A Call to Arms for Industry Professionals

I just got an OUTSTANDING email from Clover Chadwick, founder of the Hollywood based floral design company Dandelion Ranch. I have to say, it was one of the most innovative things I've seen in floristry over the course of my career. And it isn't creating a new way to design flowers.

It all started a few months back when a local, high-end wedding show had an idea that had the whole industry abuzz. The theme of the show wasn't about The Bride. Instead, it was about The Planet. Their theme was about doing things for your wedding that were environmentally friendly.

I'll admit, after attending the Soolip Wedding show in March, I too was on a quest for more new and innovative ways to make what I do, and vendors I choose, for my clients more "green." I've always been a hero of saving this beautiful planet, a loyal watcher of things like "Baraka" and "Planet Earth". And, after all, I was the person mortified and a bit unstable when someone I knew said something to the effect of, "I won't be here when the world goes to hell, so why should I care or change now?", when I suggested they watch Al Gore's global masterpiece "An Inconvenient Truth".

Now we can come back to how a single floral vendor, Clover Chadwick took her call to arms from the Soolip show seriously.

Here are excerpts from her email:

Ms Clover Chadwick, founder of Dandelion Ranch, was surprised to discover that floral foam, a product indispensable to many florists for their arrangements, was not only non-biodegradable, but highly toxic and potentially linked to incidences of lung cancer. After her investigations for an alternative through her regular floral supply channels came up short, she got creative and found a product used by other industries with a similar consistency to floral foam and even better water retention, so it could be used for the foundation of her arrangements, but is all natural and biodegradable.

“Without floral foam, or something like it, I would have had to change my entire design philosophy, which may have resulted in a disastrous loss of income, but floral foam being so bad, I was ready do just that,” says Ms Chadwick. “It’s time we all do our part, as minimal as it may be. Every gesture counts. Every action that may result in less pollution is paramount to the future of all living things on this planet.

I was, however, a little disappointed in the email. After years of working in a floral design shop myself, I wanted to know what the product is!

I need to know what the product is! I understand it may have been intentionally left out of the email, but with something that can make this much of a positive impact, I believe the responsible and respectful thing to do is share it openly and quickly.

I would love to see all the florists I work with to not only start using this new product, but to also start to a conversation with the makers of their beloved "oasis" (aka: floral foam) and find ways to get them to make their product more environmentally friendly. To change it in a way that benefits generations to come.

In light of all that is happening in our world today, I would hope that all the professionals in our industry and all of the brides and grooms-to-be will research ideas on how their weddings, and the planning of them, can do more to "be green."

The bags full of information that I brought home from "A Soolip Wedding" this year were a great starting place.

So, I'm going to dig around a bit to try to find out just what this particular product is to satisfy my own curiosity and share what I find.

I'm asking all of you to do the same. Research something! Anything! And bring it to the attention of the world in the best way you know how.

Or share it with me, and I'll post it here.

For now though, a HUGE "Thank You" to Dandelion Ranch for doing their part to change the world for the better, and for inspiring me to do my part!

I look forward to learning how many other industry professionals are doing the same. And to sharing what I learn with you along the way.