Kermit was right, its not easy being green.

Avoriaz

I haven’t ventured in this part of MSE before but I heard an interesting snippet on Radio 5 Live today and thought it was time I visited.

Valentines day is approaching and flowers are being sold everywhere.

Should we buy locally sourced roses, or roses flown all the way from Kenya, burning gallons of aviation fuel in transit?

Locally grown is the obvious answer isn’t it? Just a short trip by lorry, or maybe boat and lorry from Belgium or Holland.

Unfortunately, locally grown roses use 10 times as much fossil fuels getting to our shops as they have to be grown in heated greenhouses whereas Kenya gets its heat and sunshine for free.

So buy Kenyan roses, support poor Kenyan flower growers and save the planet.

Of course the really obvious answer is to do what I do and ignore the over commercialisation of Valentine’s day and don’t buy flowers at all.

tr3mor

Avoriaz wrote:

Of course the really obvious answer is to do what I do and ignore the over commercialisation of Valentine’s day and don’t buy flowers at all.

I'm sticking with this one

Caterina

Even better, plan in advance and plant a few herb seeds in a pot, keep warm and watered for a few weeks and when the herbs are established and thriving, cover pot with recycled fancy paper (saved from Xmas pressies etc) and then give it to your beloved!

Caterina

PS. I ignore Valentine's day altogether, having been married for nearly 20 years (to the same bloke *YAWN*!)

500yearvision

I hope that you're not using green issues as an excuse not to do something nice for your partner on Valentines day.

I suggest you go buy a bottle of french red wine (less food miles than others).
Dinner and candles perhaps? Or how about a card (home made of course)?

If you don't like roses, how about snowdrops? Definitely in season this time of year & it's great to buy plants instead of cut flowers... they can then be planted out and will come back next year.

tr3mor

500yearvision wrote:

I hope that you're not using green issues as an excuse not to do something nice for your partner on Valentines day.

Not at all, I don't need an excuse

pollys

We too ignore valentines day, although I did get a card from my 5 year old son, it's handmade, he's drawn a lovely flower on the front and written "Happy Valentines Day" all by himself. It's the best card ever:D

Avoriaz

500yearvision wrote:

I hope that you're not using green issues as an excuse not to do something nice for your partner on Valentines day.…..

Not me. Neither of us have ever been interested in Valentines day.

Anyway, I do something nice for here most days.

Today I fixed a broken clasp on her necklace.

Avoriaz

pollys wrote:

We too ignore valentines day, although I did get a card from my 5 year old son, it's handmade, he's drawn a lovely flower on the front and written "Happy Valentines Day" all by himself. It's the best card ever:D

How lovely.

Did his school or his Dad encourage him or was it all his own idea.