Have a Green Valentine's Day!

classicalgeek | Jan 31, 2010 |

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Flowers, chocolate, wine, jewelry, cards . . . those are among the traditional Valentine's day gifts--but if your sweetie is eco-conscious, you may discover that you'll get a lecture as a reward. Fortunately, you can satisfy your taste for tradition and still impress your loved one with your green heart!

Consider giving a potted miniature rosebush
rather than a dozen roses

Flowers are traditionally grown in destructive ways--using pesticides and artificial fertilizers that harm the soil, and are toxic to humans and many other forms of life. In addition, large flower farms often decrease an area's biodiversity and cause all kinds of pollution. Fortunately, you can find organically-grown flowers, or, better yet, present your loved one with a potted miniature rosebush. If you give flowers, don't forget to compost them when they die!

Chocolate soufflé--the ultimate
Valentine's day dessert!

Chocolate (which does, fortunately for all of us, grow on trees) also has its own problems with not only pesticides, fertilizer and herbicides, but also exploits workers in many countries. Look for organic labelling, which certifies that the chocolate was grown without these artificial methods, but also for fair-trade labelling, which means that the chocolate was grown and harvested without exploiting workers unfairly. Sustainably-grown chocolate is also out there, although more difficult to find.

This year, try organic wine!

Organic wine is a sure way to please the oenophile in your life, and many more brands are available now than even a few years ago. Although it's too late for Valentine's day this year, or even next year, you may want to explore making your own wine at home (it takes very little space and can be hidden on a closet shelf for a surprise).

Anyone who saw the film Blood Diamond must surely think twice about receiving a gift of gemstones. However, you can now find jewelry with conflict-free stones, and even jewelers who will recycle gold. Your local jeweler can even custom-design a piece of jewelry for your sweetheart from conflict-free stones and recycled gold or silver from your old jewelry.

A card from handmade paper, embedded
with herb or flower seeds, is a romantic gift

Every Valentine's day, millions of people send cards to their partners, and, unfortunately, many of these cards come from forests which are not sustainably logged, and then the cards are thrown into the landfill, which creates even more problems. Look for cards made from recycled paper. Some cards even have wildflower seeds embedded in them, so that the card can be dampened and planted, and will grow a bed of perennial flowers to remind your loved one year after year of that special Valentine's day. You can even make your own paper and add the wildflower (or herb, or vegetable) seeds yourself during the process.