Who doesn’t love flowers from a loved one on valentine’s day? And red roses are the most popular way to show that love. There are so many places you can buy them these days… A local florist, grocery store, or through national online sites.
We wanted to know what do you get for your money from these different options, and does it make a difference in how long they last?
The Don’t Waste Your Money team called a local Thrifty Florist and ordered a dozen roses in a box to be delivered to the station a few days later. The total cost with delivery was $39.20
We also went online to 1-800-flowers and placed the same order to be delivered. That cost us $49.98. And then we picked up a dozen red roses from the Meijer in Southfield, costing $16.98. We got all the flowers the same day. I cut the stems, added the flower food that came with each, and arranged them in vases. Then we checked on them every day for a week to see how the roses looked.
Check the video player above to see the roses and how they fared.
Caring for your roses
We went to Goldner Walsh Garden & Home in Pontiac to find out the best way to care for roses. The business has been around for 63 years. Tim Travis is the owner.
“To get the most absorption, always just cut them at an angle because that gives more surface area for the water to be absorbed into the stem,” Travis says.
Travis says use the food packet provided, because it has antibacterial agents and preservatives. And after a week, he suggests cutting them again.
“Don’t put them in direct sun and put them in an area that’s away from drafty windows and heat vents,” he explains. “That will prevent them from drying out prematurely."
If you buy flowers for someone from one of those national website, Travis says those orders are often filled by local florists. But here’s what you may not know. The local florist only gets a fraction of what you pay. The online retailers get the majority. So if you’d rather your support a local florist, find one and place a call directly to it.
