Shakespeare waxed lyrical about them, so did Robbie Burns, and the Victorians loved them so much they used them to send secret messages. Roses, especially red, have been associated with love and romance since Roman times.
It was only in the Middle Ages though, that red roses and romance became linked with 14th February and despite that date never changing in over 600 years, there will always be a flood of last-minute orders!
In total, a staggering 50 million red roses will be exchanged worldwide on 14th, which incidentally is also the second most popular day for sending cards, over 1 billion in fact, a figure topped only by Christmas.
Floristry Tips from Su Whale
But does the rose have to be red?
All rose colours have meaning, try burgundy for ‘unconscious beauty’ or white for ‘I am worthy of you’ and pink, meaning simply ‘thank you.’
And does it have to be a rose?
It’s not just the red rose which symbolises love, spring flowers are equally meaningful. Red tulips are a ‘declaration of love’ while variegated types say, ‘you have beautiful eyes’ an anemone means ‘expectation’ and as for purple lilac, it stands for no less than ‘first emotions of love.’
So something a little less obvious on offer for the more discerning, and also for those customers who arrive just after the final red rose has left the building, love’s labours will not have been lost.
Images provided by Funnyhowflowersdothat.co.uk
Su Whale is a florist and freelance writer with over twenty-five years' experience in the floristry industry. She is the author and publisher of three best-selling books: Cut Flowers, 4th edition (2020) Cut Foliage, 2nd Edition, (2021) and Houseplants (2019), all bookshelf essentials for the professional florist.
