If you’re hoping to buy your Valentine a big bouquet of red roses today, you can expect at least two things: a long line at the flower shop and a premium price tag on your purchase. Tim Huff, a florist in Webster City, says he’s charging about the same price as last year for the fragrant flowers. “It depends on if you put them in a vase or if you have them wrapped up,” Huff says. “If you have them with all the amenities, they’re $78 for a dozen, $42.50 for a half dozen.”
If roses aren’t your speed, Huff says there are plenty of alternatives that can send the same loving message to your sweetie. “The blooming plants, green plants, we do a lot of just mixed, fresh arrangements where we put a rose or two in it instead of buying all roses,” Huff says. “It’s a better value because you get a lot of different flowers in the mix.”
Blooming plants and bulb gardens are also popular, he says, as they can be planted outside once warmer weather arrives.
(Reporting by Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City)