Floral Policy

St Bartholomew’s Harpley is a “Silver Eco” church. We are also a Foam Free church and the church where the Sustainable Church Flower Movement was founded and established. This means that we arrange flowers for all services and events without the use of floral foam (commonly called ‘Oasis’). We request that all our wedding and funeral flower arrangers do not use floral foam – both in the church AND in the churchyard. 

The reasons for this are environmental, along with our desire to care for creation:

1. Floral foam is a by-product of the Petroleum Industry and is a plastic derivative.
2. Floral foam takes up to 500 years to degrade. “Enhanced Degradable Foam” is also a plastic product and degrades (but does not compost) to micro plastics in under five years ONLY IF it is placed in “Ideal Landfill Conditions” (see ‘Oasis’ website). It is no better for the environment than ordinary floral foam.
3. Several known ingredients of Floral Foam are Carcinogenic. It is not good for the environment or for the people working with it.
4. The water in which Floral Foam is soaked contains billions of chemical-ridden microplastics. When it is poured down a drain it contaminates the water system and, eventually, the Marine Environment.

For Weddings and Christenings, we prefer flowers in waterproof containers. There are a few of these in the vestry which you can ask to borrow from the Warden: Candy Connolly cconnolly111@gmail.com

1. Flowers on the Altar should respect the significance and presence of the Cross. Candles will be placed at each side of the cross. Please keep the altar cloth clean and in place. 

• Please avoid making any permanent marks into the fabric of the church e.g., with pins or sticky tape or drilling holes into the stonework.
• There are flowers on the altar at all times except for Church seasons such as Lent (the six weeks before Easter), and Advent (the four weeks before Christmas). (You are of course welcome to bring your own flowers for events during these periods). So, use these flowers if you would like. If you use your own, please replace any existing flowers so there are always some on the altar.
• Our own church flower arrangers decorate the church for festivals: e.g., Christmas, Easter, Pentecost and Harvest. At these times our flowers are to remain in place.  
• You may remove your wedding flowers immediately after your wedding or leave them in church, whichever you wish. In the latter case, we would ask you to maintain them and remove them entirely when they are past their best.