Fair Flowers Fair Plants and Sustainability in Floral and Event Design

In this age of global warming and the fact that New Orleans is one of the cities threatened by rising sea levels and loss of wetland hurricane protection.  Many of you know that we have been working on seeking out sustainably produced botanicals and other green-thinking event elements for more than a year now.  We would like to introduce to you Fair Flowers Fair Plants (FFP). 

Primarily active in the European Union, FFP puts forth two fundamental principles: Sustainability in Production and Distribution of fresh cut flowers and a higher level of Social Responsibility ensuring that the employees of farms are treated fairly. 

Nearly sixty percent of the flowers we sell for retail delivery and those used in the design of our weddings and events are certified by FFP.

About Fair Flowers Fair Plants

The following is from the FFP website and we encourage you to learn more at www.fairflowersfaiplants.com.

Environmental certification

Due to their impact on the environment the environmental certification is based on the production methods and means. The company qualification is determined by the quantity and quality of crop protection agents, fertilizers, energy and water, used for production processes throughout the company, and of the separation of waste water.
MPS qualification for example requires not only an initial company audit but regular producers' registration reports on the environment aspects as well. The total of the scores for each environment aspect results in the final qualification level A, B or C, but only if the producer has sent in the reports during 13 successive periods of 4 weeks. The initial audit is necessary to verify the reported data by means of reviewing the financial and stock administration of crop protection agents and fertilizers.


The obligatory registration provides producers with a higher awareness of their production methods and means, offering them a possibility to compare their production processes with those of other growers of the same product. The registration clearly shows the environmental impact of growing flowers and plants and stimulates producers to look for alternative production methods and to minimize the use of agents and fertilizers.


A qualification at MPS-A level represents the highest achievable level of environment conscious cultivation methods. Producers with an environmental certification at this level qualify for participation in Fair Flowers Fair Plants.

More about the social certification

The Fair Flowers Fair Plants participation also requires producers' certification for social requirements, as defined in the following 10 statements:


1. Freedom of association and the right of collective bargaining
2. No discrimination (equality of treatment)
3. Right to minimum (living) wages
4. Respect for working hours
5. A healthy and safe workplace
6. Responsible and minimal use of pesticides
7. Work guarantee
8. Protection of the environment
9. No child labour
10. No forced labour


The 10 basic rules above have been drawn up into the ICC (International Code of Conduct) for the flower- and plant industry by the IFC (International Flower Coordination). A number of trade unions and human rights organizations that are specifically active in the flower and plant industry are represented in the IFC. These representatives are present at social certification audits, to guarantee the legitimacy of the social quality mark to which their names are linked.


Failing the certification requirements means failing the Fair Flowers Fair Plants targets and can lead to temporary or permanent suspension of the FFP membership.

FFP standard
What is the international standard of Fair Flowers Fair Plants?

Producers can participate in Fair Flowers Fair Plants when they fulfil strict environmental and social requirements. They have to be certified in order to prove that they meet the criteria. Certification includes regular reports by the company and inspections of the company: scheduled and non scheduled visits in which the company has to co-operate. FFP has chosen for an international standard at the level of:

Environmental certification

The company is certified at MPS-A or comparable level. MPS (Milieu Programma Sierteelt) is an international organization that develops and controls labels for the horticultural industry.

Social certification

The company meets the requirements of the International Code of Conduct.


Producers can participate conditionally in Fair Flowers Fair Plants when they have acquired one of the two necessary certifications and have committed themselves to obtain the missing certification within 1 year. Conditionally accepted can be participants with:


1. environmental certification at MPS-A or comparable level + the commitment to obtain the social certification within 1 year


2. environmental certification at MPS-B or comparable level + social certification + the commitment to upgrade the environmental certification to MPS-A or comparable level within 1 year.

How to recognize the status?

Producers with both the environmental and the social certification are fully accepted FFP participants. Products of these growers are indicated with an 'F' (replacing the 'A') on the auction clock. The 'F' is also printed on the electronic clock transactions (EKT's).


Producers with one of the required certifications are conditionally accepted FFP participants. They are committed to improve their company management to obtain the missing certification within 1 year. Products of these growers do not have a specific indication on the auction clock, but are indicated with a 'T' printed on the EKT's.


Urban Earth continues in our efforts towards Sustainability in our Floral, Wedding, and Event Design. We have already begun to reduce the amount of petroleum based products we use in our events and increase the use of reusable and recycled/recyclable elements in design.  Remember those old metal "frogs" that your grandmother had to arrange flowers? In two of the events we produced just this week, frogs were used in place of petroleum-based floral foam.  Very little plastic was used and the containers were glass.  Other than organic left-overs (stems and leaves) there was very little non-organic waste that ends up in a landfill someplace..

HAPPY MARDI GRAS!

This is one of our very favorite times of year in New Orleans.  The crowds this year look bigger than ever with hundreds of thousands of happy revelers filling the streets, clubs, bars, and restaurants.  Of course, we are all out in it taking in the sights and sounds- and generally carrying-on. 

