Save Money on Roses (and Flowers of All Sorts for that Matter)

Here's a money saving tip that I've advocated on blogs (in comments) as well as verbally to people I know, so I thought I might as well share it with you. It's a great idea on how to save on the cost of roses:

Start your own rose garden.

Here's how it happened with me:

My wife loves flowers, but hates to spend the money it takes to buy them (let's fact it, even at the cheapest places roses will still run $10-$15 a dozen -- up to $75 or more for long-stem roses delivered). So I planted a small rose garden with 12 bushes in front of our house (either side of the door). I had to rip out a low-growing bush-like thing the former owners had, but after that, it was simple. I spent $20-$25 on each bush (the price for good rose bushes) and now get anywhere from 100 to 400 roses PER BUSH PER YEAR (I've had the garden for three years now).

I spend the summer stocking our house with roses (which my wife and daughter love), giving them to co-workers, offering them in a nice vase ($2 at Wal-mart) as graduation gifts for lesser-known friends, taking them to work for all the ladies, giving them to friends who are sick, etc. It makes me quite the popular guy, as I'm sure you can imagine. Plus, there's just something about saying "I grew these" that makes them extra special and gives them something money can't buy.

So, now I have a hobby (which gives me some good exercise and health benefits that money can't buy), save a ton of money, keep my wife in a constant state of "flower bliss", have improved the value of our house (great-looking display of flowers in front of our house), and am loved by all the women I know who I've given flowers to.

Not bad, if I do say so myself. ;-)

Comments

[Blaine Moore (Run to Win)]

I was very pleasantly surprised when we had a few roses pop up in front of the deck of the house we just bought, as well as some other flowers (not sure what they are).

I think that next year I am going to make an effort to grow roses in front of our house; it will look nice and then my fiance can kill as many as she wants after I give them to her without her feeling too bad about it! Heheh.

[Joe F]

You have inspired me to do the same!

[mapgirl]

My mom tried this for years. It's a lot of work if you don't pick the right kind. Just stick with the hardy heirloom varieties. As much as the newer hybrids look amazing, I don't think they smell as nice as old roses, and they tend to be more high maintenance if you don't live in the right climate.

[J Martin]

I love that idea!