Organic farming works with nature by using natural techniques and old-fashioned methods to utilize the land and protect the air, water, and wildlife. Organic farming does not use harmful and toxic chemical pesticides or fertilizers. Organic practices use all-natural techniques to grow healthy plants.

Organic floral farmers follow the same strict guidelines as organic food producers. Many farmers are wary because of the time, effort, and cost that it takes to become certified organic. It takes three years to transition from regular to organic farming and the costs can be high. Plus some don't believe that consumers really care whether or not products are grown organically, especially crops that are not food.

However, because of the growing awareness of pesticide pollutions and dangers, many consumers do want choices. They want all of their products to be free of dangerous toxins, including their pretty flowers. As more people push for healthier solutions, more farmers will switch to organic growing. Let flower shops know you want organic flowers. In turn, they'll look for organic suppliers, and as regular suppliers start losing customers they'll have to switch their practices to more environmentally acceptable solutions.

Local and Seasonal

The greenest option is, of course, buying local and seasonal flowers. Depending on where you live, different flowers may be in season at different times. If you live in a warm climate, some flowers may bloom all year long, while in colder climates they may only bloom at a certain time of year. However, some organic flower farms have greenhouses and keep fresh flowers blooming all the time.

Here are the most popular fresh flowers you are likely to find during certain seasons:

• Spring: allium, anemone, apple blossoms, cherry blossoms, daffodil, freesia, iris, lily of the valley, lilac, narcissus, peony, ranunculus, sweet pea, tulip, violet

• Summer: allium, amaryllis, aster, calla lily, dahlia, geranium, gladiolus, honeysuckle, hydrangea, liatris, orange blossom, peony, rose, sunflower, zinnia

• Autumn: amaryllis, anemone, aster, calla lily, dahlia, narcissus, marigold, sunflower, zinnia

• Winter: amaryllis, daffodil, hyacinth, mimosa, tulip, evergreens

• Year-round: alstroemeria, aster, baby's breath, bird of paradise, calla lily, carnation, daisy, eucalyptus, fern, freesia, gardenia, gerbera, gladiolus, iris, ivy, lily, orchid, rose, statice, stephanotis

If you have a green thumb, you may want to try your hand at growing your own flowers by planting them in your garden and coordinating the date of your wedding with the blooming time of the flowers. The easiest way to grow your own is to plant continuously blooming annuals in little pots that can be used as centerpieces or favors. Marigolds, petunias, and other spring and summer annuals continue to produce flowers throughout spring, summer, and even fall. They'll continue to bloom until the first frost as long as they are well taken care of. You could start them out as seeds in late winter or very early spring or purchase flats of tiny plants that can be transplanted into bigger decorative containers before the wedding.

It is also possible to grow certain bulb flowers any time of year by forcing the bulbs. However, that can take a lot of time and very extensive planning and coordinating to ensure that you have blooming flowers on the day of your wedding.

Growing your own flowers can be very tricky and subject to many variables including weather, insects, animals, and other things you have no control over. Flowers may wilt before the wedding or they may not grow at all. Unless you are very confident in your floral growing abilities, let the professionals handle this and just buy what you need. To find local organic growers in your area, check out www.localharvest.org or go to a search engine and search for organic or sustainable flower farms.

VeriFlora Certified Sustainably Grown

To know you are getting quality organic or sustainably grown flowers, look for USDA organic certification through Quality Assurance International. Also look for certification that the products are VeriFlora Certified Sustainably Grown.

VeriFlora is a sustainable certification program for fresh cut flowers and potted plants. The label that reads “VeriFlora Certified Sustainably Grown” is a guarantee that the flowers or plants you are purchasing have been produced in an environmental and socially responsible manner.

VeriFlora is America's first comprehensive sustainability certification program for the floral and potted plant industries. The program has established procedures for verifying agricultural practices administered by Scientific Certification Systems. To be certified, growers and handlers must meet or exceed performance criteria in seven areas: sustainable crop production, ecosystem protection, resource conservation and energy efficiency, integrated waste management, fair labor practices, community benefits, and product quality.