From The Straits Times    |


Flowers: Floral Magic. Photo: Her World Brides March 2016

Roses or orchids, which cut flower has a longer life? Is a pre-arranged bouquet better bang for your buck, or should you put together your own bunch of blooms?

We posed these questions, and more, to Steve Feiner, co-founder and CEO of A Better Florist, and harvested tips on the most economical flowers to buy without sacrificing beauty.

1) Be unconventional

Go for the non-popular choices: choose orchids instead of roses, gerberas instead of lilies.

Sunflowers always bring a smile, and carnations are incredibly versatile.

“For the consumer, perennial flowers are cheaper because prices remain the same,” says Feiner.

On his online flower delivery site, a sunflower bouquet costs about 30 per cent less than a bouquet of red roses.

See also: 8 AFFORDABLE WEDDING FLOWERS THAT ARE JUST AS PRETTY!

2) Pick flowers that last

When properly taken care of, sunflowers and gerberas can last to up to two weeks, orchids up to three weeks, and anthuriums for up to a month.

Make these flowers your main bloom for a longer lasting bouquet.

“Roses last two to five days,” Feiner compares. “Cut the stems at a correct angle, make a clean cut with a sterile blade, and change the water every other day for the flowers to last (even) longer,” he adds.

See also: NEW TO FLOWERS? 7 IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW FOR YOUR WEDDING

3) Pad up with hardy flowers and leaves

Flowers like baby’s breath, statice and waxflowers dry and retain their colours and shapes well.

Hypericum berries add rosiness and textures to the bouquet, and leaves like ruscus add fullness and lushness.  

4) Make your own

If you have the time, assemble your own bouquet using all of the tips above.

While pre-determined bouquets are good for last minute occasions and will have the expert creative touches of the florist, putting together your own will not only allow customization, it will also show the amount of thought you’ve put in.

See also: 7 PRETTY FLOWER CROWNS BY LOCAL FLORISTS FOR YOU AND YOUR BRIDESMAIDS

This article was originally published on SingSaver.com.sg, the fastest growing personal finance comparison site in Singapore.