In a magical spot tucked away on the hillside above Maughold, Laura Sayle is growing flowers that are seasonal and local.
She is part of a growing movement of small-scale growers supplying flowers in a more sustainable way as more customers are looking for the same values in the flowers that they choose as they do in the food that they buy.
It is estimated that 90% of the flowers sold through florists, supermarkets, and wholesalers are imported. They typically come from Holland but can come from as far afield as Ecuador, Colombia, Kenya, or Ethiopia.
"By contrast, flowers grown by a local flower farmer are not just more sustainable: they will be freshly picked and delivered and will have the quality that comes from the care a small-scale grower can give, just as it does with artisan food products."
In the UK, organizations like Flowers from the Farm, which represents cut flower growers from Cornwall to Inverness, are booming.
Source: www.iomtoday.co.im