Fresh cut flowers and foliage have been imported into Australia on a commercial basis for over 50 years. With this trade comes the potential to introduce unwanted pests and diseases into Australia.

Florist and teacher at NSW TAFE David Berger joined Georgia Stynes to talk the history of romantic roses, peace lilies and funerals, how to put together your flower arrangement and more.

“Anna Jabour, CEO of Flower Industry Australia, says more people have expressed an interest in small-scale flower growing”.

“Spirits have lifted with spring and months of hard work to repair the damage and replant have started to pay off. Gardens packed with flowers and foliage have begun to bloom”.

"I was infuriated; if I found out who it was I'd hate to think what I'd do actually, I'm so angry,"

Mr Katter recently caught up with a local flower grower from Boogan in the Kennedy Electorate, Heidi Piccolo, from Basilisk Blooms, who says that Australian flower farmers are facing increased airline freight costs and need as much support as they can get from the public and government.

A total of 162,661,271 flower stems were imported from July to April 2022. A grim report prepared by Deloitte Access Economics for the Australian government revealed that revenue and business numbers in Australia's flower industry dropped by 25 to 30 per cent in the past decade.

Have you ever wondered where your flowers come from? Do you understand the environmental impacts and associated health risks that come with imported cut flowers?

An independent review into whether country of origin laws should apply to cut flowers is currently underway, with results from the Department of Industry expected to be released imminently.

Australia has been importing fresh-cut flowers for 45 years, but those working in the industry say there is little regulation, no country of origin labelling laws and an ever-present biosecurity risk.

Unsuspecting Aussies could be decorating their homes or wedding and birthday cakes with flowers dipped in toxic chemicals, industry insiders have warned.

Local flower growers have come up with their own Australian-grown label, as pressure mounts on the Federal Government to mandate country-of-origin labelling for imported flowers.