My approach to sustainability

Sustainability - a much used and abused term, and much to my frustration. I have plenty to say on sustainability within the floral industry, and dried flowers in particular, but shall save that for a future post - it’s likely to be lengthly! But here I wish to share what sustainability means to me, and how it affects my work through Bracken & Fleur.

I am very careful when making statements regarding the sustainability of my products and actions.  There is far too much greenwash muddling customers’ choices and I don’t intend to add to this. Every action has an impact and it is not simple to measure these, but from my growing and drying methods to the choice of any materials purchased, I make every effort to minimise negative impact on the environment, and where possible, make a positive one. This is not a side thought to tick an eco box, but is at the centre of Bracken&Fleur.

Respect for the environment has been something I have felt very passionately about from a young age. Not because I had predicted the impeding climate disaster, but because I am in awe of how wonderful the natural world is. I grew up in a rural setting and exploring the countryside was integral to my childhood; protecting this has just become part of my way of life. Developing my garden and growing my own cut flowers is just an extension of this - wanting to create a concentrated patch of this beauty for myself, then bring some indoors to enjoy.

So, while I won’t claim to be perfectly environmentally friendly in any aspect of my life, making Bracken & Fleur as sustainable as possible is a priority.

Naturally dried, naturally colourful

All of my flowers are dried using only natural processes - generally just hanging upside down somewhere cool and dry. This gentle drying method helps the flowers retain colour and prevents the brittleness that can occur when flowers are dried with additional heat, or using silicone.

I do not use flowers that have been dyed or bleached. Partly because I’m really not keen on the look; I prefer my flowers to look like they have been picked on a walk, or in a garden (which they probably were) not some colour that jars with the way they look in nature. But also because the process of achieving these colours is usually environmentally harmful, and most certainly not sustainable - more detail on which to follow in another post.

British grown

All of the flowers and foliage I use are British grown. I have written a separate blog post on where I source my materials from, and the advantages of this. But in short, buying British flowers ensures lower carbon emissions from transportation, eliminates plastic packaging, reduces waste due to superior quality, and ensures that I am supporting growers who also grow with care for the environment at the centre of what they do. The same is rarely known of imported dried flowers.

Growing alongside nature

The flowers I use have been grown without use of pesticides or chemical fertilisers. The wide variety of plants that I and my suppliers grow attract much wildlife - some of it can be a frustration (my personal nemesis are the snails that love to inhabit the walls of my garden), but they’re part of a bigger eco-system and these things find a balance we can cope with, with plenty of flowers to go around.

The soil is disturbed as little as possible, and fed with garden compost and natural fertilisers (rotted manure, stinky ‘teas’ of nettles and comfrey).

Peat Free

My flowers are started from seed in a peat free growing medium. The harvesting of peat from the unique and precious peat bogs is devastating to these ancient landscapes and the flaura and fauna that depend upon their unique eco-systems. It causes the release of methane - a major contributor to climate change. There is simply no valid reason for its use in horticulture. There are now many excellent alternatives to peat compost, based on recycling green waste, wood pulp, bracken, sheep’s wool and coir.

Minimal Waste

There is very little waste at all from my work. Any scraps of flowers become beautiful confetti, and stems are chopped and added to the garden compost. Some plastic growing trays eventually break beyond use (I am planning to replace these with rubber and use soil blocks to remove their use altogether), empty bottles of seaweed tonic and compost bags get recycled. That’s about it.

Recycled and repurposed

Where non-floral materials are required, I look for ways to repurpose or find options with a minimal environmental impact. I am always on the look out for an interesting vintage vase (or potential vase - another benefit of dried flowers is they do not require a waterproof vessel).

My flowers are wrapped using recycled tissue paper and posted as much as possible, using reused boxes and packing material.  This may sometimes be reused plastic, it may not.  What is important is the reduction in demand for new materials, and their effectiveness in delivering your flowers so they arrive looking beautiful.  Where repurposed materials are not available or not appropriate, my packaging is always made from recycled, compostable materials. 

Compostable

Occasionally I use some wire in my work to reinforce stems or attach them to twigs, or as part of a piece itself (for example a hair comb) which is intended for a long life. Other than this, they are made from fully compostable materials, so that should the time come when they are no longer wanted, they can be cut up and returned to the garden. Though I wince at the thought of them being disposed of, the ribbons used to finish bouquets and wreaths are all made from natural fibres, and so will also biodegrade.

If you have any questions you might have regarding my work and it’s environmental impact, please do get in touch and I will be happy to answer or investigate the answers. Openness and honesty is the key.