Someone once said the best things in life are free. While that may be debatable, free flowers are sure to put a smile on anyone's face.
The scoop
Garden guru and author Simon Akeroyd (@simonakeroydgardenwriter) shares how to score free roses.
In an Instagram video, Simon takes you step by step on how to plant your own rosebush.
First, find a 25-centimeter length of healthy stem from a rose. Make a flat cut just below a bud on the lower stem and a diagonal cut sloping away from the bud at the top of the stem.
Fill a pot with peat-free soil and insert the cutting the right way up. Simon suggests doing a second cutting in case the first one fails.
Leave it out over the winter, and in the spring, you should have a new rose bush that you can either plant in your garden or share with a friend who needs cheering up.
"Roses and kindness are both free," Simon wrote in the overlay of the video.
How it's working
Not only is this a great tip for flower lovers to fill their gardens, but it also serves as a beautiful gift as well. It's the gift that keeps on giving. Why buy something when you can get it for free? It saves money and brings joy — what more could you ask for?
While the flower business, roses in particular, thrives on love, it's not always the best for our pockets. The average price of a bouquet of roses was $80 in 2023, per NPR. Simon's hack is a great way to save some money and spread love the old-fashioned way.
🗣️ How often will you be gardening this summer?
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Gardening and growing your own food decreases the demand for mass-produced products that are sent to stores all across the country in dirty energy-fueled trucks that use excessive packaging. Gardening is a way to source all of your fruits and veggies at a much lower cost than you'll find at the grocery store. Not only that, but they'll taste better too, having been on the vine closer to consumption.
Gardeners reap a lot of benefits, including increased exercise, sun exposure, and fiber intake. Those who garden are also notorious for being happier with higher levels of optimism and self-esteem. Who doesn't want to be physically and mentally healthier?
What people are saying
The rose bush hack was very much welcomed, as were Simon's kind sentiments.
"I've done this a few times and it does really work," one follower vouched.
"Rose cuttings are going in all over my garden! Appreciate the joy you spread. Thank you!" praised another.
"Magic!" a third simply said.
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