Ideas For Cheap Flowers

Have you ever needed to plan an event while sticking to a strict budget?  There are always areas where you simply cannot get the prices down significantly.  That said, you also don't want to cut corners, particularly if you are organising an important event like a wedding.  What might come as a surprise is that you can actually save money on the fresh flowers for the occasion.  By carefully selecting the right flowers, you can get the very best deal from your florist and save a fair amount of money without sacrificing the quality.

The first step is to know what it is that you are looking for.  Take some time to gain a clear understanding of what it is that you want.  That way, you are the one in charge and you get to decide on each and every flower and piece of foliage.  Sure, florists are more than capable of choosing the finest in flowers but they might not always be inclined to stick to your budget.  By doing some research and planning the flowers you need as well as the size and style of each arrangement, you are bound to save a bundle already.

If you are desperately on the hunt for cheap flowers, it is very important that you know your prices.  Florists have a keen eye for design and they know just how to put any bouquet together to look great.  However, their ideas of what looks the best might not suit your finances.  Some of the most expensive flowers on the market may include orchids, gardenias and certain lilies too.

In terms of cheaper flowers, you can use carnations, chrysanthemums and daisies as focal flowers.  Carnations are particularly lovely since they are available in a wide range of colours and they last really long so you will enjoy a true sense of value for money.  Carnations even come in two-tone varieties that can add some wonderful style to the arrangement.  If you need a large vertical bouquet, you can use chrysanthemums as your focal flowers, baby's breath as your filler and ferns for foliage.  You can also include asters and perhaps roses here and there for a variety in flower size, colour and texture.

Another important tip to remember is to know what kind of flowers are grown locally.  Flowers that are imported are inclined to be a fair bit more expensive than locally grown blossoms.  The good news, however is that many of the most popular flowers are cultivated all over the world and this has helped keep flower prices quite reasonable.  Popular flowers that do not grow in your area are also usually imported in large quantities in order to keep prices as low as possible.

One final piece of advice regarding choosing the cheapest fresh flowers is to make sure that they are in season.  While roses are in bloom in the northern hemisphere, they are likely to fetch a higher price down south.  Roses, for example, might be available throughout the year but prices may fluctuate depending on availability.

By keeping these tips in mind, you should find it a fair bit easier to select the perfect flowers without breaking the bank!  Remember, the prices for foliage also vary just like flowers so make sure you do your research in this regard too.

Gloriosa Lily Flower Facts

With their fiery pink petals and truly unique upward facing petals, the gloriosa lily is a much desired flower for many occasions including weddings.  A bouquet of gloriosas bundled together is more than enough to make any bride smile as she takes a trip down the isle.  If you are considering having your florist add gloriosa lilies to a bouquet for you, you might want to learn a bit more about these flowers since it will help you provide them with the best possible conditions to maintain their fresh appearance.

The flower is native to the more tropical parts of Africa such as Zimbabwe.  It still has a relatively short history of cultivation but, these days, can be found in countries like Holland and Australia.  For the most part they are sold as stems that include both fully opened flowers and some buds.  This is so that you have a full, beautiful bouquet for a longer period of time. 

Because they are naturally found in a tropical environment, it is important to keep the environment around the vase similar to that.  You can do this by making sure that there is always enough fresh, clean water in the vase.  Top up the water as you see necessary and change the water regularly.  You will also need to add floral preserve to the water so as to ensure that the closed buds will open to display beautiful flowers just bursting with colour.  Also, because of their natural tropical home, these flowers should never be placed in any kind of fridge.  Feel free to spray them gently with water every so often to increase the humidity levels around the flowers.

If you live in an area that you believe suitable for the growth of gloriosa lilies, you are welcome to try growing them in your own garden.  Gloriosas are grown from tubers.  When you plant the tubers in your garden, it is very important that you keep the soil nicely moist.  Dry conditions are not suitable for these flowers and too much water will cause the roots to rot.  A balance is needed in order to help them thrive.  If the air is quite dry, you can create a humid environment for your gloriosa lilies by running a tube with holes next to them.  Connect the tube to a hose and allow water the water to run.  As the water reaches the holes, it will spray out in a mist and, along with the high summer temperatures, this will increase the level of humidity.

Finally, gloriosa lily plants need quite a bit of room to grow so they need to be planted at least 6 inches away from each other and any other plants.  You want to make sure that each plant has enough room to grow sufficient roots so that the plant is properly fed and hydrated.  The soil in places like Zimbabwe is extremely fertile so, in order to create the same ideal environment.

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nf4000/5738770747">Nick Fedele</a>

Keeping It Simple For Mother's Day

Each year seems to bring on a collection of celebrations that we often feel obligated to celebrate.  On top of everything else, we also feel the pressure to go all out and turn even the simplest occasion into the event of the century.  The costs tend to exceed your budget and leave you wondering how you are going to top it all next year.  For Mother's Day, your first instinct is most likely to send flowers.  Then you start to consider all sorts of additional gifts to go with the fresh flower delivery and possibly even a meal out.  With Mother's Day just around the corner, it's important to know that mothers value the little things over expensive gifts and here's how you can keep your Mother's Day simple and special.

An important trick when it comes to saving money is knowing where to spend and where not to spend.  Something as simple as Mother's Day flowers are an important part of your gift and a great way of spoiling mum.  Of course, you don't want to go for cheap flowers that just end up dying within a matter of days.  Spending a little bit more will allow your mother to enjoy her Mother's Day arrangement for that much longer and it will prove to be money well spent.

Another popular way of spoiling mum on this special day is to treat her to a meal that she does not have to prepare or clean up after.  Most of us tend to pick up the phone and make a reservation at a local restaurant like it's some kind of automatic reaction.  However, while you may end up spending more on fresh flowers for Mother's Day, you can actually save a fair amount by avoiding restaurants and expensive dining establishments.  Instead, why not prepare lunch or breakfast for mum yourself?  By now you should know all of her little favourites and you should be able to put together a delightful menu just for her. 

Depending on the weather and personal preferences, you can choose to take mum out for a picnic, eat by the beach or enjoy the meal at her home or yours.  You could also buy all the ingredients for your meal and spend extra time with mum as you prepare her special meal for her in her own kitchen.  This can be tricky at times because she will most likely want to help you.  You will need to insist that she simply sits and keeps you company.  It's a great way of spending even more time with her on Mother's Day.

Along with your personally prepared meal and fresh flowers, you can also get mum a card and take the time to write a special message inside.  The flowers will brighten her home, the meal will satisfy her appetite, the card will act as a memento for years to come and spending time with you will be the best gift she could ever ask for.  If you want to host Mother's Day as a family event, you can make a guest list and get everyone to contribute by bringing along a dish for the table.  You can also put money together to buy an extra special gift for mum that, since you are all contributing towards, won't set you back financially.