All of us wish all of you a happy and safe Mardi Gras!  Enjoy.

Geaux Saints! ...and WhoDats in NYC

We just had to share this from our friends Bill and Janene Knox with nola-nyc.com videography, who told us, "Just wanted to let you know that NYC is mostly a "Saints" town this weekend!"  They sent us a shot of this cake and we bet it tastes as good as it looks.

A few of us UEers went down to the French Quarter this past Sunday for the game.  Truly, it was one of the most amazing experiences we have had - and we have seen a lot of Mardi Gras crowds over the years.  What a day for Who Dats everywhere!

The Special Event 2010

Urban Earth was the Design Sponsor of the Wedding Lunch at the recent Special Event tradeshow and conference held here in New Orleans January 12-15.  Our lunch was for 550 guests and was held in the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton Riverside Hotel.  180 of those guests were VIP and given special seating consideration.  Our keynote speaker was Darcy Miller, editor of Martha Stewart Weddings.  Entertainment was one by of our favorite local bands, The Soul Rebels, represented by Mothership Entertainment.

Here are a few shots of our room and tabletop design concepts, along with a few thoughts about our approach.

Our theme: Un Jardin d'Amour: The Painted Landscape.  We divided the large room into three nature-inspired themes: river and water, meadowland garden, and an elevated woodland plantscape.  The look of each section was very different so we used some common elements and textures to tie it all together.

First, we looked at the whole room as a design element.  We are tired of events where the room is an endless sea of big round tables set on a grid, each with a single centerpiece plopped into the middle.  Banquet furniture, if it's not provided by your venue, is something you likely have the rent anyway, so mix it up a bit and use different sized and shaped tables and play with them.  We had a big room with a big guest count and everyone had to have a seat so it took a lot of furniture.  And, since we were at a large convention-oriented hotel property, we had access to a large amount of staging so we could "go overboard" a bit with the raised tables, but you can do it on a smaller scale too with great effect.

The outer tables on each side of the room were set on risers at two different levels- our Woodland Plantscape.  The long tables were our Meadowland Garden.  The inner rounds became our River.

Woodland Plantscape

Half of our elevated tables featured 5' tall stylized trees of Red Twig Dogwood, each with a different collection of live and cut botanicals at the "roots."  Succulents, purple violets, Dutch Hydrangea, black Ti Leaves, After Dark Agonis, and purple Cauliflower were included in the mix.  The other tables featured a single double-bloom Lady Slipper Orchid presented in a 24" tall glass cylinder topped with a moss sphere and a ring of Red Twig Dogwood to hold it all in place.  On both tables we used battery operated LED lights.  Normally, we don't like the cold light these give off, but in this it looked a bit like moonlight and worked with our theme.

Meadowland Garden

Tables ranged in length from 18' to 66' comprised of doubled 6' banquet tables.  We love long rectangular tables.  Centerpieces were dramatic in presentation, but simple in content and construction.  Plate glass bowls in three lengths were filled with red Dutch Tulips.  We chose to use Hydrangea as the medium into which the tulips were set.  The result was a centerpiece with all organic content - nothing that will sit in a landfill forever.  The container is recyclable or reusable so nothing went to waste.

River Theme

Guest were only seated at 72" rounds.  Unseated 60" and 36" rounds were interwoven with the seated tables and used only for decor elements.  The result was a single winding centerpiece that surrounded or passed by you.  Nothing was just plopped in the center of the table.  A different coordinating linen was used on each size table.  The tables also overlapped each other as they flowed through the center of the room.  This is our twist on the bridal head table.  This was on a large scale- this table was nearly 90' long- but you can do it on a smaller scale, too.  We used a lot of glass bowls in three sizes stacked atop one another and incorporated floating candles, glass pebbles, and botanicals.  Lavender Dutch Hydrangea, hot pink Garden Roses, and blue Delphinium worked their way along our river to create the look of froth, bright warm contrast, and flow.  A touch of light green Romanesco Cauliflower became the "rocks."

Photos by Alisha & Brook  info@alishabrook.com

A big thanks to Patrick and Chase with See-Hear Productions for their lighting and sound expertise.  We couldn't have done it without you.

We enjoyed the very disntinct pleasure of getting to know three wonderful designers in the Wedding Gallery, just adjacent to the Lunch.  The design challenge given to them was to create a wedding setting based upon one common element: Wood, Metal, Glass, and Paper.  Frank Andonoplas from Chicago had the metal challenge; Sasha Souza from Napa Valley designed using wood; and Janet Flowers from Rockville, MD designed with Paper.  Each gallery was beautiful, unique and very interesting.  Unfortunately, the designer designing with glass was unable to participate at the last minute. 

Tariq Hanna with Sucre' here in New Orleans did four fantastic cakes- each based on one of the four elements noted. 

Welcome to the Urban Earth Design Studios Blog.

Hello and Welcome.  We are just getting started so check back often for the latest news, great wedding and event decor ideas, and a few miscellaneous opinions from your friends at Urban Earth Design Studios!