I saw some dried at a craft store for about $7.00 a bloom. I think that the wholesale price of the fresh was around $3.50-$4.00 per bloom when I worked at the florist. If that helps any.

Flowers are a commodity; therefore, price fluctuates. And, of course, it always depends on supply and demand. One has to also consider which cultivar. Are they the huge blue hydrangea growing everywhere on Martha's Vineyard where thieves in the night cut them, and truck them into New York where they sell them to unsuspecting florists? Are they a common variety hydrangeas? And where do you intend to sell them? Without all these considerations, the $3.50, $4.00 and $7.00 price suggestion becomes moot.

I saw some as grower's bunch at my local Costco yesterday. 3 to a bunch, without fillers, nice size. So I'd figure $2.50-3 each. Costco usually brings a 20-30% markup on their wholesale prices, but their wholesale price might be a lot lower than what most florists can get from their wholesalers.

It really depends on whom you're selling to and the quality of your cuts.

Sorry

What are you apologizing for lmariesteve? You offered your input based on your experience and that's what contributing is all about. You have no need to be sorry.

lmariesteve,

don't be apologetic, your info is still pretty valuable since it provides a price range.

Does anyone else here use warehouse club stores to gauge prices? I always hear that Costco does a standard 20-30% markup on all their goods except for their store brands, though I'd imagine the price reflects shipping and warehousing costs. I always found their prices and quality to be very good, esp. on orchids.

"Does anyone else here use warehouse club stores to gauge prices? I always hear that Costco does a standard 20-30...." Flower farming is a business. Like other professional businesses, we belong to organizations that are relevant to growing cutflowers. And, as it always seems to happen, people also gravitate toward other individuals with like minded interests. Many of our friends are also in this profession. Much information is shared -- including pricing. Never would any of us consider comparing costs at stores such as Costco, Sam's Club, Walmart or whatever named discount store you can think of. Nor would we post the question on an internet message board. The original question was pretty vague.

Flowerfarmer, you sound angry which I don't understand. This is the "Cutting Garden" forum. Not everyone is an experienced professional grower. I asked the original question because there are many variables involved. I just wanted some general idea of the price range. Thanks everyone for sharing your info. I do appreciate it.

Ahhh, Butter, you need to cut FF some slack. Flower growers operating on 4 hours sleep and working their butts off the other 20 are not warm, fuzzy people. If I offended you, I apologize. I actually think you should sell your hydrangea for $7/stem; and, I think you should come set up across from us at market. BTW, where are you selling your flowers? Your Member Page is blank.

My wife's name is Annabelle, made her feel good to read your prices. I donated a half doz. with sweet peas, couple of daylillies to a good friend, owner of an eatery/brewery, got a banana cream pie in return. Expensive pie! hee, Doug

But it was the BEST banana cream pie, Doug. :)

FF, are you planning for Butterflylion to set up as a cooperative or as the competition? ;)

At any rate, BFL, I can't give you much help on this. It's been years since I've bought fresh hydrangeas. I sell my hydrangeas retail in arrangements, not in growers bunches or bouquets at a farmers market or wholesale. For what it's worth, factored out, they're probably bringing $5-7 each, so a wholesale price of $2.50-4.00, depending upon quality, etc., wouldn't be unreasonable. That being said, before I would buy them, I would know I have a client who wants them, so I would know they wouldn't go to waste, and I would know I would be getting twice what I paid for them. If I had to buy them at a market, maybe $3-5, again depending upon the quality, etc. If I were using them in my home, I don't know how much I would be willing to pay; I've never bought fresh hydrangeas strictly for my own use.

Also, the kick-butt big intense blues bring more than the whites, except when they don't. :) For me, the pinks are the joker; I never know how they're going to go.

You know, I think I'll set up an auto-key that types "It depends" and get it over with.

Ray

Well, sorry to have offended you, it was not intentional. I don't grow to sell and I remember some people here who buy planting stock at Costco. People who shop at Costco there seems to me a similar demographic as people who might buy farmer's market flowers (upper income, interested in good quality and good value), so it seems to me a fair question.

When I said "gauge" prices, I meant gauge wholesale prices, not price to beat.

I know they're WAY expensive in January! A WEALTHY client was planning her daughter's January wedding, they wanted "ice blue" hydrangeas (from their upscale florist in Dallas), and even the client's family couldn't do too many of those. I was hired to make a small acknowledgement-of-the-wedding bouquet for our home church, so the client told me the wedding colors. I had nothing to do w/ the wedding flowers. I didn't have to come up w/ an ice blue hydrangea for the bouquet I made--good thing! But, I found & used metalic blue/purple trachelium,(to substitute for the hydrangea) bells of Ireland, and creamy white spray roses. VERY pretty, for my part!

My first forays to sell flowers in Dallas a few years ago I took some garden pink hydrangeas from my m-i-l's garden, that we all thought were beautiful. I was asking $3.50-5.00 per stem, got no takers. (It was a bad, sad day, but good learning experince.) Then one of the florists took out a pure white hydrangea head from her cooler to show me what she gets from her wholesaler. That bloom was double the size of my pink ones, and in PERFECT condition. (I thought "mine" were, but not compared to that white one.) I think she got that one for $5.00 from her wholesaler. Maybe less? Can't remember for sure, except her's was bigger & better than mine, for similar or less cost.

That's all I know about pricing hydrangeas for sale to anybody. I am VERY slowly acquiring more plants for my own home/ future flower sale use, but acquisitions are at a snail's pace.

Good luck w/ your sales.

Susi

IF your hydranges are slow selling, I know people LOVE hydranges wreaths, so make some up at let them dry and sell at a fall craft mart of for CHristmas. MY hydrangeas are just getting marketable now. DAughter go thte hydranges bug 3 yrs ago so I planted my entry garden to all differnt varieties. IT is so gorgeous rightnow! THe deer got in and gfot the oakleaf ones chewed down to bare stems, but button's and bows had tuned royal purple and withe instead of red and white ...I have a blue lace vap, a couple of brilliant sky blues (don't remember the names but not Nikko.) I also have a Limelight---deer worked on it too. and a big white lace vap with a blue center. OR my 3 nikkos planted in another border that I thought was very acid, one is purple, one is pink and the other is somewhere beteween blue and pink...gotta hit them with some acid food! THey are in their second year from a Wayside sale.

Thank you for all your input regarding the hydrangea prices. It has been a real eye opener for me since I have been selling mine for $1.00 per stem to a couple local florist.
I have 6 very large bushes along side my house that never bloomed until 10 years ago. The former homeowner planted them back in the 1960's and didn't know they had flowers. She had them trimmed back every year when they started to bud because she hated the bees.When we moved in & they bloomed, I was overwhelmed with people knocking at my door wanting flowers.
I have no maintenance except when it is time to cut the flowers to sell. Most of the blooms are very large and are white that turn to a pink/rose color in the fall. I am wondering how to sell to more florist and raise my prices to existing customers. I wish I knew what wholesale would be in my area. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Here's what prices are in Chicago
http://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/HX_FV201.txt

Here is a link that might be useful: AMS USDA cut flower report Chicago

Thank you for the website for Chicago. It really helps alot and I am definitely raising my prices.
We'll see how it goes and how much is left after "harvesting". :) Can't beleive that it is almost September......