|| Sustainable Valentine’s Day Flowers in Philadelphia ||
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, I thought it would be fun to introduce you to two of my loves, who happen to be lovers themselves. Meet Manos and Mariposa, a pair of box turtles that call our flower farm home. Manos is named for the distinct hand print on his shell. Mariposa is named (sort of) for the dragonfly on hers (Mariposa is actually Spanish for butterfly but it fit nicely with Manos, who we had named first).
While box turtles may be a fairly common sight along the East coast, what makes these two special is that they are a mating pair. That’s pretty rare indeed! Currently box turtles are on the vulnerable (verging on endangered) species list because their population has plummeted by over a third in just a few decades. Think about it: as humans divide up more and more space with subdivisions and run their fast cars around, turtle habitat and safety takes a big hit.
These sweet, solitary creatures have a very hard time finding a mate. They can’t move fast (they only move about 55 yards a day)… They can’t see more than a three inches off the ground… They don’t climb…They make no mating calls… Their only hope is to wander around until they literally run into each other. So many busy roads these days makes that a near impossible (and often fatal) mission.
Box turtles, if they can dodge all the cars, can live as long as humans. The oldest Eastern box turtle known is around 145!! We estimate (based on counting shell rings, but that’s not always accurate) that Manos is in his 50s. Mariposa seems to be in her 30s.
The five acres of our farm — with its forest, meadow and abundant flower fields — has created a safe and food-rich home where these two can regularly get busy (boom-chika-boom-boom) without interference. One of the biggest reasons I’m so committed to farming this particular land is to preserve Manos and Mariposa’s (and their babies) habitat. Theirs is just one of the thousands of stories of love and life at our little urban farm.
And here you thought we were just growing flowers for humans to enjoy!!
In honor (and support) of our box turtles, take 5% off a membership in our Flower CSA between now and Valentine’s Day. Use discount code TURTLES when you make your purchase in our online shop. We’ll also send you a digital copy of our hand-drawn turtle card (see above) so you can tell your sweetheart how this gift is so much more than just the cliche bouquet!
Sustainable Valentine’s Day Flowers Philadelphia
Recent Comments