Skip the roses and consider other flowers to save this Valentine's Day: florists

TORONTO — Roses are red, violets are blue, florists have a tip: If you want to save this Valentine's Day, don't choose roses for your bouquet.

While roses are the flower of choice for February 14, experts say other blooms are less expensive, look great, and often don't wilt as quickly.

“I always encourage people to … consider having other flowers that haven't been grown a little longer,” said Becky De Oliveira, owner and creative director of Blush and Bloom, a Toronto flower business.

“You'll have a little more flexibility and longer flower life in the rose varieties, but maybe a little better per stem for the price.”

De Oliveira's advice comes as Valentine's Day marketing is in full swing and Canadians are choosing gifts to exchange to mark the annual holiday.

But as they ponder how to show their love, the country is grappling with inflation that is above the Bank of Canada's two percent target and has driven up the prices of everyday necessities like food and luxury items, including flowers.

While there are plenty of $20 bouquets at grocery stores, most arrangements at flower shops and online flower services cost much more, possibly hundreds of dollars.

Some flowers, especially the ever-popular Valentine rose, can be very expensive in February because many are grown outside of Canada and must be shipped and stored in cold temperatures to last.

“People often think that flower growers are trying to make extra money, but … farmers are working 24/7 in other countries trying to meet the demands of this one day or one week,” De Oliveira said.

To meet everyone's needs, sometimes farms pick flowers a little earlier than usual, and even send flowers that they don't send out at other times of the year, says Winnipeg-based flower business founder Kathryn Metricki.

“The value of a red rose is not real. It's not easy,” he said.

“You pay more and you get a lot less roses than you've ever had.”

Instead of roses, de Oliveira recommends tulips, ranunculus, hyacinths, freesias and carnations, which still look great and are often less expensive.

“Carnations now have beautiful colors and don't necessarily have the stigma they once did,” he said, referring to their association with funerals.

“Millennials and younger generations see them as a comeback and very affordable granny chic flower.”

If you still have your heart set on roses, Metricki suggests shoppers think pink.

“If you choose variety in your color selection, you can save up to 30 or even 40 percent per rose stem,” he said.

The length of your roses can also save you money, said Don Walto, founder of the Canadian Institute of Floral Design in Toronto.

On the more elaborate side, he's seen roses up to six feet tall, but shorter stems are available.

Gift-givers can also consider spray roses, which sell for $40 or $50 a dozen and have stems that grow several small flowers on each. Or they can add a few roses to the arrangement with other available flowers.

Whatever you buy, De Oliveira recommends buying early — because of the selection, not the price.

If you walk into a flower shop on Feb. 13 or 14 and want roses with two distinctive white petals in the middle to represent your two children, you may be out of luck or have to go a few places, she said.

Instead, you'll often find expensive deals that no one else has picked up, or more niche ones like potted plants.

“You basically have to pick and choose what's there and what's not,” he said.

“You get what you get and you don't feel bad about being late.”

Expect to pay extra for delivery each time you buy, said Metricki, who advises people to research the company they're buying from to see if they have a reputation for delivering flowers on time and in good condition.

If you're feeling stressed about the costs or the dizzying array of options, she reminds people, “Your relationship doesn't live or die by Valentine's Day flowers.”

“It's about the thought that counts, and it's the feeling,” he said.

“A handwritten card and a coupon for stapling, perhaps like a very fancy bouquet.”