Why are Roses so Expensive at Valentine's Day?

This is a question we will answer over and over again this Valentine's Day:
"Why are roses so expensive??"
The simple answer we give to most is, "supply and demand, we pay more at Valentine's Day so the customer has to pay more."  In truth the answer goes far beyond that.  It starts at the grower way back in November and December and it rolls forward to Valentine's Day and even a few weeks beyond.  

True long stem roses, like we sell at The Secret Garden, take 6 to 8 weeks to grow.  This means that production of Valentine's roses starts in late November and early December down in Equador. 
Because of this they trim the November and December crops early, creating a shortage that starts in those months and prices start to rise.


Now florists start to plan how many roses they want to have on hand and start sending orders into their suppliers.  The suppliers tell their suppliers, and those suppliers tell the growers.  The growers look at the crop growing and set a price based on the demand for the product.  Because roses are perishable and cannot be kept on hand for long periods of time it makes the supply harder to maintain.  

You also have to factor in the growing conditions for the roses, the days are shorter and the temperatures are cooler.  This puts more energy into caring for the roses and making sure they are ready for the final cut before the big day arrives.





Now we get into the fun world of transportation.  The large supply of roses has to be moved into the parts of the world that demand the roses.  This requires more trucks, more drivers, and of course more gas.  Then when they arrive at the wholesalers it requires more people to process the flowers, sort the roses for delivery to the florists, and transport them to the locations.  As a florist we need to have more people on staff to handle the demand as well.  More people to answer the phone, design the arrangements, and of course deliver them to you.


You add all of this together and it's the perfect storm for increased prices.


But do not fret.  You can send your love beautiful flowers on Valentine's Day without breaking the bank.  Ask your florist for a mixed bouquet, add just a few roses to it if you like.  Maybe look for designs that feature spray roses, then you can have a larger amount of "roses" without the higher cost.  You may also want to go with her favorite color or flower and have your florist create a beautiful bouquet that is one of a kind.  


If you do decide to go with roses, get the most for your money by providing the proper care after the roses arrive.  This will insure that you are enjoying the roses for days to come after the holiday. 


We hope that this little article will help explain those higher prices you are bound to pay this Valentine's Day.  Remember to order your roses early, we recommend at least a week in advance.  This will guarantee fresh roses delivered to the one you love on that special day!