Valentine's Roses: The Gift That Says 'I Hate You, Earth'

Gerald Prolman, chief executive of Organic Bouquet, said in an email, "Flowers, whether imported or sourced domestically, use fuel to be transported from farm to market. Progressive companies are doing what they can to offset the carbon emissions from fuel use."

Organic Bouquet is working with the Climate Trust to determine its total footprint so that it can buy offsets to compensate for all that shipping. Prolman says the company plans to be carbon neutral by the end of the year.

But if like me, you'd rather see companies reduce their footprint than compensate for it, you might forego those flawless red roses altogether this year and choose flowers that are grown domestically.

Organic Bouquet sources tulips, gerbera daisies and lavender from California. Meanwhile, California Organic offers anemone, shocking pink protea and long-stemmed calla lilies during the winter for prices ranging from $45 to $80.

But be aware, even in temperate California, winter flowers might come from hothouses, not open fields. The environmental impact of heating those hothouses and shipping cross-country might not be that much less than growing flowers outdoors in Ecuador and shipping them northward. Consider the debate over local greenhouse versus African-grown farm flowers that's been continuing in Europe.

While Prolman can argue the benefits of sourcing its product abroad, Organic Bouquet is nevertheless planning to introduce a program this summer that gives customers around the country the option of choosing local flora.

In the meantime, if you live in a temperate region you might head to your local farmers market and pick up a bunch of flowers that were grown by the people selling them within a few hours of where you live. Treehugger touts the advantages of doing so.

Among them: Prices are reasonable, and you might find some local specialties that mass-market florists don't offer. If you live in the wintry north or don't have a farmer's market you can seek out area farms and hothouses that will sell to the public.

Either way, you'll cut out the long distance travel and the price-boosting middlemen.

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