Now's the best time to buy your Valentine's Day flowers - how to save on your bouquet

If you’re planning on buying your partner Valentine’s Day flowers, the first week of February is probably the best time to get your order in. Buying early saves you money and the embarrassment of coming home with a sad little limp bouquet of supermarket flowers you picked up from the reduced section the night before (or morning of, let’s face it).

Read on to find out exactly why buying early makes sense, which flowers are actually in season in February (hint: not roses, shockingly), and how to save extra on your bouquets.

When should you buy Valentine’s flowers?

The best time to get your Valentine’s Day flowers ordered is about two weeks before Valentine’s Day. The closer we get to the 14th of February, the more people rush to buy last-minute flowers, and the more florists pay for shipments. These costs end up getting passed on to you, so you pay more too.

Also, early buyers typically get the freshest batches. Closer to Valentine’s Day, florists have to rely on whatever’s leftover to put their flowers together, particularly when shipments are delayed and demand for last-minute flowers is sky high.

Basically, buying early = cheaper, better flowers.

Getting the freshest Valentine’s Day flowers – go seasonal

This may come as a shock, but roses aren’t actually in season in the UK in February. The bare root rose bushes at your parents’ house might have given that bit away.

That said, roses are a Valentine’s Day classic, which is why florists import them from places where they are in season, usually far flung locations closer to the equator like Kenya and Ecuador. This mad dash to import roses makes them extra expensive and hard to keep fresh.

The good news is that you can get plenty of gorgeous seasonal flowers right here in the UK. They include:

• Camellias – unlike roses, they bloom around February; they’re a great option as they actually look quite similar to roses.

• Chrysanthemums - long‑lasting and reliable winter blooms that are in season in February, making them an easy, great‑value choice for bouquets.

• Daffodils – grown in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, they’re fresh, scented and a classic February flower in the UK.

• Tulips – widely grown in UK glasshouses and in peak form in February; a bright, sustainable alternative to imported roses.

• Winter honeysuckle – these creamy white, sweet‑smelling flowers bloom right through February; perfect if you want something fragrant and a little unexpected.

Seasonal flowers tend to be cheaper and can make beautiful bouquets on their own, or in combination with roses if you want to go down the traditional route.

How to save on your Valentine’s Day flowers with Bloom & Wild

If you’re a thinkmoney SmartPlus customer, you can get 13% off your Valentine’s Day flowers with Bloom & Wild when you use PlusSave^. PlusSave is super easy to use; you just go to your thinkmoney app, tap PlusSave, and buy a discounted gift card from your chosen retailer, in this case Bloom & Wild. Then just pay with the gift card when you check out. Done.

Bloom & Wild happen to have some absolutely gorgeous choices on offer right now.

We took a little peak and found:

• The Anna (£26) - the cheapest option on our list, the Anna is made up of seasonal favourites like powdery alstroemeria.

• The Nyla (£34) - a gorgeous mix of roses and chrysanthemums, the best of both worlds with in-season buds and a Valentine’s Day classic.

• The Parina (£34) – a mix of British grown tulips with the bulbs attached, so you can replant them and enjoy them the following spring.

• The Dominique (£54) - a burst of colour with a mix of roses, and seasonal favourites like chrysanthemums, carnations, and eucalyptus.

• The Avelina (£56) – for those who want a classic Valentine’s bouquet, these flowers come in shades of red and include roses, tulips, alstroemeria, and cordyline to name a few.

You can save 13% on your Valentine’s Day flowers with PlusSave, which means a £56 bouquet would effectively cost you around £48, freeing up some cash for a card and maybe some chocolates too.

The flowers from Blood & Wild arrive in bud and then bloom over the next 48 hours, giving you time to gift them and enjoy them at their best. Plus, if you don’t want to spend extra on the card, they have free Valentine’s Day options to choose from with your order. Win-win.

^Offers are subject to change and may vary. Check the thinkmoney app for the latest offers.