Valentine’s Blooms with a Conscience: The Case for British-Grown Tulips

Valentine’s Day, a celebration of love and affection, is often marked by the exchange of flowers, particularly roses. However, beneath the romantic gesture lies a less rosy truth about the environmental impact of these blooms. This year, Carobeth is championing a shift towards an eco-friendlier celebration with British-grown tulips.

The Journey of the Tulip: From Cold Storage to Valentine’s Vase

At Carobeth, the process of preparing tulips for Valentine’s Day is a meticulous labour of love. The bulbs have been resting in cold storage since early September, kept at a steady 5 degrees Celsius for a minimum of 14 weeks. This chilling period mimics the natural winter, tricking the bulbs into thinking spring has arrived early.

Following this, the bulbs are carefully planted in crates filled with nutrient-rich compost. This careful cultivation is essential in ensuring that the tulips are ready to bloom for Valentine’s Day. It’s a delicate balance of timing and temperature, one that requires patience and hope.

The Rose’s Journey: A Tale of Miles and Carbon

Traditionally, roses have been the flower of choice for Valentine’s Day. However, during February, roses are not naturally in bloom in the UK. To meet demand, roses are typically imported from countries like Kenya, Ethiopia, and South America, often via Holland. This journey is very long and very carbon-intensive. The flowers are grown in heated and lighted greenhouses, then transported thousands of miles, often by plane, contributing significantly to their carbon footprint.

The Eco-Friendly Valentine’s Alternative: British-Grown Tulips

Choosing British-grown tulips over imported roses is a step towards a more sustainable Valentine’s Day. By selecting tulips, you’re not only embracing a unique and beautiful flower but also making a conscious decision to reduce environmental impact.

Tulips grown in the UK have a significantly lower carbon footprint. They don’t require long-haul flights or energy-intensive greenhouses to reach you. Instead, they’re nurtured right here, in tune with the natural rhythm of our climate. Our tulips have been grown without a heated greenhouse or extensive grow lights, instead we have simply used their natural response to climate to push them to bloom a little earlier than normal so you can have beautiful blooms for valentines. 

How to Ensure You’re Buying British

While there’s no official certification to verify the origin of flowers like there is with food, there are ways to make an informed choice. One key indicator is seasonality. Flowers that are typically in bloom in spring and summer, like tulips, are not naturally available in the winter. If you find these flowers in shops during off-seasons, they are likely imported.

You can also choose to buy directly from independent and small flower farms in the UK where the journey to your vase is much shorter and fully transparent. Many big brands who claim to use British grown flowers don’t use British grown exclusively so it is worth doing your research.  

When choosing flowers, consider the time of year and opt for varieties that align with the British growing seasons. At Carobeth, our focus is always on what can be naturally grown and nurtured during a particular time of year, ensuring authenticity and sustainability.

The Benefits of Choosing British-Grown Tulips

Environmental Impact: By choosing tulips grown in the UK, you are significantly reducing the carbon footprint associated with your floral gift.

Supporting Local Economy: Buying British-grown tulips helps support local farmers and the domestic floral industry, contributing to the local economy.

Freshness and Quality: Locally grown tulips are likely to be fresher, having travelled less distance, which means they often last longer and have a better scent.

Promoting Biodiversity: By supporting local growers, you’re also supporting the cultivation of a wider variety of tulips, which can contribute to biodiversity. Bonus if you choose flowers grown in organic conditions or without pesticides such as our flowers. 

Carobeth’s Commitment to Sustainability

At Carobeth, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. Our tulips are grown without the use of harmful chemicals or pesticides, ensuring that we’re not only providing beautiful flowers but also protecting the environment and wildlife.

We believe that every small choice can lead to significant changes, and choosing British-grown tulips for Valentine’s Day is one such choice. It’s about celebrating love while being mindful of our planet and its future.

Due to our nature-first flower farming approach we do occasionally suffer from a reduced supply of flowers, on these rare occasions we sometimes supplement our flowers with those from other English growers; but we only do so using growers we know and trust, and we never import.

A New Valentine’s Tradition

This Valentine’s Day, we invite you to start a new tradition with Carobeth’s British-grown tulips. It’s a way to express love and care not just for your significant other, but for the planet too. Let these blooms be a symbol of conscious love, a love that understands the importance of small gestures with big impacts.

As you hold a bouquet of our tulips, remember the journey they’ve been on – a journey that’s kinder to our Earth and in harmony with nature. Let these tulips be a testament to a love that’s thoughtful, responsible, and truly beautiful in every sense.

Your Eco-Conscious Valentine’s Awaits

Pre-order your bouquet of Carobeth’s tulips today and take a step towards a more sustainable Valentine’s Day. Let these blooms be more than just a gift; let them be a message of love, respect, and hope for our planet.

🌷 Order Now – Bring Sustainable Love Home This Valentine’s Day 🌷

With every stem, you’re supporting local agriculture, reducing environmental impact, and bringing a piece of the Carobeth ethos into your home. This February 14th, let’s celebrate love with a conscience, with tulips that tell a story of care and sustainability.

Make your Valentine’s Day truly special this year with Carobeth – where every tulip is grown with love for you and the Earth.