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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

How much would you pay for these flowers?

282 replies

fmama · 03/12/2021 20:47

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!

How much would you pay for these flowers?
How much would you pay for these flowers?
How much would you pay for these flowers?
OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
Benjispruce5 · 04/12/2021 07:51

I have a eucalyptus tree in my garden @flowersforbrains so that helps!

stingofthebutterfly · 04/12/2021 08:02

If my husband came home with a bunch of my favourite flowers, I'd be so bloody grateful that it wouldn't even cross my mind to question what he paid for them.

If I were him, I wouldn't bother again.

minipie · 04/12/2021 09:02

Quite a few posters saying “don’t quibble over value when someone buys you a gift”

Ordinarily I’d agree but have you all missed that in this instance it was his DCs’ money he was spending?

knittingaddict · 04/12/2021 09:17

I trained with a florist decades ago.

I like the selection and greenery definitely has it's place in a bouquet, but it is very heavy on the greenery. That makes it relatively cheap in materials with a fair bit of bulking out.

£15 or so in a supermarket.

£25 from a florist.

I am seriously out of touch with florist prices though because I never send flowers to anyone.

knittingaddict · 04/12/2021 09:21

£55. Blimey.

BarbaraofSeville · 04/12/2021 09:49

@minipie

Quite a few posters saying “don’t quibble over value when someone buys you a gift”

Ordinarily I’d agree but have you all missed that in this instance it was his DCs’ money he was spending?

Plus you have to be relatively well off or perhaps careless with money to happily put aside paying such a high price like that.

It would spoil the gift for me when the value for money is so poor.

Last night I saw one of my favourite gins in M&S and my first thought was that I hope DP doesn't buy me that for Christmas from here, because it was £45 and I get it online for £24.

flowersforbrains · 04/12/2021 10:24

£55 is expensive but the factors driving this are.........

Long stemmed Dutch anemones (££££)
Eucalyptus (££££ and foliage is used for structure to support the flowers not as a cheap 'filler')
Bought from Liberty (£££££)

I worked for a decent florist who were very competitive on price outside London and this would still have cost £22 to £25 eighteen months ago. It's an expensive choice that doesn't really deliver on size or wow factor. I would only put something like this together if someone had specifically asked for anemones and eucalyptus and knew how much it would be. We did have customers like this (the ladies who lunch brigade) who were more concerned with achieving a 'White Company look' than their budget.

The people who are saying 'I worked in a flower shop 25 years ago and that's cheap filler worth about £2' are talking bollox, sorry.

theSunday · 04/12/2021 10:45

£20-25

whynotwhatknot · 04/12/2021 11:00

Because its from libertys i get the price but i still thinik h should give the kids their share back its not really fair is it

MrsSkylerWhite · 04/12/2021 11:20

flowersforbrains

Scbchl
Can get better in Aldi for 3.99

I doubt it.”

You can actually.10 lovely yellow roses for 2.99 a week ago, still going strong.

Mercurial123 · 04/12/2021 11:41

You could have got a really beautiful plant for £55.

Coviddy · 04/12/2021 11:49

No one who says 'liberties in Mayfair' buys from there regularly given its 'Liberty' which isn't in Mayfair

Coviddy · 04/12/2021 11:54

Op you sound miserable and down on your husband. If dp bought me these I'd say 'thanks, how thoughtful you know I like these!'

Did you say 'how much were they? Where did you buy them?' and then tell him off?

If I happened to find out the price and we weren't skint I'd say 'woah bit spenny babe! What a treat. Maybe we'll not make a habit of buying from there!' and then enjoy my evening.

Can't imagine starting a thread to prove my husband wrong.

Original poster
fmama · 04/12/2021 12:03

@Cyberattack

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 am learning to ignore the price and just enjoy them. I really do like them. No enticing needed, DC wanted to buy me a present and asked DH to help them. The florist told him that it's £5 per stem and £5 for foliage - no ribbon, clear cellophane, thick paper and a Liberty paper bag. Thank you - I am enjoying them Flowers
OP posts:
Original poster
fmama · 04/12/2021 12:04

@Greytminds

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!

Lucky you living near a NT garden and also stunning dahlias! Love dahlias FlowersFlowersFlowers
OP posts:
Original poster
fmama · 04/12/2021 12:19

@cookiemonster2468

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.

Yes, I agree. They were all being nice and I must learn to be more gracious. When I started the thread I didn't mean it as an attack on DH - he knows I love them, he also knows he seldom buys them, so he is already in the clear - he knows I'm not attacking him. It's about how much the flowers are worth. He and I valued the flowers differently (he felt it was reasonable to pay £55 while I felt it was way overpriced, even factoring in location etc., because I do buy flowers often, from independent florists, brand name shops, supermarkets and farmers' markets - I knew they were going to be expensive but was still quite shocked. So I started the thread to see what everyone else thought, objectively, about how much these flowers would cost and at what point will it start to feel a rip-off. Also, as a previous poster put it - this is my children's money, and yes I would like them not only to spend less, but also get more "bang for their buck". Lastly, more than a few florists have commented and I am grateful for their insight and helpful tips - it is not easy when costs have gone up (like everything else) and to still have to meet customer expectations regarding prices and product, and somehow still make a living from their work! I hope I didn't put too many people off with my quibbling, but I thought this was a great conversation and I learnt lots about flowers, and also myself. Several have commented on how lovely it is having a DH who buys me flowers - I showed him these posts and told him so! Children also got big cuddles, telling them I loved the bouquet. They asked if they can get some pokemon later... Grin Grin
OP posts:
Original poster
fmama · 04/12/2021 12:29

@stingofthebutterfly

If my husband came home with a bunch of my favourite flowers, I'd be so bloody grateful that it wouldn't even cross my mind to question what he paid for them.

