The Year Round Truth About Seasonal Flowers

I know this tip about using seasonal flowers to save money is so commonplace now it’s starting to sound silly… Actually, it is silly…very silly. On the surface it sounds smart and who doesn’t want to be smart about their wedding flowers.

Before I get into this, there are some who want seasonal flowers because they want flowers that go with the natural landscape of the location they’re getting married at. This is excellent for a casual or formal garden wedding.

In your mind’s eye picture an August wedding here in New England where avid gardener’s yards are chock full of colorful blooming annuals and perennials such as Delphinium, Snapdragons, Queen Anne’s lace, Hydrangea, and Lilies or a Springtime garden of clear bright Tulips, Daffodils and Blue Iris. So, in this case, bold tropicals such as Anthurium, Birds of paradise and Cymbidium Orchids (one of my absolute faves by the way) would not be appropriate for a wedding in keeping with this natural settings flora.

First let’s figure out what the heck seasonal flowers are anyway?

Simply put they are flowers that have a season. They are flower types that are not available year-round because they require specific growing conditions, for instance, a long cold dormant period. These flowers are more coveted because their presence is temporary.

Blooms such as Hyacinth in the early spring or white Narcissus in late winter are great examples of seasonal flowers. And because of that good old-fashioned economic principle of supply and demand these seasonal blooms are …. you guessed it! More expensive$.

The great news though is that truly seasonal flowers are few and far between these days. Tulips and Peonies used to be fairly seasonal but because they have become so adored far and wide, growers have popped up around the globe to meet the demand.

Now I’m going to make things more complicated because it’s fun, right?

Learning is fun!

**Nature-scape with botanicals sourced from the garden on a July day**

Where does the mix-up lie?

It’s true that local Peonies here in NH are in season the month of June give or take a week. This year they were a little late because of cold and rain early in the month. So in this instance they are less expensive than Peonies sourced from outside the local area and outside that time frame. However, even with wider availability Peonies are still pricier than flowers grown more reliably year round (non seasonal flowers). Perhaps that is where the mix-up lies.

It’s also good to know that any flower that is considered seasonal may not be available the week of your wedding. A knowledgeable florist will make sure all parties are aware of this and have great options up their sleeve so there will be no crushed expectations on the day of the wedding.

Value is the key.

What’s super important to mention here even more than cost is value, and this is key. The size and color saturation of a bloom lends more to its value than the cost of it does. Think of a single large Dahlia blossom compared to a grouping of tiny lavender blossoms-both pricey but one clearly holds more visual impact, therefore more value.

Boy, this is enough to make anyone’s head spin.

The bottom line is this:

Year-round flowers are less expensive and more reliably available than seasonal flowers. Silver lining: Gads and gads of wonderful blooms are available year-round in a rainbow of colors. Sorry for the corniness. I couldn’t help it.

Because there are so many of these reliable steadfast beauties the list would be too long to include here. I’d need more memory space on my computer and I have no idea how to do that.

When you find your florist, someone you trust wholeheartedly, let them put their expertise to work for you. You can then rest easy knowing that there are blooms that are stunning, perfectly beautiful, and just meant to be picked and placed in that exquisite bouquet of yours!

Have questions about flowers? Leave a comment. I’d love to answer them for you!