Roses are red, violets are blue, the cost of living is rising, and flower prices are too. Not only are they costly for customers, but one retailer tells RNZ First Up that Valentine's Day can also be costly for florists.
"All the prices go up massively," she says. "They growers - it's a bit controversial saying this - but they hold products. And so often the products have been sitting there for a while, so it's really old.
"So you're paying really high prices for quite unpredictable products, especially with roses and all of the more traditional flowers that you might buy. Or anything red or pink." On February 13, the eve of Valentine's Day, the United Flower Growers market in the Auckland suburb of Mt Wellington is humming at 5 am.
About 40 buyers sit in what looks like a lecture theatre as flowers are swiftly wheeled through, announced by two auctioneers. The auction runs on a 'Dutch clock' system - where a price comes down until a bidder is happy to pay. "The first person to push the button wins," United Flower Growers chief executive Peter Brown said.
Read more at rnz.co.nz