Festivities are marked with the usage of a good amount of flowers for decoration as well as pooja & prayers. These are a good alternative to plastic and paper decorations. A very good step of use natural elements that are fresh, safe, fragrant, and vibrant.  

However, once the festivities are over, what happens to these lovely flowers?  Most of them end in trash with a good amount ending in rivers. Flowers are good but rotting flowers are not good. 

Some organizations at a larger level are collecting flowers from temples etc. and making incense sticks, compost, and fragrances. Is there something that can be done at home with some small steps? YES 

There are many ways to extend the life and beauty of these blooms while reducing waste. 

So here are our top 5 good steps you can take to extend the life of flowers and reduce, reuse, and recycle waste. 

1. Crafting and Gifting with Petals:-

Craft your handmade greeting cards with pressed flower designs or decorate your journals or books with them. These can also be used to decorate the gifts you wrap in a newspaper, brown paper, or cloth.

2. Natural Colors:-

Extract vibrant colors from flower petals for natural dyeing projects or making Rangoli. So you can give colors to your light-colored clothes in a natural way. Alternatively, after drying flowers and crushing them, they are your homemade chemical-free colors for making Rangoli.

3. Garden it :- 

Use petals and greenery as mulch to enrich the soil and deter pests. Mix dried petals with your compost to boost nutrient content as the flowers are rich in them. Or if you have a compost bin, add it to them- a natural element back to another natural resource.

4. Dry Flowers and make Potpourri:- 

A mixture of petals and spices ( cinnamon, cloves, star anise), potpourri is a natural perfume and needs only dried flowers (2-4 days drying), and some spices of your choice generally available at most homes. Store them in a glass jar or a drawstring bag. So you reuse your flowers and reduce waste while creating beautiful home décor with them. 

Now, our number ONE Goodstep is a special small step that takes just 2 minutes to start. It’s special because you will find all of the above in some other form recommended by many. This pro-tip  very few recommend:

 5. Make flower Bio enzyme in 2 minutes – USE them & Gift Them:-  Which are the most common flowers used in festivities? Well, Marigold, Rose, and Jasmine.

• Marigold has anti-bacterial and insect-repelling properties. 
• Rose and Jasmine are known for their fragrance. 

You can start making bio enzymes from the leftover flowers once the celebration is over. Marigold bioenzyme is a great alternative to chemical mosquito repellants. Rose and Jasmine bio enzymes are excellent natural room fresheners. 

You must be wondering about the amount of time and effort it will take to make a room freshener or insect repellant. Just takes 2 minutes a day to get started. 

So this is how you do it:

• 3 portions flowers, 1 portion jaggery, and 10 portions water; all go in an airtight plastic bottle. 
• Open and close them daily for the next 15 days when the fermentation is at high. Then this daily visit can be made bi-weekly, weekly, and fortnightly till the 90th day. 
• Your natural room freshener and mosquito repellant are ready to use after you filter the clear liquid in another bottle. 

Choose the Goodstep that inspires you and don’t let your celebration flowers wilt away in the trash bin!  So now be it festivals, poojas or celebrations, let us take 2 Goodsteps at the same time. Are you ready for this?