My dilemma (warning - it is definitely a 1st world thing)

Asparagus is one of my favourite vegetables, I will only buy English in season as I find the imported varieties usually from Peru or Mexico have little or no flavour just a bitter aftertaste.

grumppa

If you buy your flowers from Waitrose you will have something left over to spend in your village store. Your flower purchases on their own will not be enough to keep it going, anyway.

Oh, grumppa, I wish it was that simple.

The flowers from the village are from the florist who has, to boost her business, started selling gifts, cards, jewellery etc - right next door to a really long established shop selling, gifts, cards, jewellery etc which I would not want to stop using.

Seems to me that the only answer is for us to move somewhere else!

Remember seeing a documentary with Queen Camilla in her ‘cutting’ garden at Highgrove.

I expect she and the King have flowers all over the house.



And not from the local Tescos!

Charles always has one in his buttonhole.

Compromise? Buy bunch of flowers from Waitrose ,split in two with cheap filler in foliage from the florist. They always have leafy stuff or gypsophila to bulk out bouquets. Though I’m so out of touch with the price of flowers from the florist that I may well be wrong. I rely on daughters who forget special days so I get a lot of remorseful bouquets from blooms are us and similar.

Your florist’s business is going down the drain kitty. It’s not your duty to save it.

I feel I should not help it on it's way, gsm. They do seem to have a good trade in Weddings, funerals etc.

Stansgran, I have been doing that - the foliage last long enough for a couple of weeks at least.

I too love flowers of types in my homes, normally, unless a special occasion bought from one of many supermarkets as better value and last longer.

No advice here though, just do what you think is best for you.

The florist in our little town has closed down after many years. I always supported her, but she could no longer make ends meet. Such a shame. It’s sad to see an empty shop too.

Have you got space to grow your own?

When I want to send flowers to anybody I always try to find something I like from the Waitrose or M&S flower selection, or failing that I track down a good local florist in their area.
Personally I usually buy supermarket flowers if they look fresh, someting simple in large quantities!

I meant to add that you really need to find out what day your local florist gets their deliveries or collects from a flower market. If they've had them a week that is a week less time for you to have them in your own home.

The florist can, as some have done, buy flowers from a chain and re-sell them at a slight profit, thus encouraging buyers to not go as far as the chains.

We buy flowers from both the local florist and Waitrose. But if push came to shove it would be Waitrose: supporting local shops is good but florists are less essential imho than, say, the co-op.

Before my kate dh became incapable of shopping, he always bought flowers, usually from the local supermarket. When I had to take over the shopping, he would always remind me to buy them! We have a lovely general store in our village, selling lots of local produce sourced mainly from the local farms that surround us. I try to support then when I can but last week I bought a bunch of alstromerias and nearly fainted at the price, nearly four times what I usually pay in Aldi for a same size bunch, and they did not last a week! ALDIs usually last about three weeks! I won’t be buying flowers there anymore, will stick to buying just my veggies!

I don't buy cut flowers, but if I was faced with your dilemma I would continue to alternate between the florist one week and the supermarket the following week. Then you have the pleasure of both cheaper flowers and a friendly chat.

No flowers in the house for me as I am subject to hayfever. On the other hand I have arranged the garden so that the best flowers and bushes are planted where they are seen from the windows. A visual delight while doing dishes or on the computer.

I don't have flowers in the house unless someone gifts me them.

A number of good pieces of advice given above.

You're right, it certainly is a first world problem. I'm very lucky in that I have flowers available in the garden for a good part of the year. The spring flowers have been wonderful and our roses are just starting now. I love cut flowers in the house but, even though they are from our own garden, they don't come without our labour. In the few months when we have nothing available, I do buy flowers but only from Lidl usually. I've found them to be a sensible price and they last well. I don't have a local florist & there's only 1 Waitrose in our county and it's about 40 miles away! No dilemma for me! kittylester other supermarkets are available!

I live close to a Waitrose, and independent cheese shop, wine shop butcher, fishmonger, baker and florist. I try and use the independents as I don't want to lose them. The only one I don't use is the baker as I don't eat gluten and Waitrose sells gf whereas the baker doesn't. I think it is probably a bit more expensive but I don't want to see the big supermarkets push out the smaller businesses.

kittylester

Aggie these are not expensive flowers as such.

She had tulips that were nearly as much per bunch as 3 times as many in Waitrose.

I fear that, if she closes we will get yet another barbers, coffee shop or vape shop.

You're lucky, kittylester, if one closes round here it's turned into an art hub/gallery - we have a few - and they're mainly eyesores!

Though it is nice to support our local small businesses, we also have to think about our purses.
Stick with Waitrose!

A friend bought me expensive flowers online, whilst I was looking for my glasses, noticed little beasties on the worktop around the base of the vase, turns out that they were carpet beetles Since then I haven’t bought flowers & just have expensive silk flowers instead.

I had a Saturday job in a florist/nursery in 1960s, and have always tried to support a local florist wherever I've lived. However supermarket flowers do seem to last longer.
Recently I organised a small bouquet of flowers for a friend from our local florist (any colour, any flower). Nicely wrapped they looked presentable, but once in a vase they looked scant. I had tried another florist first, who told me she couldn't do a small bouquet for the following day as she needed 24hrs notice!
So I've now officially given up on florists.

I love flowers in the house and regularly buy them from Sainsbury’s, keeping them going for as long as possible. I don’t buy from my local florist as on the odd occasion I have popped in (the shop has some charming vases, pots and odds and ends as well), the staff there are so rude and unwelcoming I don’t think they deserve my custom. I do buy from the florist in town sometimes, a lovely, friendly young team, but they are very expensive. I love to see flowers growing best of all, but my flat does not have a garden so it’s nice to bring the outdoors in a little!

Lidl's flowers ate fab, and last for ages, regular supermarket price too

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My reply will probably be of more interest to someone wanting to send flowers as a gift ……

My elder son lives some 130-miles away and so we don’t see him as often as we would like, but every four to six weeks I receive a lovely bouquet of flowers from him from Homeland Flowers via Amazon.

They arrive beautifully presented and in a sturdy box.

They last for over a fortnight, when I then transfer the ones that still have life in them to a smaller vase where they last for another week.

He’s done this for a few years now and I’ve only had one disappointment. When I wrote about it, I was sent a replacement. I now buy gift flowers from them myself as flowers seem to be a present that everyone enjoys receiving - and often the high postage costs etc for sending other gifts by post can add make it a no-no.

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