How much would you pay for these flowers?

[fmama]

AIBU to think that lovely as this bunch of flowers is, there is a certain price beyond which makes them a plain rip off? What would you have paid for this? First photo shows how it arrived from the florist - priced for 10 stems+ foliage. Jar not included. Would like to know what others think. Thank you!

Well, I think they look very pretty and will be even better when they open up a bit more.

I wouldn't ever spend that much on a bouquet. Tbh, I don't like spending money on flowers, so I have no concept for how much they "should" cost, but setting that aside, in my uneducated opinion, they look nice! I hope you can enjoy them despite their price, OP.

£15 but the will open up and last 2 weeks if the water is changed every day and they are placed in a coolish room

@CarrotSticks19

They are a nice bunch of flowers. Absolute bs could you get those from aldi or lidl. I think they would look better in a wider necked vase so they were more splayed out but they are nice

I think it's a bit mean to say your DH needs to learn a lesson from this. It's a nice gift, they are flowers you have said you like. Just enjoy them!

I'm embarrassed at my phrasing, I agree it's mean to put it like that. I certainly didn't mean he should be punished or admonished for spending this amount of money on these flowers! Price/value perception is a subjective opinion and while I was protesting at its price - it's about the flowers, not an attack on him - a misplaced focus, I've realised. He felt I was being too stingy and then took pains to explain how it was very reasonable and insisted that the florist spent a lot of time and care etc., clearly he didn't agree with me. And so I thought - I'll ask Mumsnet and see what other people think! And now we know, we can adjust our own expectations. I'm glad you thought they were nice too and I will definitely enjoy them, thank you

@flowersforbrains

Anyone who manages to buy a bunch of long stemmed Dutch anemones with eucalyptus in ALDI/LIDL this weekend, please post a photo. I'd love to see it!!!

Me too!

Flowers are £5.00 in Tesco i bought same yesterday 6 stems. Eucalyptus probably same.

@MaryAndGerryLivingInDerry you are a see u next tuesday - why being horrible ?

@Thursdaymiami

I’m also amazed your children had £55 of spare cash. Or do you mean your DH put a bit of their money in and topped it up.

They raided their piggy banks - about £50 combined. They're 10 and 11 so they don't normally have money, and they have never bought me anything before. They really wanted to buy something special and I am really reluctant for them to spend so much money on me. I think DC2 thought they'll have enough leftover for pokemon. DC2 also really wants a refund Though I'm sure they'll let me keep it when I tell them again how much I love the flowers.

@fabricfanatic

Well, I think they look very pretty and will be even better when they open up a bit more.

I wouldn't ever spend that much on a bouquet. Tbh, I don't like spending money on flowers, so I have no concept for how much they "should" cost, but setting that aside, in my uneducated opinion, they look nice! I hope you can enjoy them despite their price, OP.

Yes I am learning to do so! Price shouldn't cloud everything, is what I've learnt today. And yes, educated or not, I really like how flowers look in all their stages and I feel lucky in that I am able to enjoy it while it lasts, in its little jar, in my home. Thank you

@LowlandLucky

£15 but the will open up and last 2 weeks if the water is changed every day and they are placed in a coolish room

Yes I will certainly try to keep them as healthy as possible! I am quite slatternly in other aspects of housework, but very on the ball with trimming stalks and changing flower water . Thank you

I love Anemones and green and white bouquets in general - classy and tasteful, although I feel the vase you've used isn't doing them justice. Enjoy them and maybe think about giving them a little more space to spead out!

Having said that, £55 is very steep and anyone with a bit of sense could get a lot more 'bang for your buck' here.
These days my DH has a pretty good idea of what flowers I like, but still finds flower shops daunting, has no idea about names and prices and could possibly end up in a similar situation. I've told him to not bother with florists and just pick up a couple of nice bunches in matching colours from our very good greengrocer. I'd rather just arrange them myself - much better value, even if they're not quite up to professional standards. It's probably not the done thing for a birthday / special occasion, but a lot of money spent on something mediocre would really annoy me. I've attached two pictures of my recent greengrocer buys. All of them are under €20, most of them under €15, some under €10 and I live in a very nice area of a quite expensive European city (prices for most things very similar to London, although obviously no Brexit effect).

Anyone who manages to buy a bunch of long stemmed Dutch anemones with eucalyptus in ALDI/LIDL this weekend, please post a photo. I'd love to see it!!!

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 FlowersforBrains.

fmama They do look lovely and your husband and children have done a lovely thing to buy you such a personal arrangement. I think I'd be finding some excuse to buy them something in return over the weekend.

I sometimes get Freddie's Flowers and part of the reason why they are cheaper is that everything is done on a huge scale and you have no choice (apart from being able to avoid lilies if you have a pet). If you look at websites like M&S or Waitrose, you will see that most bunches (I know they don't call them that) are around £30-40.

The origin of the flowers also needs to be considered. Most of our flowers are imported. Supermarket flowers are often cheaper because they come from places like Kenya. I once made the mistake of buying British grown stocks, delphiniums etc from one of those posh stalls without checking the price. They were beautiful but The price per petal was shocking.

@PurbeckStone

I love Anemones and green and white bouquets in general - classy and tasteful, although I feel the vase you've used isn't doing them justice. Enjoy them and maybe think about giving them a little more space to spead out!

