BARGAINS : FLOWERS CHEAPER BY THE BUNCH.

Byline: Trisha King & Deborah Newmark

Anyone who loves fresh flowers should treat themselves now and then to a bouquet or two. If it's been awhile since you've bought, or better yet, received fresh flowers, you'll find a great selection at Allen's Wholesale Flower Mart.

For example, most places charge $5 to $7 a stem for fragrant stargazers, but you can buy them in bunches of 10 stems at Allen's Wholesale Flower Mart for $25, which works out to $2.50 a stem.

Allen's Wholesale Flower Mart is a full-service floral shop with prices that are lower or competitive with other florists. The wholesale prices are good only when you buy flowers by the bunch (located in a designated section of the store). Flowers are available in single stems but are priced close to retail.

Shoppers should know that prices are adjusted according to prices charged by growers. For instance, two weeks ago, the stargazers mentioned above were $12.50 a bunch.

Other flowers priced in bunches of 10 were alstroemeria for $5 ($1.50 to $2 per stem retail) and spider mums with protective netting on the blooms for $9 ($3.50 to $6 a stem elsewhere). Asiatic lilies were $6 ($3 to $4 retail per stem), and gladiolus were $10 instead of $2 to $4 each elsewhere. Sunflowers are currently five stems for $5, and two dozen cardinal roses run $15.

If you'd like, the staff will arrange your flower bunches so that all you have to do is plop them in a vase when you get home (bunches of roses are excluded). Speaking of vases, anyone planning a function can save an additional 20 percent when buying vases by the case. For example, vases of cobalt blue glass that sell normally for $5.99 ($7 or more elsewhere) would be $4.79 when purchasing a case of nine ($43.13 for the case).

Allen's Wholesale Flower Mart is at 21702 Sherman Way (at Owensmouth Avenue), Canoga Park, [phone]; and at 18500 Sherman Way (at Reseda Boulevard), Reseda; [phone]. Hours for the Canoga Park location are 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Store hours for the Reseda location are 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. All major credit cards accepted.

Inside info

Fantasy 2000 will frame your 36-by-24-inch picture in a choice of colored metals and assemble it with glass, cardboard backing and wire at a cost of $28.95 (retail $40). Fantasy 2000 is at 14901 Magnolia Blvd., Sherman Oaks; [phone]. Hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.

The Big, the Bad & the Beautiful, a store that specializes in clothing for women sizes 14 to Super (for those weighing more than 500 pounds), is having a sale on selected summer merchandise. While supplies last, you can purchase a dress for $35 (retail $89), vests for $20 ($40 retail) and pants and tops at 50 percent off. The Big, the Bad & the Beautiful is at 19225 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana; [phone]. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.