Online: healthy blooms

Sunset, Sept, 2004 by Lauren Bonar Swezey

Now that organically grown foods have become mainstream, it makes sense that the same farming practices would soon be applied to other important agricultural crops--such as the $16 billion U.S. cut-flower industry. Now they have. Gerald Prolman, founder of Organic Bouquet in Mill Valley, California, has developed an international network of organic growers to supply flowers to his company. The flowers are sold at high-end natural-food stores such as Whole Foods Market, as well as on his website, where you can also find gift packs of organic fruits and other organic items. Bouquets range from $30 for 20 Peruvian lilies to $120 for five dozen roses. www.organicbouquet.com

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