Bunch, Bouquet or Arrangement - Which Should You Buy and Why?
Flowers make life better, so this year, I hope you’ve made a new year’s resolution to have a flower-filled year. My resolution is to provide you with a year’s worth of information and inspiration on all things floral, to help you be successful with your resolution.
Having flowers in your life can be as simple as picking up some flowers as you pass a corner store and popping them in a glass of water when you get home. That definitely helps fulfill the goal of having a flower-filled year, but to keep that resolution all year long you need to be interested in what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. There’s so much to know about flowers and the floral industry and what you learn can keep you focused on your goal. For the month of January, my blog posts will share with you things I’ve learned over the years that will make buying flowers as easy and as engaging as possible.
When I worked as a florist I quickly learned that when I was asked for a ‘flower arrangement’ I needed to clarify with the customer that what they wanted was their flowers in a vase. More often than not, the answer was no (meaning an ‘arrangement’ was not what they wanted). Knowing the proper terminology is key.
Bunch, bouquet or arrangement, while different from each other, all have their own benefits and reasons for why you should buy them. Here’s what you need to know:
BUNCH:
A ‘bunch’ of flowers is a selection of fresh cut flowers, with or without greenery, that has been loosely wrapped or tied together, with no time having been spent on arranging them.
You’ll typically find bunches of flowers - like chrysanthemums, carnations, alstroemerias, and lilies - sold at the grocery or corner store. Seasonal flowers such as daffodils, tulips, sweetpeas, and peonies are also commonly sold in a bunch.
Reasons to buy a bunch of flowers:
Flowers bought by the bunch usually cost less than a bouquet or arrangement as you’re not paying for the florist’s time to arrange them.
Buying a bunch of flowers gives you the opportunity to be creative. Once you get them home, you get to choose what vase or container you want to put them in and arrange them any way you like.
BOUQUET:
A bouquet is a group of carefully arranged fresh cut flowers, with or without foliage. They’re usually wrapped in paper and tied with a ribbon. No vase is included.
Reasons to buy a bouquet:
When buying a bouquet, you’re paying for the flowers and time spent arranging them, but you don’t need to pay for a vase.
A wrapped bouquet is all ready to go and easy for you to carry home or deliver.
When you receive a bouquet, you get a chance to use one of the pretty vases or containers you already have.
FLOWER ARRANGEMENT:
A flower arrangement is a group of flowers and foliage that have been arranged in a container.
Reasons to buy a flower arrangement:
There’s no need to find a vase to put the flowers in and you don’t need to spend time arranging the flowers yourself. The arrangement comes completely finished.
It’s perfect for gift giving. A flower arrangement makes a great hostess gift, or if you’re visiting someone in the hospital.
My Top Tip:
When ordering flowers, ask your florist what’s in the cooler. That’s where the most recently delivered flowers will be. Just the other day I was at the grocery store and wanted some lilies. The ones out on display were gorgeous, but they were quite open already so I knew they didn’t have many ‘good days’ left in them. I found the lady working in the floral department and asked if she had any in the cooler. No problem at all, she went and looked and came back with the same gorgeous variety of lilies, but they were only just beginning to open.
Bunch, bouquet, or arrangement - it’s so much more fun to shop when you’re a knowledgeable consumer!
