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

There are two florists where I live .
One has the most expensive flowers that I've ever seen , but the staff are charming and chatty .
The other has a smaller and more affordable range , but the owner is one of the most unpleasant women that I've ever met .
There's a limited range of flowers in my small supermarket . They are more expensive that they used to be .
So it depends - I buy from all three depending on my need .
I've just done the church flowers and I used flowers from my garden without buying any !

I always have flowers in the house, along with the plants. I try to use the garden flowers and do grow some for cutting.
Other than that I buy at the supermarket, Waitrose are generally good as are Sainsbury’s.

Speak to her?
Let her explain her situation?

You may not feel so bad either way, after the conversation.

Only you can do that.

Germanshepherdsmum

She wouldn’t have Waitrose’s purchasing power would she? So of course her flowers are more expensive.

Yes, I get that. But it doesn't help solve my dilemma.

I always have flowers in the entrance hall, just by a picture of Jesus. Nothing fancy, just a mixed bunch from Tesco/Asda. and it lasts about 2 weeks

You can blame Brexit I think!

Look at the provenance of the flowers in Waitrose. They are often a cash crop grown in fertile soil in Kenya.

Local florists have to source their flowers in the uk now as they can’t nip over to the Nederlands because the uk is no longer part of the EU.

I’d buy local, and leave the land in Kenya to support food security there.

There have been a lot of floods in Kenya recently and famine in Sudan with thousands of refugees arriving daily.
Let Kenyans grow food rather than roses for your vase.

She wouldn’t have Waitrose’s purchasing power would she? So of course her flowers are more expensive.

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.

I do the flowers every week for the tables in our community café.
They are all from my garden, other gardens or hedgerows. I love to see what I can find whatever season, whatever weather.
Today it was bluebells and lily of the valley.
I was tempted to take apple blossom but resisted.

If I buy flowers it's usually a potplant.
Next best would be the local florist or a local grower

www.flowersfromthefarm.co.uk

The carbon footprint for those flown in flowers must be big.

Aldi flowers are mostly lovely and last for ages.
We are dictated to by our purse and not by propping up businesses who really can’t afford to keep going much as we would like.
There is an appeal on our local Facebook pages today from a wool shop who is fearing she may have to close.
If you have young children who need to be clothed and kept warm you are not going to consider a local business when to do so would cost many more £s, and effort, when you can do so at the local supermarket or market stall.
This is hard but true.

I told my dh years ago no more flowers from the florist. The supermarket flowers, as you say, last so much longer. As long as 3 weeks. Much as I do like to support the smaller shops in our little town. For something special as a gift I go to the florist and for £20 he will make me up ..... a Hydranga or a Bird of Paradise bloom with a couple of large green glossy stems in a small water container and presented beautifully in brown paper and finished with raffia/eucalyptus..

The air miles!

Ask the florist if she has thought of doing a less expensive range ?
She is going to go out of business if she continues with expensive, but not lasting flowers
Maybe she is just catering for special occasions

I love flowers in the house too, and have to confess to buying them from Morrisons when shopping, good value and they last well.

I always have flowers in the kitchen and sitting room.

I buy from the supermarket (depending what one I am in).

I also buy from the independent florist in my road, they tend to have different varieties of flowers especially lilies which I adore.