Smart Gardening and Artificial Flowers:
The Nomad Way to Celebrate Valentine’s Day

February 14 is that special time when lovers believe they're characters in a Hallmark movie, complete with romantic gestures and heart-shaped everything, while the singles are experts in the art of self-love and not giving a f—-.

However, Valentine's Day, in its current form, is heavily commercialized. No kidding, it's ironic that our expressions of love often come at the expense of the environment. From gifts to eats, a significant amount of waste is always generated post-holiday. Fun fact: In China, there are even "rubbish" collectors who gather discarded flowers and gifts alongside regular trash.

A considerable number of flowers around the world, such as in Ecuador and Colombia, are cultivated in industrial-scale greenhouses. Flowers are naturally thirsty plants, requiring ample water for growth, which leads to high water consumption and chemical runoffs. Once they are cut, these imported blooms are transported thousands of miles from countries like Ecuador and Colombia in refrigerated airplane cargo holds. In the United States alone, transporting Valentine's Day flowers from Colombia to U.S. airports contributes to around 360,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. To put it into perspective, these are the same emissions produced by 78,000 cars driven for a year.

Our initial response to make Valentine’s Day sustainable might be to switch to locally sourced flowers to reduce our carbon footprint or give dried flowers and preserved roses a try. However, it's essential to recognize that both options still contribute to carbon emissions. Even so, not all regions can grow flowers due to climate or geographical situation.

The Nomad Solution: Smart Gardening and Artificial Flowers

The flower industry resembles fast fashion and requires a makeover. So what if we reimagine how we celebrate Valentine’s Day? 

For a 100% sustainable choice, why not grow your flowers or gift potted plants instead? This provides an eco-friendly option and adds a refreshing touch of greenery to your living space. 93% of millennials believe houseplants make them happier. Click & Grow, a startup located in Estonia develops smart gardens that connect modern lifestyles with nature. These smart gardens enable year-round plant growth, even in the busiest households, by managing watering, light, and nutrient requirements, allowing users to enjoy the rewards without the hassle.

Or better yet: artificial flowers.

Based in Barcelona and operating across Europe, Blaine specializes in crafting lifelike artificial flower arrangements made from recycled materials. Founded in 2019, Blaine offers a monthly subscription service designed for businesses, with the mission of democratizing floral use across diverse enterprises. So, Miley Cyrus, let’s buy ourselves artificial flowers.

There's fertile ground for innovation and growth in the flower industry, and entrepreneurs should recognize this. Whether implementing sustainable practices or revolutionizing the status quo with creative solutions, anyone with a great idea can tap into new markets. Perhaps, start with Valentine’s Day.

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