In the ranking of Hallmark Holidays, Valentine’s Day is numero uno. In the past, we’ve participated in a bit of V-Day shunning, but this year we’ve taken a renewed interest in the occasion. It’s not as if the world’s cup runneth over with love lately, so we think any opportunity to add a bit of the L-word into the equation is a good one, and we’ve landed upon the perfect way to do it: flowers. But we’re talking about the good old fashioned, handpicked kind.
When it comes to stunning stems, there’s a new kid in town and she’s doing it — to use her word — “right.” Christina Stembel is the founder of the San Francisco based company Farmgirl Flowers, and runs a team that is dedicated to reverse engineering floral gifting. By taking the mass-production and globalization out of flower delivery (cough1800flowerscough), while maintaining the convenience of online ordering, these thoughtful, sustainable, seasonal, small-farm sourced, cellophane-free, and individually hand-tied bouquets are helping to bring the charm back to a gesture that has become somewhat underwhelming in our click-it-and-ship-it economy.
Needless to say, we’re sending Farmgirl’s blooms this year, but our Valentines are not the usual suspects. When it comes to expressing a bit of appreciation, who is more deserving than the wonderful ladies in your life? The ones who pick up on the first ring. The ones who always have a towel in their back pockets for last minute boot polishing. The ones who tell you that your miss into the two-stride wasn’t as bad as it felt while slyly slipping your horse an extra carrot.
This Valentine’s Day, we encourage you to send a little love to the ladies in your life. Let Mom, Sister, Daughter, Grandma, or BFF know that you’re thinking of her, and do it with some stems that are ethically sourced, freshly picked, and come beautifully packaged in upcycled, biodegradable coffee bags from Farmgirl Flowers. And if you’re feeling particularly generous, think inside the box by ordering The BFF, which includes a few girly extras (like candles and candies), and pay it forward to the next time you have the flu and those stalls simply won’t clean themselves.
Photos: Farmgirl Flowers
