by Cassie Cummins
Love ’n Fresh Flowers is the place for locally-grown blossoms
Jennie Love, owner of the Mt. Airy floral boutique Love ’n Fresh Flowers, describes her business as “far from traditional.” Operated out of Love’s home studio and garden, Love ’n Fresh sells only flowers grown within a 50-mile radius of Philadelphia. In fact, Love grows most of them herself.
Love was raised on a farm and has always had a special relationship with flowers. A couple of years ago, while volunteering at Weaver’s Way Farm, she began to entertain the idea of growing flowers professionally. She then spent two years in an intensive academic program at Longwood Gardens. She is now a certified horticulturalist and member of the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers (ASCFG).
“Sustainability is a buzzword at the moment,” says Love. Many associate the word with farms and food, but Love believes sustainability is equally relevant to the floral industry, which is currently hampered by the use of toxic chemicals, unfair labor policies and high fossil fuel consumption. Local flowers, on the other hand, are sustainably produced, create jobs and forge a unique relationship between the consumer and the grower. Growing flowers locally also leads to beautified landscapes and increased biodiversity. “I hope my clients come to understand all these facets of locally-grown flowers,” says Love. “And that they are willing to support them.”
Love ‘n Fresh Flowers has hours by appointment only. Mixed bouquets are available for sale at area farmers’ markets and neighborhood businesses. Visit the website for a list of retail locations or to contact Love for an appointment. Germantown Ave. & Roumfort St., 215-479-4585, lovenfreshflowers.com.
