Ireland's flower power: The domestic growers cutting a bouquet's carbon footprint

There is a vibrant community of people in Ireland who grow flowers as a commercial venture, using sustainable, ecologically friendly practices.

Most of the cut flowers that are used in the flower arrangements have been grown half a continent away and in near-industrial conditions.

IT’S a lovely gesture, to give a bunch of flowers and perhaps even nicer to receive one, but did you ever stop to think where that bunch came from?

Sarah Evans ran the Secret Garden centre in North Cork until she took the plunge in 2016 to change direction and turned her attention and her plot to growing flowers.