Having said that, £55 is very steep and anyone with a bit of sense could get a lot more 'bang for your buck' here.
These days my DH has a pretty good idea of what flowers I like, but still finds flower shops daunting, has no idea about names and prices and could possibly end up in a similar situation. I've told him to not bother with florists and just pick up a couple of nice bunches in matching colours from our very good greengrocer. I'd rather just arrange them myself - much better value, even if they're not quite up to professional standards. It's probably not the done thing for a birthday / special occasion, but a lot of money spent on something mediocre would really annoy me. I've attached two pictures of my recent greengrocer buys. All of them are under €20, most of them under €15, some under €10 and I live in a very nice area of a quite expensive European city (prices for most things very similar to London, although obviously no Brexit effect).

ALL are ridiculously beautiful! You have such a good eye - gorgeous palette and a fabulous sense of proportions; I rate florists highly, they always make it look easier than it is, and it is certainly a fine art. You say you're not professional but these are amazing! I only wish I could zoom into your photos and get a better look at what you've made. I'll also do some unpacking to find them a better vase (recently moved house). Thank you

@nettie434

Anyone who manages to buy a bunch of long stemmed Dutch anemones with eucalyptus in ALDI/LIDL this weekend, please post a photo. I'd love to see it!!!

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 FlowersforBrains.

fmama They do look lovely and your husband and children have done a lovely thing to buy you such a personal arrangement. I think I'd be finding some excuse to buy them something in return over the weekend.

I sometimes get Freddie's Flowers and part of the reason why they are cheaper is that everything is done on a huge scale and you have no choice (apart from being able to avoid lilies if you have a pet). If you look at websites like M&S or Waitrose, you will see that most bunches (I know they don't call them that) are around £30-40.

The origin of the flowers also needs to be considered. Most of our flowers are imported. Supermarket flowers are often cheaper because they come from places like Kenya. I once made the mistake of buying British grown stocks, delphiniums etc from one of those posh stalls without checking the price. They were beautiful but The price per petal was shocking.

I really like how life is sometimes macro and micro simultaneously - how a bouquet can feel wonderfully indulgent, far greater than its parts, and worth every single penny, but other times - perhaps misalignment of expectations, value perception, it gets brought right down to "price per petal" sentiments. The classic British garden flowers are just wonderful - scabious, delphiniums, cornflowers etc., all favourites. I buy them from the farmers markets (2 bunches £5), feel sad when the season ends, but so happy when they reappear in the new year

They are beautiful and unusual flowers. There are at least 10 of them in the photo taken from the top. The foliage is also pretty. The choice of flowers and the simplicity is breathtaking.
I think you need to get real. He bought them outside Libertys? He was lucky to get away with only paying £55!
I am not sure how your children got enticed into handing over their savings to pay for flowers for you though - that sounds more worrying. Can't you just enjoy them for their beauty?

I think they are lovely and am not really surprised at them costing £55 given where your DH got them. They would probably cost abiut £30 near me (London zone 2).

I do think it’s outrageous that your DH didn’t try to get better value given it was his children’s saved up money he was spending. I bet he bought them there rather than local to you because it was more convenient for him - if so, he should bear the WC1 premium.

I think he ought to refund them the difference between £55 and what they’d cost near you. Can’t understand why he wouldn’t tbh.

I understand that the type of flowers/foliage in this bouquet are expensive but to me the arrangement looks bland and unbalanced.

I love seasonal locally grown flowers and am prepared to pay over and above the price of a supermarket bunch, but I’d still expect the arrangement to look special.

I think I’ve been a bit spoilt recently by our local
National Trust garden giving away beautiful cut flowers for a donation including the most stunning dahlias!

Some one on MN once asked why people buy flowers just to watch them die.
I haven't bought flowers since I read that comment

It's not his first time. He needs the harsh but effective lesson of a Mumsnet AIBU. He was so hopeless, and I was so upset at him wasting money - I made him a list of local florists (who will all be very reasonable in terms of pricing) and the sort of flowers I like - but he lost that, and didn't want to research. He and both my DCs all need to learn that they must never pay this sort of money for something like this

I agree that it was a rip off, but I would be very sad if someone reacted to a gift I'd bought them in this way. I hope you're able to word it in a way that won't upset your husband. How lovely to have a partner who buys you flowers.

£30 from florist. £12 from supermarket.

@Theresamagicalplace

Fuck me £55?! I'm a florist and that would cost £25 at our place tops. Approx £1 a stem for the flowers and then £3.00 foliage and a bit for wrapping and labour. It's always hard if someone requests a specific flower especially if it's a small flower because they may expect bigger than they'd receive but that's an actual piss take!

Is your shop inside a department store in Central London?

@Thursdaymiami

Op You sound really hard work. Someone who always has to be right. Probably loves micromanaging. Always slightly disappointed that no one else could have done a good as job as you would have. It’s just not very nice.

OP sounds like absolutely none of these things £55 is a disgrace for those flowers, Liberty's or otherwise.

As everyone has said… you shops at Liberty, you pays the price.

That said, if you arranged them, cut some of the stems shorted to sit at the front etc, rather than leaving them tied in twine and ‘plonked in a jar’, you’d be able to see them better (and they’d last longer).

£55?! I was with the £25-30 brigade but that is extortionate even by London prices!

You can get nicer bunches than that at tesco or sainsburys for £15-£20 and that doesn’t look like much time was put into arranging it, plus its mostly filler not flowers so I’d say £10 for the flowers and anything up to £7 for the delivery so no more than £17 in total. Anything above that is a rip off.

£55! I honestly thought you got them from your garden!