Monday 29 July 2019

Bear's Blooms Brings Local Flowers to Vancouverites

Bear's Blooms: Delivering BC-grown flowers to the door's of Vancouverites
There are a lot of amazing floral shops in Vancouver; however, the majority of flowers used by the florists are flown in from around the globe. This came as a shock to me considering the numerous flower farmers in BC. Bear's Blooms recognized this and is helping Vancouverites connect with local growers. 

Bear's Blooms is challenging both consumers and florists to think local. By using flowers that are grown within the province - many of them come from within the Lower Mainland! - Bear's Blooms' carbon footprint is significantly smaller than the traditional florist as none of their flowers or greens are flown in from across the world. 

Bear's Blooms is a bit of a different business model as they offer a weekly subscription floral delivery service. The subscription model allows Bear's Blooms to be more accurate in the number of flowers they need for the week, so they can significantly minimize their weekly flower waste. Florists, on the other hand, can only estimate the number of flowers they will need for the week. On average, a florist typically discards 40% of their floral inventory. 


In their quest for being a sustainable company, Bear's Blooms packages their long-stemmed flowers in sturdy cardboard boxes that are composed of 60% recycled material. Bear's Blooms encourages all of their subscribers to save the box, so Bear's Blooms can re-use them. To make it ultra-convenient and easy, you just have to leave it out on your next delivery day. As a bonus, the boxes have a gorgeous designed printed on the top, so it will look cute in your home until Bear's Blooms picks it up. I encourage you to visit Bear's Blooms website ( https://bearsblooms.com ) for more information on their efforts on minimizing waste and running an eco-friendly sustainable business! 

I consider myself to be a bit flower-obsessed - my friends will probably agree - so I have some knowledge about what makes a flower a great quality stem. So here is my not-so-professional but I am going to pretend like I totally am a flower professional opinion. 

Bear's Blooms: White Avalanche Roses, Sedum, Lime Zembla Chrysanthemums and Purple Rosita Lisianthus

I received last week's box on Friday, July 19, 2019, and it contained the following:

5 White Avalanche Roses
5 Sedum (not broccoli)
5 Lime Zembla Chrysanthemums
5 groupings of Violet Rosita Lisianthus

I am very familiar with white Avalanche Roses as they happen to by my FAVOURITE flower. I am pretty certain Bear's Blooms got the roses from the same local grower that my florist gets them from. I did notice that the white avalanche roses arrived with their guard petals (the outermost petals that are a little green in colour and tougher as the protect the rest of the petals from damage). From hanging out at my florist's shop, I have learned that guard petals are removed to allow the creamy white inner petals to flourish. So next time Bear's Blooms includes Avalance White Roses, you will know to remove those outermost petals!

The Sedum is the "broccoli-looking" greens that were included in this box. I thought they were fun and interesting and did look like chunkier broccolini. Like a lot of greens, the sedum lasts are very resilient and last forever. 

Chrysanthemums are a widely loved flower, but this is the first time that I have seen the Lima Zembla colouring. They are white petals with neon yellow-green tips. Super fun and like the sedum, the chrysanthemums are easy to care for. Oh and do not worry, each box comes with a handy guide on caring for your flowers! 

The last flower in this delivery was the Purple Rosita Lisianthus. I loved how the bunches had varying shades of purple and went from dark rich purple to soft cool lilac and some were even a pale lavender white. So they not only are amazing filler flowers that have great height and flow, the varying purple shades of the Lisianthus added depth to the overall arrangement. Unlike the former two, Lisianthus have delicate stems that easily snap and overall Lisianthus do not have the longest vase life. However, I am still obsessed with the violet colouring and will definitely be checking out Dutch Heritage Green House, the Chilliwack grower of the Lisianthus! 

Bunches of Violet Rosita Lisianthus grown at the Chiliwack farm: Dutch Heritage Green House
With the number of flowers and greens I received, I was able to create two small arrangements. The flower quality was exceptional and at $30 a box, Bear's Blooms is making local flowers affordable for all. I see myself re-ordering boxes in the future. At the beginning of the week, Bear's Blooms announces the flowers for that week's delivery on their Instagram: @bears_blooms

BYES

Disclaimer: Complimentary flower box for review consideration. All opinions and content are original and my own. 








The most luscious and my longtime favourite flower: The White Avalanche Rose!
Sedum
Lime Zembla Chrysanthumums

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