Nothing is more romantic than giving flowers you grow yourself. But a close second is Valentine's Day flowers that someone nearby grew. Thanks to the Slow Flowers movement, it's becoming easier to find local cut-flower growers who sell heirloom bouquets and seasonal flowers.
“Fifty-eight percent of consumers would rather purchase domestic flowers if given the choice," says Slow Flowers founder Debra Prinzing. Although 80 percent of cut flowers in the US are imported, the number of local growers is on the rise. To find cut flowers that were grown near you, consult Slow Flowers' Retail Florists directory. To order online, here are 11 of our favorite florists who sell local and seasonal flowers:
Baltimore
Above: Local flowers on the East Coast during winter? Mid-Atlantic farmers have willows, flowering branches, evergreens, tulips, snapdragons, paperwhites, calla lilies, anemones, sweet William, lilies, and carnations. To order Valentine's flowers, from a small Wrapped Bouquet ($35) to a Large Arrangement ($75), go to Local Color Flowers (delivery in Baltimore city area only).
Brooklyn
Above: Good Eggs is delivering Special Valentine's Bouquets from Pretty Street Botanicals in East Williamsburg; $49.49 apiece.
Above: Order online a Valentine's Bouquet of magnolia branches and roses for $85 from Fox Fodder Farm; pick it up on Valentine's Day at Poppy's Catering in Brooklyn.
Chicago
Above: Sprout Home (with locations in both Chicago and Brooklyn) is taking Valentine's Day Pre-Orders for both locations. For more information and pricing, see Sprout Home.
Oakland, CA
Above: FloraCultural Society owner Anna Campbell grows flowers in an Oakland parking lot. For Valentine's Day, a medium-size Rose Bouquet in shades of soft pink is $50 (plus $10 delivery to Oakland and Berkeley only). FloraCultural's bouquets are also available in the greater Bay Area through Good Eggs, at prices ranging from $24.99 to $64.99 depending on size.
San Francisco Bay Area
Above: Farmgirl Flowers will deliver burlap-wrapped Valentine's Bouquets, available in two sizes for prices ranging from $45 to $85, to San Francisco Bay area customers.
Above: Pre-order an Adrift Bouquet ($65) for pickup only on Valentine's Day from Studio Choo's pop-up shop (open from 1 to 4 pm) in San Francisco's Mission District, at 557 Valencia.
New Orleans
Above: Good Eggs is offering a Mandeville Street Garden Bouquet, a mix of garden flowers in a quart-size Mason jar, for $15.99 to New Orleans customers.
Bellingham, Washington
Above: Flower farm Triple Wren Farms is offering a seasonal fresh Valentine's Bouquet in a vase for $35 (delivery within the county only).
Portland
Above: Roses, tulips, and ranunculus are available locally in February. The Pacific Northwest's temperate climate makes all this possible. Arrangements of Valentine's Flowers, $40 minimum (order by Feb. 13), are available from Espe Floral.
Boston
Above: Justine's favorite florist is Winston Flowers, with several locations in the Boston area. Many of the flowers are grown on small family farms. For Valentine's Day, Winston is offering a choice of 17 different arrangements online, at prices ranging from $95 to $750.
To see how Winston Flowers prepares for Valentine's Day, see Shopper's Diary: Behind the Scenes at Winston Flowers in Boston.
Washington D.C.
Above: A Valentine's week Hand Tied Bouquet of red, pink, and white locally sourced flowers from farms in the mid-Atlantic region will arrive wrapped in a repurposed burlap coffee sack; available in three sizes at prices ranging from $50 to $100 from Little Acres Flowers.
For more of our favorite florists, see:
- Bloom That: Same Day Flower Delivery in SF
- The Best $50 Roses You Can Order Online
- Field to Vase: A Friend to Local Flower Farms
- Trend Alert: San Francisco's Favorite Flower Truck
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