We've heard about the "slow food" movement: a commitment to old techniques of harvesting and preparation and avoiding all things processed, packaged or refined. Yet with Valentine's Day, weddings and Mother's Day on the horizon, and the bonanza of all flower consumption, the Rose Parade, just over, what about the bouquets?
Debra Prinzing's popular book, "The 50 Mile Bouquet: Seasonal, Local and Sustainable Flowers" (St. Lynn's Press), photographed by David Perry, explores the idea of using flowers that are harvested within a 50-mile radius of our homes.
Since 80 percent of the cut flowers from online retailers and floral shops come from South America, Prinzing introduces the idea of locally grown. In California, buying local is especially easy, with hundreds of flower farms across the state.
California-grown flowers are not necessarily organic, Prinzing said. "But because of California's strict environmental laws, few cut flowers can measure up to the state's standards."
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Orange County Register