Red roses

Happy Wednesday!

I’ve been busily working on Valentine’s Day projects today.  Oodles of notes, lists, and ideas are scattered across my desk and I just keep adding to it!  I love when the ideas flow!!

Did you know our number one biggest seller for Valentine’s Day is red roses?

There is no better symbol of love and romance than the red rose.  Whether it’s a single one in a pretty vase or a dozen, the red rose is always able to make a recipient swoon.  Red roses have been incorporated in poetry, paintings and even William Shakespeare used a red rose in Romeo and Juliet.

In the 1800′s red roses were brought from China to Europe, although the flowers and their meanings date back far longer than that. Early cultures across the globe used red roses  for their wedding attire and to decorate the wedding ceremony itself.

Because of these traditions, the red rose soon became known as the symbol for deep love and fidelity. As the practice of exchanging roses as a sign of affection grew more popular, the red rose became the flower of choice for lovers because it sends the strongest message of love.

Sending someone a bouquet of red roses is still the most popular way to say “I love you” and “Happy Valentine’s Day”!   There just is not another flower with that kind of power!

These lovelies are Freedom roses and the variety we will be featuring for Valentine’s Day because only the best will do!   We love Freedom roses because they hold their shape without ever fully opening.  Don’t you love their velvety, rich red color?  Did you know the outer petals on a rose are called guard petals because they guard the rose from being bruised.  Our advice is that once you get your roses where they’ll be staying peel away any of the damage guard petals.  Freedom roses are not heavily scented because roses that have a heavy fragrance don’t last very long–we’d rather have a rose you enjoy for awhile, rather than a rose, that while beautifully fragrant, is gone in just a day or two.

How do I take care of my vase of roses?

To help them last as long as possible keep them somewhere cooler–not by a heat vent, atop a television, stereo, or computer that gets warm.  Also keep them away from direct sunlight and drafts.  Be sure they are somewhere warmer than 40 degrees and cooler than 75 degrees.

If your roses droop, or their necks bend it’s because of dehydration. Roses are very thirsty flowers!  They drink 1.5 ounces of water per day and twelve roses drink 18 ounces of water per day plus the foliage uses another 4 ounces of water, which adds up to a total of 22 ounces per day.  The average rose vase for a dozen roses holds 48 ounces of water, this means they need a daily fill up and flushing of fresh water.  The water level should never be below 1/4 from the top of the vase; 1/3 flirts with danger.  Stems are cut at random lengths and placed at random depths to create the look of the arrangement; therefore all the stems will not be at the bottom of the vase. The rose that will wilt first is the one whose stem is nearer the top of the vase and usually out of water first. If the buds are drooping, it means the roses are not drinking and must be recut and put in fresh water.

Admit it, don’t they make your heart pitter patter?

Valentine’s Day is Tuesday, February 14th

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