Who does not like flowers? They embellish every room and smell nice on top of that. When buying cut flowers, however, caution is advised since many of these flowers are imported. And that despite the fact that there are domestic flowers that bloom both in winter and the beginning of the year here! Yes, you read correctly: just for the sake of having flowers, there is no need to import them in the colder seasons.
In this blog post, we therefore introduce a selection of Swiss flowers to you that bloom in the first three months of the year. Additionally, you learn what their advantages are compared to imported flowers. So: read on to be well-informed for your next purchase of cut flowers.
Which flowers are in season at the beginning of the year?
Surprising, but an actual fact: even here, flowers bloom in winter! And colourfully at that. It needs to be noted, of course, that the blooming period in terms of field-grown flowers always depends on the weather. This is why we added flowers from nearby Northern Italy to the list. Still, there are general tendencies regarding blooming periods in the current climatic conditions of Switzerland.
Seasonal flowers in January
In January, you can, amongst others, rejoice in the following flowers:
- long-lasting, fluffy willow catkins
- Ticinese camellias with their evergreen leaves
- lightly to powerfully glowing windflowers (Italy)
- yellow glowing forsythia
- fragrant viburnum whose pink buds transform into white blossoms
- white to pink blooming cherry branches that start blooming at home
- aromatically fragrant pink Ticinese magnolias
- elegant ranunculus with delicate petals (Italy)
- tulips that gleam in various colours (Italy)
Seasonal flowers in February
Beside all the above-mentioned flowers that already bloom in January, the blooming period starts in the second month for other flowers. These are, amongst others:
- red poppy seed (Italy)
- white spiraea with its countless blossoms
- yellow or green blooming mimosa (Italy)
- cheery marguerites (Italy)
Seasonal flowers in March
The flowers from the first two months also bloom in the third month. In March, you can additionally rejoice in the following flowers:
- cheery yellow narcissuses, a.k.a. “daffodils“
- crocus with its upright blossoms
- the first field-grown tulips from Switzerland
As you can see: there are a number of (Swiss) flowers that bloom in winter and the beginning of the year! You can easily have a bouquet made from such seasonal, sustainable flowers delivered to you by our producer Blumenpost. Have a look!
What are the advantages of regional flowers?
Regional flowers are more ecological. This is not merely because of the lacking air travel or longer journeys, which produce more CO2 than is necessary. But more often than not, the growing of flowers in heated green houses also inflates the CO2 emissions (Zierpflanzen aus Gartenzentren massiv mit Bienenkiller-Pestiziden belastet – Greenpeace Schweiz, German source). A much better alternative are green houses that are operated ecologically.
Flowers also have to be watered, of course. The required great amounts of water are especially problematic overseas since the water is missed elsewhere; at local farms, for example (Afrikas Blumenindustrie gräbt sich selbst das Wasser ab, German source).
By purchasing Swiss seasonal flowers, you thus not only contribute to the protection of the environment, but also support the local supply of available drinking water in third world countries.
If you still want to buy imported flowers, look for the Fair Trade label. It guarantees that social and ecological standards are met.
Tips for buying flowers
With Valentine’s Day approaching, we’d like to give you some tips to keep in mind when buying cut flowers:
- ecological packaging, i.e. preferably plastic-free
- social aspect: look out for the fair trade label when buying imported flowers
- buy biological flowers or cut flowers where little pesticides where used since this contributes to the protection of bees (see Zierpflanzen aus Gartenzentren massiv mit Bienenkiller-Pestiziden belastet – Greenpeace Schweiz, German source)
- transparency: research carefully where the flowers are coming from and how they have been grown (see Floristen unter Druck – «Es sollte eine Deklaration der Produktionsmethoden geben», German source).
So, why don’t you gift a domestic flower variety for Valentine’s Day this year? Roses from Switzerland naturally grow only towards summer at the earliest. A lovely alternative, for instance, are tulips. Alternatively, long-lasting dried flowers can please as well. Have fun picking your flowers!
What do you think?