Seasonal Flowers vs. Local Flowers

There is often confusion around the idea of seasonal flowers and local flowers. So what does it all mean? Seasonal flowers, similar to produce, are specific to local regions and climates. Have you every noticed that you always see oranges and clementines at the grocery store around the winter holidays? That’s because they are in season in the fall/winter months in Florida and China. That doesn’t mean that they are “in-season” in Canada, in fact, we rarely see locally grown oranges and clementines.

The term “in-season” is only relevant when referring to a specific location as anything can be “in-season” when you take into account the worldwide availability of products. The same thing can be said for flowers.

Seasonal flowers in Canada fall into two categories: annuals and perennials.  A perennial is a plant that is cold hardy for your zone and will come back after the winter months. An annual, will not survive the cold winter months and will grow within one growing season, and need to be replanted “annually”.  

Geographically, we are categorized into “growing zones” that indicate plant hardiness based on climate conditions including extreme temperatures. In Hamilton Ontario, I grow in zone 5b. Growing zones however, are not a factor when it comes to annual flowers. What’s important to understand is the first and last frost date for your area. This will indicated how many weeks there are available for growing.

When we are considering eco-conscious floristry, we need to not only consider in season flowers but also how far it has travelled. It is important to clarify if the flower is “in-season” in Ontario, and not imported “in-season” from another province or country. The term '“local flowers” is often used and refers to flowers that were grown local to its specific growing region. In our case, this means southern Ontario.

 

From an environmental standpoint, when you choose locally grown, in season flowers, there is a smaller carbon footprint.

Local flowers, just like local produce, are fresher as they are not sprayed, packaged and shipped for long distances.  There are also a number of flowers that are too delicate to ship and are only available from local flower growers, including cosmos and zinnias.  When you purchase from an Ontario grower, you are also supporting the local economy and/or a small business.  

A number of local farms grow flowers in greenhouses throughout the winter months like ranunculus! 
We hope this information on seasonal flowers and local flowers gives you a bit more insight into making more eco-conscious decisions when you purchase flowers. Even including a few different locally grown flowers will make a difference! 

Your flower loving friends,

Emily & Liana

Looking for more information on seasonal flowers? 
Stay tuned for our Southern Ontario Seasonal Flower guide!