Pink and Red? Go Green this Valentine's Day

It’s the time of year to show your love for your sweetheart. And you can do that while showing love for your mother (Earth) at the same time. It just takes a little creativity, the willingness to open your heart rather than depend on the greeting card aisle in your nearest drug store, and knowing where to go and what to ask for when it comes to the floral component.

Don’t fret, little cupids, we’re here to help.

When it comes to Valentine’s Day cards, nothing’s sweeter than a handwritten love letter. Skip the store-bought greeting cards this year and pen something original instead. Use recycled paper and decorate your declaration of love with images from magazines, old photographs, your best attempt at your true love’s portrait, and you’ve got an eco-friendly card that’s sure to melt his or her heart more than the mass-produced sentiment sent out to thousands of other lovebirds.

And what’s the natural accompaniment to an old fashioned love letter? Some sweet smelling, silky petaled objects of beauty for the object of your affection, of course. Just make sure this natural pairing is as natural as you can get it. Most commercial flower growers use pesticides to enhance the look and size of the flowers. And while nothing says ‘I love you’ like a bouquet of lush roses, a bouquet of pesticides says something, well, different. 

Melinda Benham, owner of in the 50th and France shopping district, confirmed that her business gets its roses and Gerber daisies from Plymouth-based Len Busch Roses. And while Len Busch Roses is not certified organic, it is a sustainable grower, with the use of predator insects in place of chemicals, as well as environmentally friendly heating, hydroponics and water recycling. Being just a short jaunt up 169, it’s also a local company.  

If you’ve done the roses and daisies thing one too many times, try something different this year. The pussy willow branches at Garden Gate Flowers are local, organic and—at $15 to $16 dollars a bunch—affordable. Often used as sculptural elements in floral arrangements, the pussy willow branches can be formed into the shape of a heart for your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day.

I can’t take full credit for that one. This romantic gem of an idea came from the creative minds of the floral experts at Garden Gate Flowers.

If you’re adding a box of chocolates to the mix—and really, why wouldn’t you?—look for organic chocolate this year and keep the pesticides and fertilizers out of the edible offering.  

Whatever your Valentine’s Day plans are this year, there are plenty of options for sustainable and environmentally friendly ways to show your love. Challenge yourself this year and commit to being a green cupid.