Twigs from my garden

On the front cover of my most recent Audubon magazine is an out-of-focus close-up of a beautiful red rose — appropriate for Valentine’s Day, yes? Also on the cover are the words, “War of the Roses, The Greening of the Flower Business.” The cover story written by Charles Bergman begins, “Long the symbol of love, irresistible desire, and ephemeral beauty, the prickliest of flowers has never been so popular, so lucrative — or so toxic for the environment. But enterprising growers and marketers are working to turn the red rose green." According to Bergman, Americans buy about 1.5 billion roses, nearly all imported from Latin America; approximately 1.3 million are cultivated in Colombia and Ecuador. Most of these roses are purchased by the U.S. flower industry for Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. Ecuadoran roses, the country’s third most exported product, are considered superior for their intense colors and huge flowers.Even as we are learning that global trade has inundated the U.S. with substandard products, like toys with paint containing lead, we find there is a dark side to the rose industry. Unlike the beautiful Ecuadoran rose, grown in sun-drenched climate and rich volcanic soil, the truth is ugly: use of industrial pesticides and fungicides; workers exposed to poisons; polluted water; fish and other wildlife vulnerable to toxic waste. To quote Bergman: “A 2007 study by the International Labor Rights Fund and the U.S./Labor Education in the Americas Project … found that Ecuadoran flower companies use 30 different pesticides, and that 20 percent of the chemicals applied in flower production in Colombia are restricted or banned in the United States and Europe.”Fortunately, certification programs established in the last several years provide environmental and ethical standards of practice for both domestic and foreign growers and handlers of cut flowers and potted plants. The certification process involves detailed on-site inspections, document audits, in depth interviews and annual follow-up. Organic certification by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture requires farming practices to build fertile soils without the use of synthentic chemical pesticides. “Sustainable” certification includes both social and ecological standards. For example, VeriFlora, the largest sustainable label, allows limited use of synthetic pesticides and also addresses the health and well-being of workers, their families and communities.As of today, there are few certified growers — it is totally up to us as consumers to support those few businesses voluntarily stepping forward and selling organic and sustainable flowers. In season, organic flowers, as with other agriculture products, can be purchased at farmer’s markets, organic food chains such as Whole Foods, and on organic Web sites. Look for the VeriFlora label on the flowers at your local florist or grocery store this Valentine’s Day. If you don’t see it, ask that they begin carrying them.Event Beginning Friday and continuing through Feb. 18, the 11th annual Great Backyard Bird Count, held by the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, provides an opportunity for people of all ages and birding skills to enjoy learning about their backyard birds while collecting data for conservation. This online citizen science census counts birds anywhere at any time during the scheduled weekend; data is then submitted via the Internet. Participation is free. The original idea was to count birds in your backyard. Now GBBC encourages counting in parks and refuges, fields, and along streets and roads. You simply tally the largest number of birds of each species that you see at one time while watching for a minimum of 15 minutes to help scientists define the status of winter birds. Visit www.birdcount.org for details. Carol Bertrand of the Tri-Moraine Audubon Society recommends this as a great and fun activity for individuals, classrooms, groups and families. A helpful online bird guide can be found at www.birds.cornell.edu/programs/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/.Master Gardener Tip of the Week Consider gardening without pesticides. In a 2005 study, the Journal of Applied Ecology found that, “… on average, birds and other animals were 50 percent more abundant” on organic farms. This could mean more butterflies and bees in your own garden!