Cheap roses - best kept Valentine's secret

So the economy has you reconsidering spending those bucks on roses for your sweetheart? Money is tight and most of us have to consider our expenditures more than we did this time last year. Stop. Have you considered alternatives? All that's required is an adjustment to your shopping mentality.

So before you nix the roses consider one of the best kept secrets in the flower giving world – the grocery store florist.

Wait. Before you turn your nose up, consider the economics of this alternative. Admittedly, It might not be as glamorous as your past flower giving, but buying roses from the grocery store will allow you to still give your sweetheart that dozen red roses.

Two Options:
You have two options when you shop at the grocery store florist. You can purchase a bouquet arranged in a vase or you can buy the roses wrapped in plastic and arrange the bouquet yourself.

Most grocery store florists provide bouquets of arranged flowers at a fraction of the cost you typically pay at a floral shop.

Arrangement Vs. Bouquet
An arrangement at the grocery store will cost more than the bouquet wrapped in plastic and sitting in the cooler, but it's still cheaper than what you'd pay ordering through a floral shop.

If you're going to buy an arrangement for Valentine's from a grocery store, call to place an order, if you just walkin on Valentine's Day expecting to find an arrangement, you'll be disappointed. Make sure you get the price because even the grocery store florists' prices go up on Valentine's week - $3- $7 more. That's still a savings over a traditional florist.

Here are some of the current prices at local grocery stores for a dozen roses floral arrangement:

• $40.00


• $38.99


• $59.99

If your budget just can't take this price even at such a reduction, then consider buying a bouquet of roses that come wrapped in plastic and arranging them yourself, or getting a friend or family member to help you arrange them.

The cost will depend on what region of the country you live and from which grocery store you buy. Just add some baby's breath and/or greenery and you'll have a dozen red roses you'll be proud to give your Valentine.

A sampling from a few phone calls to local grocery stores for a dozen roses (not an arrangement):

• $12.99


• $15.99


• $21.99

You can expect to pay $3 - $7 dollars more per dozen the week of Valentine's Day. Even so, this is still a great price for roses.

Add a nice vase and a few sprigs of baby breath and your cost will be between $20 - $30 for a bouquet of red roses in a vase.

Select healthy roses by avoiding those with darkened edges around the petals.
Don't have a clue how to arrange the flowers? That's the easy part.

• Select a vase and make sure the mouth isn't too wide. 3"-5" is a good diameter. The smaller the mouth the tighter the bouquet and easier it is to keep your flowers arranged.


• The height of your vase should be no less than 1/2 the height of the flowers. You don't want your vase to be top heavy and tip over.


• Fill the vase half-way with water and if it came with an extended-life packet of powder, then add the packet to prolong the life of your flowers.


• Divide the roses and set them in the vase. Try not to bruise or touch the buds.


• Place the baby's breath between the roses. The sprigs will help keep the roses separated.


• Next fill the vase with water, adding it from the rim of the vase and not the center of your arrangement. Let the water trickle down the inside of the vase. This method keeps from disrupting your arrangement and risking damage to the roses.


• Add a card and a bow and you're set to deliver your bouquet to your Valentine.

Still think you can't afford roses this year but want to give flowers? You can buy other flower bouquets at the grocery store florist section that will cost less than the roses.

Explore alternatives and other ways to save money while still having the kind of Valentine's Day you want. Just because the economy took a nosedive doesn't mean your romance has to follow.

Alternatives to roses:

• Potted plant


• Pansies repotted in a nice flower pot

For the gardener:

• Gazing globe


• Garden art


• Stepping stones


• Tabletop water fountain

Just use your imagination and think outside your normal shopping mindset. And, remember, Valentine's Day is not about the gifts. It's about the romance!

Read other articles by Sally

For more info: Sally's books are Romantica™ fiction and can be purchased directly from her publisher