Rosebie Morton’s 6 favourite sustainable staples
Rosebie Morton is the founder of the beautiful British blooms brand, The Real Flower Company. The multi-awarding winning brand is all about bringing back the scents to our British bouquets - or growing ‘scented flowers with character’, as Rosebie puts it. The Real Flower Company is LEAF certified and part of the Countryside Stewardship Scheme. With credentials like these, we caught up with Rosebie to find out the 6 sustainable items she can’t live without.
The Real Flower Company is a florist that prides itself on being kind to the planet. In pursuit of their mission to produce quality, scented, cut flowers, the florists ensure that they leave as positive a footprint as possible in their exchange with nature. On their Hampshire farm, the integrity of the soil is carefully protected, and bio-friendly solutions to weeds and pests are deployed to prevent disruption to the local ecosystem. All of this effort is made in service of providing beautiful looking - and beautiful smelling - flowers which you can feel good about buying.
So what are the sustainable staples that Rosebie can’t live without? Our founder, Lucy, caught up with her to find out.
1 Staying Local
I try to shop locally and use local facilities. We are lucky to live near Alresford which has everything you could possibly need. It’s a thriving village with many traditional shops including a hardware store and bookshop and a market every Thursday. These communities are the life blood of the countryside and every little bit we can do to keep them thriving is so important.
2 Walking to Work
My journey to the office is a joy, and the nicest possible way to start my working day. Willa (my wolfhound) and I, make sure we walk through the flower farm every morning whatever the weather. I appreciate that this is only a small contribution but sometimes it is tempting to get in the car if the rain is lashing and the wind howling (to say nothing of the promise of a large wet dog at my feet all morning). I carry my laptop, lunch and general paraphernalia in a boldly patterned wheelie shopping bag which elicits many a rude comment from the team here!
Summerdown are specialists in delightful, sustainable consumables - their Peppermint tea is famous.
3 Summerdown
I met Jo Colman earlier this year and we are now proud to be collaborating with Summerdown. Jo’s family have been farming in Hampshire for nearly 100 years and our values very much align. Like us, Jo loves his wildlife and he plants wildflower meadows, nurtures hedgerows and creates habitats for the birds, insects and animals that choose to call his farm home. Our website features Summerdown products such as peppermint chocolates and teas as well as home and body products, all infused with Summerdown’s signature English peppermint.
4 Clothes
I’m still wearing clothes that I’ve had for 40 years. Some items have been mended over and over again and they remain my favourites, even if the repairs are becoming more obvious over time. I’ve started to sell clothes on Vinted, which my children recommended. It makes so much sense to recycle clothes and I’ve become more aware of the provenance of any new clothes I might buy.
We love that Delphis Eco allow you to refill their spray bottles.
5 Delphis Eco
At home we use Delphis Eco* cleaning products . They have a wide range of plant-based, biodegradable products which are environmentally friendly. Delphis do everything from washing powder to oven cleaner and their packaging is recycled and recyclable.
6 Rose water
Like many of her generation, my grandmother had the most beautiful skin which I noticed even as I child. The secret is rose water*, and it wasn’t really a secret as it was passed to my mother and now I’m using it too. It’s very simple to make, with just two ingredients, fresh rose petals and distilled water. We have an abundance of rose petals here and our water is fresh from our borehole, sunk deep into the Hampshire chalk. My grandmother and my mother’s love of gardens and gardening has had a lasting influence on me in so many different ways.
You can buy from The Real Flower Company on a subscribe & save basis, or you can also buy one-off. Their website makes gifting simple, with curated bouquets prepared for special occasions like weddings and anniversaries. We think they’re bloomin’ wonderful!
Check out The Real Flower Company’s sustainability here. Please note: Brands mentioned by our guests in the Sustainability Series are not always vetted by Green Salon and so we can not vouch for their eco-credentials.
For more green goods, check out our Directory.
DISCLAIMER: Green Salon is paid by The Real Flower Company to promote their sustainable mission. They pay Green Salon under The Greenhouse membership for promotional content and are an Affiliate Partner. We only promote brands that score over 50%+ on our sustainability criteria. It does not affect the price you pay but helps us to keep on researching sustainable brands.
We vet each brand for their commitment to sustainability but we are not a certification body, nor are we auditors, and we have taken the approach that we trust brands to tell the truth about their sustainability policies, practices and plans.
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