Emerald Hill is my go-to florist at the South Melbourne Market. One of the largest and the oldest of the Markets, smack bang in the centre.
The prices are excellent, it's not hard to pick up a gorgeous bouquet for around the $10-$20 mark which makes it a perfect stop in for quick gifts or just to brighten up your house for the week.
I was honestly never really one to buy flowers for myself because of how quickly they die, but Emerald Hill got me into a bit of a habit of doing this more often. My favourite flowers are tulips and I can pick up a bunch of unopened tulips here for $10-$12 and they will last for more than a week as they open up on my dining room table.
I do like my simple pleasures, but they also sell larger bouquets and fancier flowers if you need them. If you are buying them for a gift, be sure to tell them this as you pay for them. If you just buy flowers, you'll get them wrapped in whatever tissue paper is laying around (I have had some odd ones including Lego Star Wars and what could only be described as 90's-8-year-old chic). If you let them know you're giving them as a gift, you'll get the prettier paper with bows and trimming - looks very impressive even on a $10 bouquet. That's my hot tip for a cheap but lovely looking gift.
I've been a regular here for years and always been happy with my purchases. read more