Guys, here's help choosing Valentine flowers
The global economic downturn that has touched so many areas of society now threatens romance. Valentine’s Day approaches, the day when Cupid meets commerce, and even the poorest of paramours is expected to pony up with a present.
To help bail out these bankrupt beaus, the website Saved by the Bud has created a new section, Buds on a Budget, filled with affordable floral gift ideas for cash strapped suitors.
Saved by the Bud is a free, information-rich site from the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center (NFBIC) in Danby, Vt. It’s a lifeline for clueless guys offering the hows, whys, and ways of using the power of flowers to communicate with girls.
The site is particularly useful during the ramp-up to V-Day when statistics from the Society of American of Florists (SAF) show that more than 60 percent of Valentine flower purchases are made by men each year, despite their accounting for a mere 22 percent of floral purchases year-round.
The Buds on a Budget section of Saved by the Bud dispenses with fluff and focuses on the floral essentials. “It’s the buds, not the bucks that count,” says the site.
Tips include choosing one, fabulous perfect flower over a bulked up bouquet. Properly presented, “One or two wisely chosen stems can be just as cool a gift as two dozen -- if your presentation is charming.”
Other tips include raiding mom or grandma’s house for cool, economical vases and using found objects as creative containers for floral gifts. From steins to baked bean cans, to surprising her with flowers tucked in a coffee cup or by the tub, the site offers ideas that emphasize creativity and thought to impress a gal without busting the budget.
With straight talk and humor, the site reassures inexperienced guys who might be nervous about trying home-made projects. “It might take some arts and crafts efforts. What’s the problem? You’re a kindergarten graduate. Right?”
The site offers extensive information on buying and caring for cut and potted flowers. It also includes a section of how-to videos so even the most horticulturally challenged can learn the ins and outs of floral gifts.
(NOTE: We invite you to visit the main page of the Monitor’s gardening site , where you can find many articles, essays, and blog posts on various garden topics.)
