Ah love. It’s hard to resist a colourful and wonderfully scented bunch of exotic fresh cut flowers from your partner. Think tulips from Holland, fresh roses from Kenya, calla lilies from New Zealand and more.
But importing flowers from faraway places is not necessarily the best for our planet. They require transport (long haul flights), storage (refrigeration), packaging (often plastic cellophane), oh and they wither away and die after a week.
We haven’t even mentioned the use of pesticides yet (the cut flower industry is reportedly one of the biggest consumers of pesticides worldwide).
You won’t win any hearts when your symbol of love comes at a cost to the environment, so show your devotion with these eco-friendly bouquets and gifts instead.
Bloomback
Preserved flowers are an alternative to the usual short-lived fresh blooms as they last longer and require very little maintenance (just store them in a dry and cool environment away from direct sunlight). Choose from a variety of floral gifts beautifully encased in glass domes, jewellery boxes, and even bluetooth speakers! These preserved pollen-free flowers typically last between one to three years, and won’t wilt like fresh ones.
As Bloomback is also a social enterprise which trains and employs individuals from marginalised communities, you will be indirectly contributing to a good cause by spreading love and hope through conscious gifting.
Echevaria.co
Not into flowers? How about a succulent bouquet instead? Echevaria.co offers a sustainable twist to the usual fresh flowers with its unique succulent bouquets. Available in small, medium and large sizes, each one is personally sourced, curated and arranged by founder Tan Hui Yin.
The best part is that you can repot the plants so that they can continue surviving for a long time (just like your love for each other). Succulents do not require a lot of water and are easy to care for. Just buy a repotting kit which has everything you need such as a repotting guide, a white pot, succulent soil, pebbles, and potting equipment.
Sentosa Eco Bouquets by This Humid House
Credit: Sentosa Development Corporation
This Valentine’s Day, Sentosa Development Corporation has collaborated with award-winning local botanical design studio Humid House to create Eco Bouquets. Instead of air-flown flowers, these Eco Bouquets feature 100 per cent locally sourced plants and flowers that grow on Sentosa island, and are unique floral arrangements curated with sustainability in mind.
To share the love, Sentosa will be giving away 40 exclusive Eco Bouquets for free. Tell them who you’d gift these to, and why, to get your hands on the wild and wonderful blooms. Only the best entries will be selected. The giveaway closes four days before the preferred date of collection (Feb 14, 20 and 27). Get more details here.
