More people are buying flowers and are opting for more expensive blooms and plants, according to new figures from the Dutch florists association VBW.

Sales rose 5.4% in the first six months of this year, compared with the year earlier period. It is the third year in a row that sales have gone up, following years of decline at the height of the financial crisis.

Almost four in 10 of the under 40s regularly buy flowers and there is significant room for growth in this sector, the organisation said. ‘In particular, green plants are totally in,’ VBW director Marco Maasse said.

The internet also offers great for potential for growth, Maasse said. Some 11% of flowers sold in the Netherlands are bought online.

Men currently account for slightly more purchases than women. Birthdays top the list of reasons to buy flowers, followed closely by ‘just because’.