Gorgeous flowers in the middle of winter feel like a real indulgence, and that's probably why they feel so special when they're received as an expression of love (whether romantic or familial), on Valentine's Day.

But vigilant environmentalists and human rights advocates have long critisized the flower industry as being both abusive to the people who grow and package flowers and polluting to local environments (to make perfect flowers cheaply, it is common to douse them in pesticides and herbicides, which make their way into local water supplies and have resulted in health problems for the people who live near flower-growing facilities).

For the whole story behind the real impact of conventional cut flowers, check out Amy Stewart's in-depth reportage in her book, Flower Confidential: The Good the Bad and The Beautiful in the Business of Flowers.

Luckily for us, we can have our Valentine's flowers and stop to smell them too, with fair-trade, organic, or sustainble blooms available both online and in our favorite supermarkets, farmer's markets, and florists. 

	Online sustainable flower seller Organic Bouquet offers the most extensive collection of certified blooms, along with a detailed listing of floral certifications. This classic red stunner is just one of many gorgeous green choices.
	1-800-Flowers also sells pretty pretty flowers, certified by TransFair. They can deliver pretty much anywhere, and also have several gorgeous options available, including this nontypical orange and yellow gathering.