Your Valentine's Day Flower Questions Answered

Whether you’re giving or receiving, for many people Valentine’s Day means flowers.

If you’ve got your heart set on a dozen red roses, that will cost you. Rose prices generally double for Valentine’s Day.

Patch checked in with Kim Lesher, co-owner of on Chicago Avenue, for some advice on how to approach purchasing flowers. She shared some cost-savings tips and alternatives to the traditional red roses.

Pick something that will last

“Roses don’t last so long,” Lesher said. “It’s hard to see someone spend $75-100 on something that lasts less than a week.”

Instead, she suggests heartier varieties such as hydrangea, calla lilies, certain types of orchids, super-green roses or flowering branches. If you’re dead set on roses, she suggests incorporating some into a mixed arrangement.

Know your audience

When a customer walks into the store with no idea what to buy, the first question Lesher asks is their price range. Then she asks questions to learn about the person receiving the flowers. She’ll ask about their overall style, what their home looks like, etc. If the answer is “modern,” she’ll guide the customer in a different direction than if the answer is “Martha Stewart-style.”

Even better, if your sweetheart is a regular customer at a flower shop, let the store know. The staff will likely be able to pick something they know he/she will like based on past orders.

Cutting down on cost

One way to save money is to get a tied bouquet instead of an arrangement in a vase. “Everyone has a million vases,” at home, Lesher said. (And if you do, she encourages you to bring them into her store to recycle them for a store credit.)

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