For many of us, it’s important to know where the products we buy come from, whether it’s the food in our fridges or the clothing in our closets.
Knowing the origins of the items in our home extends to other purchases too. Have you ever thought about the blooms in the bouquet on your kitchen table or the stunning arrangement you gifted to a loved one?
“Collingwood Flowers loves using local flower farms in our arrangements and bouquets. We try to use flowers that are local to Ontario as much as possible as it helps promote local businesses and the province,” says owner Craig Ashton.
One of the shop’s biggest suppliers is in close proximity—, Ontario. “They have beautiful blooms every summer,” he says.
The philosophy:
As an ethical, ecologically and socially responsible florist, it is important to be open and honest about the origins of the product you sell, Ashton believes.
His product mostly comes from a mix of local growers, many of whom are located in the province, small farms with open fields and hot houses. Others are commercial greenhouse operations, much larger in scale.
“Our flowers mostly come through our wholesalers in Ontario who choose only the best seasonally available products for us. We have a choice of local or imports through them,” he explains.
In the summer growing season, most of the flowers that Collingwood Flowers uses in its arrangements and bouquets are local. But once the prime growing season has ended, florists must rely on greenhouse growers and imported products.
The goal, as always, is to have a great selection available for customers year-round—and of course the climate here provides some limitations. Roses from Ecuador, for example, are the strongest and last the longest, with big, beautiful blooms.
Imported flowers come from countries that have ideal growing conditions. To try to grow the same flowers here in Canada in greenhouses would consume far too many resources, with unsustainably high operation and energy costs. Ashton only works with trusted suppliers who operate with integrity.
His shop is an independent retail business that creates incredible floral designs, wedding and sympathy flowers, gift baskets with wine, and stocks beautiful home décor accent pieces.
“The reason our floral arrangements last is due to how to we process them in the store,” he says. “They are hydrated and kept in a temperature and humidity-controlled cooler between 30 and 40 degrees Celsius. Freshly cutting the bottom of the stem and changing the water at home every couple of days is very important for flowers to last.”
For more information, visit Collingwood Flowers or call 705-445-2071. You can also follow the store on Facebook and Instagram.
This article was sponsored by Collingwood Flowers, a 2023 CollingwoodToday Reader Favourite.