To think £15 for 10 Tulips is a rip off?

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Just went to my local independent florist. Wasn’t sure what I wanted so I said my budget is £25. Florist said you won’t get much for that, so you’re probably best going for some Tulips. I said okay sure.

She wrapped them up in some paper. 10 tulips for £15!

It's January.... So no actually. Not a rip off imho

Well, if you had ever planted, cared for, grown, harvested and transported tulips you'd know just how cheap that is!

It's only a rip off if you're comparing it to cheap supermarket/ petrol station flowers. From a florist it's pretty standard.

Flowers are expensive.

Seasonality is a thing, OP. If you want tulips in January you are going to have to pay.

In consolation, most flowers from independent florists will outlast cheap petrol station flowers by ages in my experience.

It varies. Independent florists aren't cheap. I got about 7 for £3 in Sainsbury's. When I bought some blueberry plants from Parkers online they sent me a free bag of 25 tulip bulbs to plant.

What people don't understand about tulips is that the growers harvest each bulb just once. So every new flower is a new bulb bought and planted the season before.

YABU for buying tulips in January!

Tulips in January have been planted for a year, grown in a greenhouse, picked by hand and transported from a different country. But you think £1.50 each is expensive? People have really lost any connection with agriculture.

£3.50 in Marks and Spencers today so yes yanbu

But surely then the florist should have recommended something else? OP didn't go in specifically for tulips.

She didn’t ask for tulips, the florist said they were the only flowers in her budget!

People have really lost any connection with agriculture.

On a thread about a rip off florist? That is truly peak Mumsnet, @KrisAkabusi. 😂 And whoever gave a lesson on the tulip's lifecycle, FFS.

YANBU, OP. Any florist who says you won't "get much for £25" is being unreasonable. Unless you're in some crazily expensive part of London, perhaps.

What a dismissive and unprofessional approach to a customer.

You’re a florist I take it?

No? So do you have any idea of the business running costs of said florist? Do you know anything about the tulips on offer? Because tulips range in quality and value massively. Double tulips/parrott tulips/unusual colours all bloom once so are much more expensive to grow. Not like species tulips which will come back year after year but have tiny heads and would look naff in a bouquet.

You get what you pay for. If you want a cheap handbag you wouldn’t walk into Louis Vitton and moan there was nothing for a tenner.

I've just had a look on my local florist's website. The only things under £30 are tulips or tulips and lavender. All the other blooms are more expensive for a bouquet rather than just a single stem.

So the florist was probably right, for a maximum of £25, tulips are the best option.

Most of our flowers come from the Netherlands (I love loitering when the trucks do their deliveries to the florist on the corner) and since Brexit that has meant higher costs. With energy prices high as well, anything raised in a heated greenhouse will cost more than it used to.

Why would a florist suggest specialty tulips to someone with a limited budget, @RandomButtons?

I'm not a florist. I buy a fair amount of flowers from excellent local florists, various florists in other countries for delivery, and from supermarkets. I have a pretty good idea of value and how to treat a customer with £25 to spend.

I bought 8 tulips for £5 from my local florist this morning.

I'm surprised there was nothing else available for £25. I buy my dad flowers from our local florist on payday every month. I spend £20-30 and have always walked away with something I'd consider nicer than 10 tulips!

I feel for you. Just bought two bunches of ten yesterday for 10 euros. But, yes, in the Netherlands. 🌷🌷🌷lucky me

I agree it's a shame, OP. Would love to support more independent businesses, but they have priced most people out. Most independent florists probably wouldn't survive if it wasn't for weddings and funerals; because they overcharge for those they think they can overcharge for everything.

That's expensive, independent florists are pricing themselves out of business.

I find it weird the florist would suggest this to you to be honest, I think a nicer mixed bouquet could be pulled together for £25?

That's pretty poor of them! I said that at Christmas and got a lovely bouquet, wrapped beautifully. And I live in London so London price! Not the most exotic blooms i grant you but still looked very pretty.
You could get 8 tulips for a fiver at supermarkets now.

My florist´s website says 10 tulips are 25 euros, VAT included. So, no I don´t think it is a ripoff.

Fair point.

I will happily admit it’s been years since I bought from a florist, I can’t justify the price for something that lasts maybe two weeks.

I do however spend far too much on bulbs and plants for my garden, so I very much appreciate the investment and energy required to grow nice flowers.