Sustainability in Floral Design
90% farm-grown— we brought in a few roses since we don’t grow them.
At Bloom Harvest Flower Farm we know that local, chemical-free flowers are always the most sustainable choice—and that’s exactly what we grow here on our micro flower farm in Southeastern, Connecticut. But as we expand into floral design and larger events, we’ve realized that we simply can’t grow everything ourselves.
So what do we do when we need to source flowers beyond what’s blooming in our own fields?
We start local. We’re members of a Connecticut-based flower collective where farms across the state bring their blooms together to offer to florists and fellow growers. It’s a win-win for everyone—supporting local agriculture, and keeping dollars within our community.
If the collective doesn’t have what we need, we turn to a U.S.based wholesaler who sources from domestic flower farms. These flowers may travel farther than our local ones, but they still support American growers and generally carry a lower environmental impact than imports.
And when domestic options aren’t available, we may purchase imported blooms. We’re mindful that these flowers come with a larger carbon footprint. So while they’re not our first choice, we sometimes make that call to ensure a design comes together as needed.
Beyond sourcing, we’re also thinking about sustainability in our design practices.
We use chicken wire in our arrangements instead of floral foam, to reduce microplastic waste.
When we wrap our bouquets, we use kraft paper—not plastic sleeves.
Is it perfect? No. But we’re trying—and we believe that being intentional is the first step toward better practices in this industry.
Bloom Harvest is a specialty flower farm and floral design studio located in East Lyme, CT, serving the Southeastern CT area.
We offer custom event florals, seasonal bouquet subscription, DIY flower buckets, and fresh flowers at local farmers markets.
