February 14th is often criticized for its commercialism, but you don’t have to ask us twice to embrace a holiday dedicated to showing our loved ones love, while keeping Mother Nature’s heart in mind, of course.
We’ve put a sustainable spin on the top three traditional gifts you associate with Valentine’s Day, and added a little bit of trivia just for fun!
Cards
History: Sending a little note to your secret crush originated in 18th-century England. Cards were always homemade, usually decorated with flowers or rope, and often included puzzles and lines of poetry.
Project: Take a page from our ancestors and create one-of-a-kind Valentines. Start with recycled paper (keeping a little pile of leftover holiday or birthday cards comes in handy), and get creative. If you’d rather not make cards, be sure to buy from a local
artist, write your loved one a heartfelt letter (on recycled paper), or buy a used book and write a little inscription that will last for generations.
Chocolates
History: This Valentine’s Day tradition is credited to Richard Cadbury, the British chocolate-maker and philanthropist who used his entrepreneurial guile to market his namesake chocolates in heart-shaped boxes in the late 1860s. (The special packages had a sustainable purpose, too: They were designed to be kept to store sentimental gifts.)
Project: We didn’t need to look far to find some chocolatey inspiration: Chef ILona has your sweetie’s sweet tooth covered with a bunch of delectable treats like her Ginger Peach Chocolate Victoria Creams and her ridiculously decadent PEI Potato Chocolate Cake. (And if those don’t tickle your fancy, there are plenty more chocolatey recipes on our website.) Chocolate Charcuterie Board
But if baking just isn’t in the cards this year, try to shop at a local chocolatier and/or choose fair trade whenever possible.
Flowers
History: Did you know that the rose is synonymous with this holiday because it was the flower of choice of Venus, the Goddess of Love?
Project: Leave the flowers in the garden and give seed packets instead! Choose easy-to-grow varieties like sunflowers or sweet peas, (or start some herbs for foodie loved ones).
If you really, really love to gift flowers, look for a florist who embraces eco-friendly practices like working with local growers, especially those who avoid pesticides and dyes. Be sure to skip the plastic wrap and floral foam.
