Bloom without the fuss: how Cypriot businesses are going green

In Limassol, there is a boutique hotel lobby that attracts attention with its very bright flowers. However, these flowers are not the kind you would typically find in a garden. They do not wilt, do not need any water, and are entirely free from allergens. They also look just like the real thing.

Floral Image supplies the flowers. Customers select a design, get deliveries every month, and have a space that feels lively and fresh without the maintenance work associated with traditional flowers.

“I wanted to build a sustainable business that genuinely makes people happier, and when the opportunity presented itself with Floral Image, I took it because it aligned with that purpose,” says franchise owner of Floral Image in Cyprus, Carine Khoury.

Carine’s vision has been to combine beauty, convenience and environmental responsibility, allowing businesses to enjoy elegant interiors. The replica flowers also offer a greener take.

An analysis commissioned by Floral Image compared how such lifelike arrangements and conventional fresh-cut flowers impact the environment. The findings challenged many widely held beliefs.

Fresh-cut flowers are often sourced from countries like Kenya, Colombia and the Netherlands, requiring a lot of water, pesticides, fertilizers and refrigerated transport. When also considering production, packaging, weekly replacements and disposal, fresh flowers produce about 80 times more greenhouse gases than high-quality artificial arrangements that are refreshed every month, the survey said.

The monthly refresh system is central to this sustainability benefit. Unlike fresh flowers that are generally replaced every week, each Floral Image arrangement stays in place for an entire month before a new design is delivered.

Over its usable life, one arrangement goes through many cycles, spreading its environmental footprint over many more weeks of use than fresh-cut flowers could ever manage.

The analysis showed that professionally refreshed artificial arrangements have a significantly lower environmental impact than traditional flowers.

The benefits do not stop there. The arrangements are free from allergens, do not need water, and do not create mess, which ensures a safe and clean environment for both employees and clients. Each display is treated with a special antimicrobial coating that gives long-lasting protection.

Carine Khoury surrounded by flowers

Floral Image in Cyprus is a small operation compared to the brand’s international standing. The company was originally established in Australia and now operates in 18 countries across four continents, serving more than 27,500 customers with over 38,000 arrangements.

But the Cyprus operation reflects Carine’s hands-on approach, which ensures that local businesses get designs tailored to their needs and attentive service. Her dedication to sustainability, aesthetics and simplicity has contributed to positioning Floral Image as a reliable partner for businesses that want to enhance their interiors while lessening their environmental impact.

Selecting professionally refreshed lifelike arrangements shows that businesses are committed to sustainability while keeping an elegant and welcoming atmosphere. Carine points out that the service goes beyond just decoration.

It is a way for businesses to make spaces enjoyable, environmentally responsible, and inspiring for both staff and visitors. “Our goal is to make sustainable choices simple, beautiful, and practical,” Carine says.

Floral Image is planning to keep expanding its presence in Cyprus, aiming to assist more hotels, offices, cafés, and restaurants in adopting a solution that combines style, convenience, and environmental responsibility.

Her goal is to demonstrate that businesses can have both visual appeal and environmental responsibility without making a choice between the two.

For Carine, Floral Image is not just a business but is a combination of beauty, practicality, and responsibility. By providing lifelike, maintenance-free arrangements in Cyprus, she assists businesses in changing their spaces with smarter and greener options.