The Least Expensive Flowers

Flowers, whether grown as plants in the garden border or used cut to fill a table vase, tend to be less expensive to acquire when they are easy to grow or fast-growing. The seasonality of the flower also has a direct influence on the ability of a plant to grow and flower based on the time of year and climate. In garden trends, flowers that are "common" are less expensive then newly developed plants with a special feature, such as a new flower color. Flowers in high demand or in low supply in the marketplace cost more.

Annual Garden Plants

When it comes to ease of growth and diminished costs of flowers, choose plants that grow from seed or are commonly grown and sold by plant nurseries. Annuals, plants that germinate and flower within one growing season, are fast-growing and relatively easy to raise in your own flower garden. They may be raised from seed or purchased as growing seedlings from a garden center in spring. Examples include cosmos, petunia, zinnia or wax begonia.

Perennial Garden Plants

Perennial plants, those that die back each winter but come back each spring year after year, also can be inexpensive because they can be divided and transplanted to make more plants. Daffofil, peony, purple coneflower, black-eyed Susans and bearded iris are prime examples of plants that abundantly flower each year and can be dug up and divided.

Woody Garden Plants

Woody plants, such as trees and shrubs, normally cost more than annuals and perennials since they take more time and energy to reproduce and grow to a sellable size. However, more common shrubs and trees, which vary by climatic region, are less expensive than those selections that are rare, new to the market or take years to reach a size when they will produce flowers. Lilacs and crabapples are lovely flowering plants and may be less expensive than a rhododendron or dogwood. Even within a plant type, such as roses, there is great variation in plant costs based on ease of culture or societal values associated with a certain flower color.

Cut Flowers

Much like the costs associated with garden plants, cut-flower prices are lower for more common flower types, or those that are much easier and cheaper to produce. Carnations are produced with fewer resources than long-stemmed roses. Tropical cut flowers cost more because of transportation costs, particularly in non-tropical regions. Conversely, in the tropics, a non-tropical flower such as a tulip or azalea may cost more than a local bouquet of anthurium or heliconia.

Keywords: inexpensive plants, seasonality, fast-growing plants

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