Don’t look now, but the most romantic occasion of the year
– Valentine’s Day – is next week. Florists always rejoice this
time of year, and nurseries, discount stores and grocery stores are
selling more bouquets and blooming potted plants. It’s not unusual
to see long-stem rose prices jump, too, as Valentine’s Day falls
just 51 days after Christmas, and
it’s just too cold and too soon for growers to catch up to
demand.
Don’t look now, but the most romantic occasion of the year – Valentine’s Day – is next week. Florists always rejoice this time of year, and nurseries, discount stores and grocery stores are selling more bouquets and blooming potted plants. It’s not unusual to see long-stem rose prices jump, too, as Valentine’s Day falls just 51 days after Christmas, and it’s just too cold and too soon for growers to catch up to demand.
Ah, but while a dozen long-stem red roses may be the traditional romantic gift, you can be different and save money at the same time by being a little creative. For instance, instead of a dozen cut roses, why not a single rose (or two or three) arranged with a little baby’s breath or fern? It’s a great way to say “I love you” on a budget.
Consider, too, the wide array of flowering potted plants available at nurseries, florists and even grocery stores. These include azaleas, chrysanthemums, kalanchoe and cyclamen. These are greenhouse-forced plants that are in full bloom. All come in shades of Valentine’s Day red or many other colors, too. These flowering potted plants have the added benefit of providing indoor color for a month or more, and then you’ll be able to plant them outdoors for a permanent addition to the garden.
Since cut roses last little more than a week, have you ever thought about buying the entire rose plant? This is the perfect time, too, since it’s bare-root rose season. This translates to a great selection and cheap prices. Bare-roots are plants sold in the dormant stage without soil and containers. Because of this, you can save from $2 to $5 per plant by buying roses now.
Of course, I’ll be the first to admit that a bare-root rose plant doesn’t exactly look very romantic. All it is are a few bare stems and roots. But then, you can always offer to plant it, too.
If roses aren’t your thing, be aware that fruit and nut trees, as well as some shade trees, are sold in the bare-root stage now. There are peaches, plums, apples, pears, nectarines and more that are available in both standard and semi-dwarf sizes. Standard fruit trees will eventually grow 20 to 40 feet tall, while semi-dwarfs can be kept under 15 feet. If fruit trees aren’t your thing, how about a dwarf citrus planted in a container? Dwarf oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits, kumquats and more are available now.
There also are so-called “balled-in-burlap” plants. Most often, these encompass ornamental trees like Japanese maples, dogwoods and beeches – all of which are sold with their roots and soil wrapped around a burlap ball. Again, not very romantic-looking, but they’ll provide rewards later.
There are many options when it comes to Valentine’s Day gift-giving with flowers and plants.
