Flowers: The Perfect Valentine's Day Gift

California flower growers and suppliers predict there will be a plentiful and affordable variety of flowers to choose from on this Valentine’s holiday. Valentine’s Day inspires the heaviest demand for floral bouquets in general, and long-stemmed roses in particular. Our California growers are committed to producing the highest quality flowers.

Nothing says romance quite like flowers and the red rose is still the favorite rose color especially among men. While women tend to prefer pastel tones of pinks, peaches and lavenders, men on the other hand prefer vivid colors such as red, orange, purple and blue. Almost everyone can remember the last time they got flowers, which demonstrates the powerful impact they have. When selecting flowers, consider the receiver’s favorite flower, color, and the message you wish to convey. All you really need to create a romantic Valentine’s Day is a little imagination and the help of your local florist.

The beauty of flowers is that there are innumerable ways to help express your love. Whether a single rose or a mixed flower arrangement in any size, your local florist will help you give a gift that is special, unique and works within your budget. Valentine’s Day is not, however, just for romance. More and more orders are for flowers for mothers, daughters, sisters and friends. Valentine’s Day has become a time to express a variety of sweet sentiments in addition to romantic ones.

This year Valentine’s Day falls on a Monday. To ensure you get the best selection, call your favorite florist the week before Valentine’s Day.

Did you know:

There are more than 35 rose species indigenous to the U.S. More than 1.2 billion roses are sold annually in the U.S. An estimated 110 million roses are sold nationwide for Valentine’s Day, with about 150 million roses sold throughout the month of February.
About 80 percent of California roses will be shipped-out-of state.
Red is still the color of choice for Valentine’s Day. However, the popularity of roses of other colors–pink, yellow, peach, white–is on the rise. In keeping with this trend, California growers have expanded their plantings of other colored roses.
You can keep fresh flowers lasting longer with these four easy steps suggested by the California State Floral Association:

Always start with a clean vase.
Remove all leaves that will be below water level when placed in the vase. Submerged leaves will decay and create bacteria, shortening the life of your bouquet.
Recut the stem of each flower. This prevents air pockets from forming which block water uptake to the flowers. Recut stems every three days.
Add fresh flower food to the vase water (obtainable wherever fresh flowers are sold). For maximum enjoyment of your flowers, keep them away from direct sunlight, drafts and heat sources.