Flower power: Avoid some thorny issues this Valentine’s Day
What's your plan for Valentine's Day? Romantic dinner? Tick. Chocolates? Tick. A beautiful bouquet of roses for your Valentine? A big cross!
Flowers are the most popular Valentine's Day gift in Australia. A study published last year found Aussies would spend more than $110 million on flowers for their loved ones - or the ones they’d like to love. And why not? They're pretty, smell good, and are generally cheaper than jewellery and healthier than chocolates.
But while they look blooming lovely, there’s an ugly side to the flower industry. Behind the fragrant scent of roses in full bloom are toxic chemical fumes designed to keep flowers fresh and pretty, specifically the imported ones.