Flowers 101: Blooming months and average prices

Once a girl gets engaged, she usually goes out and immediately buys a bridal magazine. Open one and you'll find gorgeous bouquets that you'll want to mimic for yourself -- but beware! Many flowers have specific blooming months and a lot of times they will not overlap, but in expensive photo shoots anything goes. November bride? Peonies are a lost cause. Peonies in May and June? Instantly available and way more affordable than off-months.

Price

Some flowers are notoriously expensive, others it depends on the time of the year. I found this great list of average prices, and I'll include pictures if you haven't heard of some of these flower (and non-traditional flower) types.

Most expensive: >$10 per stem

1. Callas Lilies -- mini & regular

2. Casablanca Lilies

3. Garden Roses

4. Hydrangea

5. Lily of the Valley

6. Orchids (A. Cymbidiums, B. Cattleyas, C. Phalaenopsis -- typical orchid)

Medium Price: $5-10 per stem

1. Dahlias

2. Fern Fronds (monkey tail)

3. French Tulips

4. Gardenia

5. Glorisa Lilies (isn't that interesting?)

6. Orchids (A. Dendrobiums, B. Mokaras, C. Oncidiums)

7. Peonies

8. Pincushion Protea

9. Succulents

10. Viburnum

Least Expensive: < $5 per stem

1. Anemones

2. Asiatic Lilies

3. Bells of Ireland

4. Carnations

5. Craspedia (Billy Balls)

6. Freesia

7. Gerber Daisies

8. Gladiolas

9. Grape Hyacinth (Muscari)

10. Green Fuji Mums

11. Hyacinth

12. Hypericum Berries

13. Larkspur

14. Lisianthus

15. Phlox

16. Poppies

17. Ranunculus

18. Roses

19. Scabiosa

20. Snapdragons

21. Stephanotis

22. Stock

23. Sunflowers

24. Sweetpeas

25. Tulips

26. Tweedia

Blooming months

Different flowers are available in different seasons. However, if you're willing to pay the price, you can almost get just about anything any time of the year, but it will likely be shipped in from another country. The #1 way to keep your flower budget down is to select blooms in season! Note: these listings below are not completely strict; my wedding is June 18 but I will be using a lot of Spring category flowers but they may be near the end of their blooming period near my wedding date.

Spring

Apple or cherry blossoms 
Daffodils 
Dogwoods 
Forsythia branches 
Hyacinth 
Iris 
Larkspur 
Lilies 
Lilacs 
Lily of the Valley 
Pansies 
Peonies 
Sweet Peas 
Tulips 

Summer

Asters 
Calla Lilies 
Dahlias 
Daisies 
Delphinium 
Geraniums 
Hydrangeas 
Iris 
Jacobs ladder 
Larkspur 
Queen Anne’s lace 
Roses 
Shasta daises
Stock 
Sunflower   
Zinnias 

Fall

Asters 
Chrysanthemums 
Zinnias 
Gerbera daisies 
Marigolds 
Roses 
Sunflowers

Winter

Amaryllis 
Camellias 
Forget-me-nots 
Jasmine 
Orchids 
Poinsettias
Holly