Save on Mother's Day plants and flowers

Floral arrangements more expensive than ever

Mother's Day flowers are more expensive than ever. But there are ways to save, especially if you consider a plant instead of flowers.

By: John Matarese

Posted

Flowers are among the most popular gifts for moms on Mother's Day, if not the most popular gift.

Each year, though, they seem to get more expensive. But there are ways to save, without looking cheap.

Over the coming days, millions of other shoppers will buy everything from flower bouquets to hanging baskets to more exotic flowers like orchids.

Lindsay Frafsing, owner of Benken Florist and Garden Center, says with the high price of cut arrangements these days, something mom can plant, like tulips or greens, may make more sense.

"They are very long living. They are planted together and would be nice for somebody," she said of one $50 planter in her shop.

But be careful: Smart shopping expert Trae Bodge says some other retailers slap a big sale sign on already-elevated prices, so shopping for flowers around any holiday can be tricky.

"You should always compare and contrast with a few different vendors," she said.

If your heart is set on a cut bouquet, Bodge says you can save by picking up flowers at the local grocery or corner store.

"You might find something really beautiful that maybe just needs an extra ribbon or needs to be repackaged a little bit," she said.

Buying in store also saves you from paying costly delivery fees. But if you have to ship, check for coupon codes on sites like Coupon Cabin or Groupon.

One last tip: Both Bodge and Frafsing suggest buying mom live flowers instead of an expensive bouquet, such as tulips (which can rebloom year after year), or even perennial daisies.

They are often cheaper and will last a lot longer.

"They rebloom. You are given an extended gift," Frafsing said. "And every time it blooms, they think of you, and they get warm and fuzzy inside and know they are being loved."

And that way you don't waste your money.

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