If I were him, I wouldn't bother again.

I am very grateful and happy. There was a poster who commented that it's "our money" and how I wouldn't DH getting fleeced on my account (totally agree), but even if it's purely "his" money, I would still feel bad because he could spend less and have more left for himself! Moreover, in this case, it was our children's money - it's all the money they have! I am too direct and I can definitely learn to phrase things better. I hope he continues despite my quibbling because I really love flowers. Thank you Flowers
OP posts:
Original poster
fmama · 04/12/2021 12:34

@BarbaraofSeville I also try to get best value - often try to pre-empt purchases but telling DH that I can get it online, with a code, or etc., he's exactly this way (like me) but with with tech gadgets, and he just wasn't very fussed about flower prices (unlike me!). I hope your DH learns the code and gets you your favourite! Flowers

OP posts:
JustLikea · 04/12/2021 12:35

There are times you need to be gracious and thankful when someone has bought you what they thought was a lovely gift and bite your tongue. This was one of those times.

Original poster
fmama · 04/12/2021 12:44

@Coviddy

Op you sound miserable and down on your husband. If dp bought me these I'd say 'thanks, how thoughtful you know I like these!'

Did you say 'how much were they? Where did you buy them?' and then tell him off?

If I happened to find out the price and we weren't skint I'd say 'woah bit spenny babe! What a treat. Maybe we'll not make a habit of buying from there!' and then enjoy my evening.

Can't imagine starting a thread to prove my husband wrong.

It really wasn't an attack on him, at least I didn't think so (and he wouldn't have felt attacked either - he knows I love them). Of course my poor choice of words didn't help. Perhaps if I titled the thread "HOW MUCH WOULD YOU CHARGE FOR THIS BOUQUET" and made the focus about how much people think the flowers are worth, and forget the backstory about how it was DH who bought them with DC's money? And of course I could also not start anything on Mumsnet, ignore the price and just enjoy the flowers. But I honestly thought this thread was great! Very much appreciated all the comments and it's great to have a cross section of opinions. Also learnt to be even more appreciative and gentle with DH. If my biggest issue with DH this weekend is him buying overpriced flowers I think he's doing well (and he'll know this too) FlowersFlowersFlowers
OP posts:
chesirecat99 · 04/12/2021 13:06

That isn't great for £55. As PPs have said, it is partly down to your DH's choice of flowers, but I don't think it has been arranged with great care and skill. I've had far nicer bouquets for less money from the same stall and the florist was amazing,.

I've had similar bouquets delivered from a florist not far from Liberty for around £35 including free Central London delivery.

I think your DH should refund your DC and let them buy another gift for you instead. What was he thinking of letting them raid their piggy banks and spend every last penny in possibly the most expensive florist in the most expensive part of town?

Coviddy · 04/12/2021 13:26

Glad to hear it op. Enjoy the lovely flowers and the rest of your weekend

Oblomov21 · 04/12/2021 13:27

Think it's really poor. The flowers are getting lost. Some of the foliage is too tall. I think is overpriced and not good.

Da1sycha1n · 04/12/2021 13:31

£55 Angry I know anemones are expensive and it's very early in their season, so they're at their dearest but £55! Roadside wankers!!

They'd look a LOT better if you can make the foliage a bit shorter, and have less of it. Then the flowers become the focus as they should be.

Take some of the foliage out, it's lovely eucalyptus parvi and will last all over Christmas so do something else with it - stick it in a wreath, make smaller little jars of it or even keep it in water to just lay it along the table at Christmas (sorry, huge assumption that you celebrate it). It even keeps it's leaves and looks good when it's 'dead' ie. dried out. It's also really expensive now because of its' longevity and popularity, bit it's too 'heavy' for the anemones and there's far too much of it.

Once the anemones have opened up more they'll look amazing and will also last ages - change the water every couple of days and trim the stems at the same time.

Worth doing all of the above to get your/DH/DCs moneys worth!!

I'm a (retired) florist so this is all god advice!!

ImInStealthMode · 04/12/2021 13:37

£55!! If they last until Christmas I'd perhaps start to think they were approaching good value.

DP buys me a bunch every month and after about 6 months I had to have a gentle word; he was spending £30-£40 a time from the florist near his work and although they were beautiful bouquets honestly I was lucky if they lasted 4 or 5 days. I was horrified at him wasting his money on them.

Now he gets them from the supermarket unless it's a special occasion (in which case he goes to a different florist). I had a lovey little spray of roses from Morrisons a while back that lasted almost 3 weeks, and they were £2 on a yellow sticker.