12 Places to Buy Locally Grown Blooms for Mother’s Day

May 6, 2016 | Kate Edwards

According to a recent survey conducted by the National Retail Federation, Americans plan on spending approximately $2.4 billion on flowers this Mother’s Day. That’s roughly 66 percent of those celebrating the holiday.

According to the Society of American Florists, imported blooms make up about 64 percent (by dollar volume) of the fresh flowers sold in the United States, with the top importers being the equatorial nations of Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico. Labor regulation is low in these places and many farm workers toil for little pay and in unsafe conditions in an industry known for heavy pesticide use. Read More