With Valentine’s Day just one week away, many people will begin ordering flowers for their special someone. But be prepared. You may have to pay a little more this Valentine’s Day. Because of rising energy costs, many of the places you buy flowers from are paying higher wholesale prices than they were a year ago. That includes florists, supermarkets, discount stores, and warehouse clubs.

In our shop, I’ve seen increases of as much as 10% over the past year on some flowers, less on others. Almost all of the increases are the result of higher energy prices. With the higher cost of flowers, you may have to shell out a little more this year as well.

But there is some good news. You might not have to pay more for flowers this Valentine’s Day, depending on where you buy them. Many floral retailers choose to absorb the increases to keep customers happy. So it pays to shop around.

The best bang for the buck at Valentine’s Day (especially roses) is with flowers shipped direct from the grower. Many of our customers choose to send our Grower Picks, and that number continues to grow. You can check out our selection here:

==>>Greenfield Flower Shop’s Valentine Grower Picks

Another good way to pocket some savings is to plan ahead and get your flower order in early.

The national flower sites offer incentives for early orders. There are a couple I found that I think are worth taking a look at:

• Teleflora is offering a 15% discount on all orders placed through February 14th. All orders are hand-delivered by florists.
  ==>>Visit Teleflora here
• 1-800-Flowers.com offers a number a specially-priced items among their Valentine selections, starting at $19.99. Items marked “Available Same-Day” are hand-delivered by florists, other floral items are shipped direct from the grower. Offers change frequently, so grab them while they’re there.
  ==>>Visit 1-800-Flowers.com here

If you’re looking to send flowers to your special someone this Valentine’s Day, there are deals out there to suit any taste and budget. I’ve pointed out a few, and I’m sure there are more. So go get ‘em, tiger!