A Green Valentine’s Day? Show love to your partner and the planet.
Valentine’s day: a gorgeously indulgent celebration to warm up those dreary Winter months. We all want to make the one we love feel special, but many of us want to look after the environment too. With that in mind, our Valentine’s traditions may need a little tweaking. So, here is my guide: A green Valentine’s Day: show love to your partner and the planet.

How about an indoor-eco-Valentine-fest-for-two?
A little history.
Valentine’s day is thought to have originated from the Roman festival of Lupercalia. Lupercalia celebrated the coming of Spring and fertility, with women being paired off with men through a lottery system – yikes!
Thankfully, things have moved on a bit since then. Lupercalia was renamed St.Valentine’s Day at the end of the 5th century, and began being celebrated as a day of romance from around the 14th century.
What a waste
In recent years Valentine’s day has become synonymous with plastic wrapped teddy bears, generic flowers and boxes of chocolate. Often, these had little or no sentimental value, and the homogenised celebration was getting to feel tired and impersonal.
Because of this culture, Valentines day generates masses of unnecessary waste and items destined for landfill.
These days, people are looking to do their bit for the environment. The traditional colour of valentine’s day “stuff” is, of course, red. But let’s try and create a green Valentine’s Day!
An eco-friendly Valentines Day
This year, let’s make Valentine’s day thoughtful and personal, whilst showing the planet a little love, too.
Everyone loves flowers.
Did you know that 4 in 10 roses in the UK come from Kenya? Most of the flowers in supermarkets are shipped here from all over the world. They’re also covered in chemicals to keep them ‘fresh’ during their long transit.

A beautiful bouquet of UK grown dried flowers
Choose a greener, more personal bouquet this year, by using resources like Flowers From The Farm. Flowers From The Farm is a not-for-profit co-operative of British growers. It is designed to link you up with a British-grown florist near you. Simply pop in your postcode and find your nearest grower. Look at the amazing bouquet below, created by Sara at The Flower Meadow! Or, how about the one above which featured on Flowers From The Farm’s site?

My local grower, Sara from The Flower Meadow in Carmarthenshire put this bouquet together on 11 February!
Not only is this great for the environment, it also means you’ll get access to beautiful, unique flowers. You won’t find these in supermarkets or with online mega-stores.
Pack a picnic.
Okay, so we can’t guarantee you a sunny, or even a dry day. But, if you’re lucky enough to see blue sky on Valentine’s day, pack a picnic and head for the great outdoors. Ditch the plastic plates and wrap your own in tea towels for a real sense of occasion. Don’t forget your wellies!

Wrap up warm, you’ll be fine!
Ready, set, BAKE!
Sure, chocolates are nice, but we all know something a little more personal is better. Whether it’s coffee and walnut cake or gooey brownies, get baking your partners favourite treat. Present them on a pretty plate and enjoy with a cuppa, cosied up on the sofa. Reducing plastic waste and saving money – win-win.

Lovingly made, delicious muffins. Yum!
Renew your vows.
Looking to make a big, romantic gesture? What says ‘I love you’ better than saying “I love you”? Plan a vow renewal or celebration-of-love ceremony for the two of you.

Karen and Will release their doves at their vow renewal
Make a memory book.
We all have hundreds of photos on our phones and devices, but how often do we stop and look at them? Print a selection of your favourites and collate them in a book with notes. You could even do this together on the day. This is an opportunity to remember all the memories you’ve made together, and is something you can keep forever.
So there you have it, a few ideas for a more personal, eco-friendly -or “green” – Valentine’s Day!
Enjoy!
Helen x
If you’ve had the excitement of a proposal this engagement season, make your wedding an intimate and personal affair with a celebrant. You know where to find me (here!).

Be original. Keep it simple!
Lovely blog, so timely to be reminded about Love 💕
Sara
The Flower Meadow
Thanks, Sara!