A Unique Way Growers Can Use Unsold Floral Inventory
More than 17 florists and designers participated in United by Blooms, an effort to decorate mailboxes with floral arrangements to encourage people to vote. Photo: Emma Lee/WHYY
It may be just a coincidence that the election season rushes toward its finish at the same time fall flowers do. Just as politicians are squeezing their sound and fury into the remaining days before November 3, the season’s foliage is wrapping itself up for the winter.
So why not combine the two with one of the hottest topics leading up to the November election: the U.S. mail system?
That’s what’s happening in the greater Philadelphia area, where United by Blooms has launched a get-out-the-vote campaign that asks florists and flower farmers to use whatever is left over from the growing season to make large-scale floral arrangements at street postal boxes and ballot drop-off boxes. They act as a reminder for people to send their votes by mail, if they choose.
About 16 mailboxes have been dressed up with extravagant flower arrangements. Many of them cascade with the yellow marigolds, orange dahlias, and golden zinnias of autumn.
“If you are a local grower, this is the end of the season,” says Kate Carpenter, creator of the United By Blooms campaign. “We’re lucky that it stayed so beautiful recently. Nice, warm sunny days keep the flowers going. But if we get a frost, it’s all done. We’re expecting that any day now.”
Carpenter is the co-owner of a small flower growing and arranging business. Her inspiration for United By Blooms came from several forces converging: the U.S. Postal service faces possible cuts (which were recently blocked), Pennsylvania is allowing anyone who wishes to vote by mail in a presidential election for the first time, and the end of the growing season puts a period on a very difficult year for the local flower industry.
Read more here.
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