Flowers on Valentine’s Day are like fireworks on the Fourth of July.

Flowers don’t need to be expensive though. And to some, flowers just don’t need to be.

Dick Richards, owner of Richards Flower Shop on North Mantua Street, said that flowers can be relatively cheap.

Richards explained that flowers like daisies or miniature carnations are beautiful and also economic. Miniature carnations, for example, cost only a couple dollars and have three to four buds on each stem. Carnations and daisies also have a long vase-life.

But if asked to give suggestions for flower-buyers, Richards said he leaves it to his customers.

“I would suggest getting what the recipient likes,” he said.

Matthew Kubit, junior visual communications design major, said he is willing to get his girlfriend whatever it is she likes, regardless of the price or occasion.

“Flowers probably drop like 90 percent the week after,” Kubit said. “I’d rather give (my girlfriend) six dozen of what she likes instead of one dozen on Valentine’s Day for the same price.”

Kubit’s girlfriend Jessica Catlett, a sophomore visual communications design major, wouldn’t mind what kind of flowers she received. Catlett said, regardless the type of flower, the gesture would still be meaningful. She said she doesn’t care how much Kubit decides to spend on her.

If flowers become part of this Valentine’s Day for students, most florists’ Web sites give tips on how to care for flowers. For example, one site suggests keeping flowers away from direct sunlight and using the floral food that normally comes with a flower purchase. This will help them last longer.

Kubit said he was unsure about a flower purchase for Valentine’s Day, but Catlett won’t be left empty-handed. Kubit said he purchased monster truck tickets for the two of them.

Contact student finance reporter Sarah Steimer at [email protected].