|| Sustainable Valentine\’s Day Flowers in Philadelphia ||   

With Valentine\’s Day fast approaching, I thought it would be fun to introduce you to two of my loves, who happen to be lovers themselves. Meet Manos and Mariposa, a pair of box turtles that call our flower farm home. Manos is named for the distinct hand print on his shell. Mariposa is named (sort of) for the dragonfly on hers (Mariposa is actually Spanish for butterfly but it fit nicely with Manos, who we had named first).

While box turtles may be a fairly common sight along the East coast, what makes these two special is that they are a mating pair. That\’s pretty rare indeed! Currently box turtles are on the vulnerable (verging on endangered) species list because their population has plummeted by over a third in just a few decades. Think about it: as humans divide up more and more space with subdivisions and run their fast cars around, turtle habitat and safety takes a big hit.

These sweet, solitary creatures have a very hard time finding a mate. They can\’t move fast (they only move about 55 yards a day)… They can\’t see more than a three inches off the ground… They don\’t climb…They make no mating calls… Their only hope is to wander around until they literally run into each other. So many busy roads these days makes that a near impossible (and often fatal) mission.

Box turtles, if they can dodge all the cars, can live as long as humans. The oldest Eastern box turtle known is around 145!! We estimate (based on counting shell rings, but that\’s not always accurate) that Manos is in his 50s. Mariposa seems to be in her 30s.

The five acres of our farm — with its forest, meadow and abundant flower fields — has created a safe and food-rich home where these two can regularly get busy (boom-chika-boom-boom) without interference. One of the biggest reasons I\’m so committed to farming this particular land is to preserve Manos and Mariposa\’s (and their babies) habitat. Theirs is just one of the thousands of stories of love and life at our little urban farm.

And here you thought we were just growing flowers for humans to enjoy!!

In honor (and support) of our box turtles, take 5% off a membership in our Flower CSA between now and Valentine\’s Day.  Use discount code TURTLES when you make your purchase in our online shop.  We\’ll also send you a digital copy of our hand-drawn turtle card (see above) so you can tell your sweetheart how this gift is so much more than just the cliche bouquet!

Sustainable Valentine\’s Day Flowers Philadelphia

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FOR YOUR NEW LOVE

Why give that New Spark an old boring gift like roses or chocolate for Valentine\’s Day? Instead, give them four weeks of lush, wild, European-style, hand-tied bouquets through our organic Flower CSA. Go the extra mile and promise to pick the bouquet up each week and stop over to make dinner together. Trust me, this gift is bound to get you moved into the \”keeper\” column.

FOR YOUR ANTHRO LOVE

Two words: \”flower crown.\” Really, that\’s all you have to say to the woman in your life who loves Anthropology and the squeals will ensue. But don\’t delay. There are only a few seats left in this popular and oh-so-fun floral design workshop at our farm this spring. Your love will get to make all sort of flower jewelry, including a crown, and drink botanical cocktails in a setting straight out of the pages of Kinfolk.

FOR YOUR GARDEN LOVE

Does your partner or mom do a great job of nurturing you and your family every day? How about some plants to nurture in the garden and to make beautiful backyard bouquets all summer long? Then our Plant Share is the perfect choice. This one-time share in our Flower CSA gives your love 30+ healthy, happy, organically-grown plants for starting their very own cutting garden for bouquets all summer long!
FOR YOUR FLOWER-OBSESSED LOVE
Have you been listening for months, even years, to your love say how much they would really like to ditch their cubical for a career in the beautiful world of flowers? Are you realizing this is not a passing phase? Want to do something hugely helpful and make a statement about how much you believe in and love them? Our floral Master Classes are just the ticket. Surrounded by the beauty of our flower farm, they\’ll learn so many invaluable skills for starting their own floral business.

FOR YOUR HARD-TO-PLEASE (BUT OH-SO-ADORABLE) LOVE

Never quite sure what that love of yours wants but know that they adore flowers? Purchase a gift certificate from our shop and let them pick out their own floral treat. Gift certificates are sold in increments of $25. Throw in a copy of our glossy photo journal EPHEMERAL to hold the gift certificate between its pages and make a beautiful presentation. Select how many you would like and then we\’ll send one beautiful card for the total amount to your love. Be sure to include a mailing address in the instructions/notes section when checking out.
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You and your loves can feel extra warm and fuzzy knowing you\’ve hit a home run for Valentine\’s Day AND supported our little flower farm on its mission to change an industry and support a healthy environment (biological, economical and social) here in Philly. Make sure to send your love a link to our video so they can see the beauty of our farm.

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!

GO GET YOURSELF SOME #locallove TODAY!

xoxo