There’s just something about having a bunch of flowers that instantly lifts a room.
But you know what makes it even better? Saving flowers that would’ve gone to waste and letting them bloom in every corner of the house.
I don’t hear any complaints from the ladies on that front.
That's what sparked the idea for Wonky Flowers, who aims to reduce waste while supporting local growers at the same time.
They've shown their passion for reducing waste before, creating the successful Wonky Box - the fruit and veg delivery service already saving kai that usually gets binned before it even reaches supermarket shelves.
Turns out, flower waste is a massive issue, especially after big dates like Mother’s Day or Valentine’s, where growers are often left with more flowers than they know what to do with.
According to Worldline NZ, at the busiest times of the year, flower shops get supplied with up to 160% of their regular petals.
Not gonna lie, I had the same shocked reaction finding out about the amount of waste in the flower world as I did with fruit and vege.
Wonky Flowers takes the too-long, too-short, slightly curved, or just spare blooms that don’t quite cut it for the retail aesthetics and gives them a second chance to bloom.
Instead of being tossed out, from this month these perfectly good stems are boxed up fresh at the source – the flower pros at Burwood.
“We’ve always believed in celebrating the beauty of imperfection,” says co-founder Katie Jackson.
“Wonky Flowers is flipping the script on floral waste – giving these gorgeous but overlooked blooms a home, while helping growers and reducing unnecessary waste.”
Angus Simms, also a co-founder, adds: “Much like our produce boxes, the flowers will change week to week depending on what’s in surplus, what’s in season, or just shy of perfect.”
“It means every delivery is a surprise, and encourages people to get creative at home.”
They might not be as cheap as chips, but they’re still a whole lot cheaper than most bunches out there, with boxes starting from $52.
And honestly, with the cost of retail bouquets these days, doing a bit of good, saving some cash, and having fresh flowers in the house? That’s a win-win-win in my books.
Right, now someone please send this to my partner so I can act surprised when they arrive on my doorstep, cheers!
