Plants and flowers need warmth and water. The costs for this have risen sharply in recent times. The current mild winter is only helping temporarily and soon greenhouses and garden centers will have to be heated. FOCUS online says what will change for you in garden maintenance in spring and on Valentine’s Day.
Electricity and gas prices are rising. Right at the beginning of the new year, a number of energy suppliers raised their prices. This affects not only private households, but also entrepreneurs.
The prices for energy and electricity have roughly doubled within half a year, said Tobias Muschalek from the State Horticulture Association. Some companies are heavily burdened and have already reduced the area to be heated or have had to lay off employees. Many businesses had also adjusted their opening times to respond to falling demand and cut costs.
The current mild weather is still playing into the hands of the nurseries.
“For the early bloomers, heating is not yet necessary at temperatures between five and ten degrees,” explained Muschalek. But it will be even colder in the coming weeks and some plants will need a lot more warmth. Added to this is the energy for the water pumps.
Retailers and large companies will incur additional expenses as a result. These costs could certainly not be passed on to consumers in full, but prices would certainly increase compared to last year, confirms Muschalek.
According to information from FOCUS online, wholesalers are already planning significant price increases for cut flowers. That would have a direct impact on Valentine’s Day. In January 2022, the prices for roses, tulips and lilies had risen by a third compared to the previous year. That could happen again this year.
Consumers should get used to rising prices in plant and flower shops.
If you want to save on plants and flowers, you should opt for perennials instead of annuals in the garden center. Although these are a bit expensive in comparison, once they are planted in the garden or on the balcony, they will delight flower lovers for several years.
With annual plants and flowers, you have to reckon with having to dispose of them again at the end of the gardening season.
If you want to buy flowers online, you should compare prices and look for vouchers and coupons when paying.
You will usually find the first offers in stores from the beginning of February. The large discounters such as Aldi Süd, Aldi Nord, Lidl or Netto Marken-Discount will then follow with corresponding offers from the beginning of March. Demand will also increase in garden centers from mid-March.
Flower bulbs can usually be bought now. It is therefore helpful to start thinking now about how colorful you want your garden to be in spring. However, prices are now slowly rising. The best time to buy flower bulbs is usually in autumn, when demand dwindles.
If you have a larger garden, you should also collect rainwater to water the flowers. Drinking water is significantly more expensive in comparison. You can collect the rainwater in a rain barrel. Any hardware store can help you with this.
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