Every time I browse the web, I seem to discover yet another flower company—often a massive, foreign conglomerate shipping wholesale flowers around the world at outrageous prices. They boast about guaranteeing freshness, but I can’t can't help but wonder: how fresh can flowers truly be after traveling halfway across the globe? Even the large companies based in the United States, covering most of the country, must handle their flowers numerous times before they reach you. How fresh are they, really? And wouldn’t you like to know who you’re actually buying from?There’s a big cut flower farm not far from me that operates on the honor system—how awesome is that? I plan to visit soon, and I’m looking forward to meeting the people who work there. I’ve read wonderful things about the owners, and I love the idea of supporting local growers.When a florist wants to buy from me, I make it a point to meet them. If they’re nearby, my husband and I deliver the flowers ourselves. This year has been challenging for growing flowers due to an intense heat wave, but I’ve learned a lot. The flowers and greens I’m growing now can handle the heat, and I’ll have a great selection to offer. So when you buy from me, you know my flowers are truly fresh. Support your local growers—they’re hardworking people trying to make an honest living, not giant conglomerates trying to put small farms out of business. Choose local, choose fresh, and help your community prosper.