Understanding the Price of Blooms
Have you ever picked up a bouquet and thought, “Why does this cost so much?” It’s a fair question, and one we hear often. Flowers may look effortless in a vase, but getting them there is a journey full of time, labor, and care. Let’s take a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into every bloom and why those costs add up.
Photo: Rachel checking dahlias at Bloom Harvest Farm in Southeastern, CT
The Costs of Growing Flowers
Materials
Did you know tulips and daffodils grown as cut flowers are treated as annuals, not perennials? A single dahlia tuber can cost anywhere from $10 to $40. Then there’s the cost of seeds, ranunculus corms, and plants that can only be purchased as cuttings. Add in one to two dump trucks of compost and mulch each year, and the material costs alone start to add up.
Labor
Farming is hard physical work. Even though our farm is open from spring to fall, much of the heavy lifting happens in the colder months. Tasks like digging new beds by hand or shoveling countless wheelbarrows of compost don’t stop in the off-season. To keep things sustainable, we also need to pay ourselves a living wage for this year-round labor.
(Curious about what happens all year? Check out our post: "How We Grow Flowers Year-Round.")
Infrastructure
From greenhouses and low tunnels to refrigeration, infrastructure is critical to growing, protecting, and preserving flowers. These tools come with high upfront and maintenance costs that ensure our blooms are of the highest quality.
Time
Some flowers, like peonies, demand patience, taking three years to produce harvestable blooms. Biennials, another key part of our spring harvest, can spend up to 18 months in the ground before flowering. And then the time it takes for planting and transplanting to weeding, pinching, pest-checking, harvesting, and arranging, every bloom reflects the time and effort behind it.
Education
We are commitment to learning. We’ve invested in training, from regenerative gardening and flower farming courses to floral design, marketing and business management, to ensure we can grow the best blooms and create beautiful arrangements.These courses cost between $200- 1,400 each!
Harvesting Zinnias at our Connecticut flower farm
Design Is Part of the Equation
A bouquet isn’t just a collection of flowers; it’s a thoughtful design. Balancing colors, shapes, and textures takes creativity and a trained eye. For every arrangement, we consider:
Is the composition balanced?
Does the bouquet feel full and lush?
Is the color palette harmonious?
This attention to detail ensures that every bouquet is unique and meaningful.
Business Costs
Running a flower farm is more than just growing blooms—it’s also running a business, which comes with its own set of expenses. These include:
Website and Hosting: Keeping our online presence updated and accessible for customers.
Graphic Design + photo editing programs: Tools to create marketing materials like brochures, social media posts, and more.
Email Marketing Services: Staying connected with our subscribers through newsletters and updates with Flodesk.
Licenses and Fees: Paying for registrations, as well as local town and state fees to operate legally.
Insurance: Protecting our farm.
Utilities: Electricity for grow lights.
These costs ensure we can provide a professional, reliable, and high-quality experience for our customers, from the first inquiry to the final bouquet.
The Value of Local, Sustainable Flowers
Imported flowers might seem more affordable, but their hidden costs tell a different story. These blooms often come with a larger carbon footprint, shorter vase life, and sometimes unethical labor practices.
Local flowers, like ours, offer so much more:
Fresher blooms. Our flowers are harvested at peak freshness, ensuring vibrant colors and longer vase life.
Sustainability. We grow without harmful chemicals, protecting pollinators and the environment. This means we don’t spray with our weeds or bugs— we do the work of pulling weeds and removing bugs by hand.
Community support. Every purchase supports a local business, keeping your dollars in the community and promoting sustainable farming practices.
Why It’s Worth It
When you buy flowers, you’re not just paying for the blooms—you’re investing in the care, time, and effort it takes to grow them. You’re supporting a craft, a farm, and a way of life that values quality over shortcuts.
Flowers elevate every moment, whether you’re celebrating a milestone or brightening an ordinary day. By choosing locally grown blooms, you’re choosing something meaningful: beauty, sustainability, and a connection to your community.
