Valentine's Day Flowers On A Budget

Affordable alternatives to pricey roses and ways to dress up a plain bouquet.

Earlier, Merri Merberg and Susan Armstrong of Gorgeous Concepts, a New York City-based floral design business, shared their design for an affordable Valentine's Day bouquet. For the less-than-crafty among us, the floral design duo has also offered us their advice for budget-friendly flowers and quick ways to dress up a plain bouquet for V-day.

Here are Gorgeous Concepts's recommendations for Valentine's Day blooms:

Beyond The Rose: Beautiful Flowers on a Budget

Alstroemeria
For an unexpected and elegant bouquet, try alstroemeria (commonly called Peruvian lily). This flower is an excellent value and can last up to two weeks. Flowers come in both ruby red and a soft pink. Buy several bunches of one color. Lay them on a flat surface with the blooms arranged so they even across the top. Pick them up with one hand and cut the stems to one length with sharp garden clippers. Place in a round vase filled with room temperature water and flower food. The place where the heads of the blooms meet the stem should just hit the top of your vase; keep trimming the stems until you get the height just right.
Carnations
Yes, carnations. These humble blooms are a good value and long lasting. This underrated flower is often banished to commercial mixed bouquets found at the corner deli, but they can be extremely elegant (case in point: The arrangement of scarlet carnations above right). Pick fresh, cinnamon-scented carnations and mass them together for a burst of spring, or if you can find a two-toned pink or red variety, these can be even more interesting. The secret to arranging carnations is massing them together tightly so that there is no space between the flowers. Use the same method to make your bouquet as with the alstroemeria.

Ranunculus
A very romantic alternative to the rose is ranunculus. Each ranunculus flower varies slightly in color and has a multitude of silky petals. This Valentine's Day, try a bouquet of ranunculus in colors from pale pink to scarlet arranged in a faux silver mint julep cup.


Be A Wrap Star

Short on time or not the crafty type? Here is another way to please your valentine: Pick out a tall, thin vase and take it to your florist. Pick one perfect pink rose, peony, tulip or Gerber daisy for the vase. Ask the florist to wrap the vase in clear cellophane and tie with pink and red ribbons. Add a Valentine's Day card in a red envelope and your work is done.

Buy a potted plant of hyacinths that are just opening to reveal their pink flowers. Dress up the pot with a pretty pink ribbon and some tiny heart stickers from a stationary store. Tie the bow around the pot and place heart stickers on the ends of the ribbon for a festive look.

Feeling crafty? Check out Merri and Susan's Aphrodite Bouquet.