readers.
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