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Flowers have always been welcome on Valentine's Day and according to the National Retail Federation, flowers are the most popular gift for Valentine's Day. Unfortunately for those trying to save money, long-stemmed red roses skyrocket in price around Valentine's Day. Just finding and ordering them at a florist shop can be difficult enough. Then there is the additional worry of how the long-stemmed red roses will look when they're delivered on Valentine's Day. Even quality florist shops have been known to use less than perfect roses as they scrounge to fill an influx of flower orders during one of their busiest times of the year. If Valentines are lucky enough to secure a quality bunch of long-stemmed red roses, you can be sure they weren't thinking about how to save money on them as they paid a small fortune for the flowers on Valentine's Day. Save money and ensure a beautiful Valentine's gift with these budget-friendly hacks for Valentine's Day. With any luck, Valentines will think their beloved is a creative romantic and be that much more impressed with their unique offering on Valentine's Day.
Give Valentines Favorite Flowers
If you need to save money on flowers but still have a little wiggle room in the budget just get a little more creative on the kind of flowers you purchase for Valentine's Day. What really might mean the most to your sweetheart on Valentine's Day isn't another cliché gift of long-stemmed red roses, but something that says you really know her intimately. Do some detective work and find out what are your Valentine's favorite flowers. Chances are you will save money on a bouquet of a less popular (read: less traditional) flowers for Valentine's Day and the flowers you do order will probably look nicer because there are more of the less traditional flowers to choose from.
Give Valentines Potted Flowers
For a fraction of the cost of fresh-cut flowers and long-stemmed roses, you can give your sweetheart a potted blooming plant on Valentine's Day. This gift can be prepared in advance and will stay looking terrific until Valentine's Day with the proper care. You can save money by purchasing one from a big box store with a nursery or you can opt for a pricier full-service experience and visit a florist ideally before Valentine's Day. Take the time to pick out a special container or basket for the plant for special “wrapping” for Valentine's Day. Even dollar stores have small baskets and pots you can dress up if you need to save money. You can dress up the container even more by adding Valentine's Day ribbon to the pot or container. Make sure you check the plant's requirements for light if you plan on making it an indoor houseplant. Add a plastic reservoir inside the container so the plant doesn't drip everywhere when your Valentine waters it. For an added romantic twist on this Valentine's Day gift make it an event to plant the gift together in the yard or garden. With proper care, it can be an everlasting reminder of your love and save money for other Valentine's activities.
Give Valentines Symbolic Flowers
In Victorian times flowers all had special meanings and Valentine's Day shouldn't be any different. That doesn't mean your bouquet is going to scream, “I'm trying to save money this Valentine's Day.” Lovers can send bouquets made up of various types of flowers to convey hidden symbolic messages to their Valentines. Some ideas from an extensive list on the language of flowers from Wikipedia.org include Camellia japonica for “unpretending excellence,” celandine for “joys to come,” cherry blossoms for “feminine beauty” or “good education,” or honeysuckle for “devoted affection.” Give a bouquet of a single type of flowers with a special meaning or select a variety of flowers that convey all of the qualities you admire in your sweetheart for Valentine's Day and save money by choosing less traditional high demand flowers for your Valentine's bouquet.
Give Valentines Future Flowers
If fresh flowers are simply off of the list because you need to save money, fear not; you can still be the thoughtful Valentine and give flowers without the cost of purchasing them at peak demand on Valentine's Day. Give your Valentine a packet of wild flower seeds with a promise to help plant them in the spring. Flower seeds are very inexpensive and shouldn't cost you more than a few dollars so you will save a lot of money. Check the flowers' seed packet for the season date (best if used by date) to make sure they are not old seeds. Old flowers' seeds will be less likely to bloom. Follow the flowers' package directions for planting depth and spacing. Do a little research before skimping on one kind of seeds to save money. What variety of flowers do best in the area they will be planted? Will the flowers reseed themselves from year to year (not always desirable if you don't want them scattered in the wind all over your Valentine's yard)? How long is the bloom time or season for the flowers? Which variety of flowers is disease or pest resistant for your area? Taking the time to select the flower seeds will ensure a happy Valentine's Day and save you money replacing flowers later.
Give Valentines Handmade Flowers
Origami flowers are a great way to save money and give unique flowers for Valentine's Day. It's a low budget alternative that requires only the cost of some colored paper and the giver's time. Paper flowers can be exquisite and may require some practice on the giver's part, but your sweetheart is sure to recognize and reward your effort on Valentine's Day. You can find books on origami at the library and some patterns are also available online. Be sure to start practicing and producing your flowers far in advance of Valentine's Day so you have plenty of time to complete the flowers. Use a variety of different patterned papers or textures for contemporary flowers. For more traditional flowers bouquet, stick with a single colored paper or pattern or same color-family for Valentine's Day. The ambitious can try folding different kinds of flowers for Valentines, but for the most efficient use of time use one origami pattern and master it so multiples of the flowers can be produced quickly. You can use pipe cleaners, small kebab sticks, wood dowels, pencils, straws, or even tightly rolled paper for flower stems. Paint them green or wrap them with green floral tape for the most realistic looking flowers. Then bundle them up and tie with a Valentine's Day themed ribbon. Extra work for extra romance: write your sweetheart love notes on the paper before you fold them into flowers to open and read on Valentine's Day – something money can't buy.
For more information on the Language of Flowers visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_of_flowers
The above is a random extract from Associated Content, visit Associated Content for the actual writer of this article.
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