Prairie Girl Flowers

Well, here’s some fresh bu****it for florists who are looking for the next big thing.

Thanks to the geniuses , we are lucky to welcome yet another garbage product for florists and wholesalers who are desperate to sell junk to their clients. This particular foam product reaches new heights of ignorance on behalf of . Not only are they simply greenwashing an already established garbage foam product, but they are also venturing into territory where they have absolutely no business: that of ethical and/or sustainable foraging.

Foraging requires a breadth and scope of knowledge that is not possessed by 99% of florists. Ethical, sustainable, and responsible foraging requires an understanding of local ecological conditions and social traditions associated with foraging where you live. Understanding the ethics of foraging means understanding the ecological and social significance of native species + invasive species.

As Robin Wall Kimmerer so eloquently stated: “For all of us, becoming indigenous to a place means living as if your children’s future mattered, to take care of the land as if our lives, both material and spiritual, depended on it.”

Foraging is not cool or hip. It is not fashionable or trendy. It is something that requires an intimate knowledge of local ecosystems and a respect for local knowledge + traditions. It is NOT something that (or really any florist) has any business jumping into. Nor does it require a specialized fu***ng product. Really!? A floral foam specifically designed for arranging foraged flora? Give me a break. This is nothing more than a money grab.

So - what to do? As I’ve said before - stop believing everything you see and hear. Do some digging. Critical thinking does not mean jumping to conclusions - it means doing your due diligence and making sense of what you see, read, or hear. Bottom line? You CANNOT TRUST what you hear from or read on the blogs, posts, or so-called “sustainability reports” from suppliers, wholesalers, and influencers. Do your own work, ask hard questions, and don’t believe everything you see or hear.