Valentines Day

Valentines

The Flowers & Plants Association is here to help with all those Valentine's Day features:

- Love Crazy - Everybody Loves Roses - A Man's Guide - Why are Roses so expensive? - Green Issue - My Love Is Like...
- Now for some fun

Valentines Index Page

Yes it’s that time of year again when the whole world goes love-crazy!	return to top
Follow our guide for flower buying for the one you love and find out why flowers are the perfect gift, what are the best value flowers at this time of year, alternative romantic bouquets if you want something more original, and some great ideas for show-stopping grand gestures!
Everybody Loves Roses	return to top
Sales of all fresh flowers double on Valentine’s day, with over 9 million red roses being given in the UK. Worldwide, billions of roses – mostly red - are traded on this one day alone. Red roses vary enormously. Some have stems of 40cm with tiny flowers smaller than eggs; others have stems up to six feet long with flowerheads the size of small cabbages. There are over 50 varieties, too; with shiny or matt petals; coloured deep red, orange-red, cherry-red, or almost black; and many are fragrant. We Brits aren’t the only ones who love red roses - Russians, Japanese and Americans are avid buyers; and many European countries spend three times what we do in the UK. Russians in particular look for extra-premium roses with huge flowers and long stems – and just as with designer label clothing, they are prepared to pay for that added quality. Over 3 million women and men give fresh flowers at Valentine’s to show they love someone (or just have their eye on them!) However there are 47 million adults in the UK so a lot of us aren’t getting any roses... Around 90% of the UK’s flowers are bought by men – unlike the rest of the year when it is women buying the flowers. But over 5% of the day's flowers are bought for men – and this figure is growing as more men appreciate how happy the flowers make them feel, and how they bring life and colour to their homes. Guys - it’s not just a girlie thing! Figures and research quoted in the release must be credited to the Flowers & Plants Association: www.flowers.org.uk The Flowers & Plants Association has images of all flowers mentioned that are free to use in return for a credit – contact the press-office: press-office@flowers.org.uk 020 7738 8044
A Man’s Guide To Valentine’s Day Survival!	return to top
Who’s the daddy? Ladies – if you are looking for a romantic gesture from your loved one, better hope he’s on the “mature” side. Recent figures show that men over 45 bought 8 out of every ten flowers sold during Valentine’s Day last year. Gentlemen - If you aren’t one of the older, more Valentine’s-savvy flower buyers, you might need some help. (You won’t ask for it, but you might need it.) If your girlfriend/wife/other half is going to put with you for another twelve months, you’re going to have to buy her some flowers. And not some wilted last-minute bunch from the roadside – we mean Proper Flowers. You can’t avoid it - so you may as well get it right. These tips from the Flowers & Plants Association should sort you out, and keep you out of the doghouse for a change… F&PA Top Tips for Bewildered Blokes: Plan A : Find out your girlfriend's favourite flower. Memorize this name; put it in your Blackberry. Your mind may go blank when faced with the huge choice in most florist shops. Plan B : Find out her favourite colour. Girls hate bouquets with one of every colour in. They'd much rather have flowers which went with their eyes, or their wallpaper. Plan C : Remember, size is not important. One stem of something gorgeous and extravagant-looking beats a huge pick-and-mix bunch for most women. Orchids, amaryllis and oriental lilies are perfect for this. Plan D : Don’t buy her a dozen red roses just because it’s Valentine’s Day – if they’re not her absolute favourites, it makes you look like you’ve no imagination. Or you’ve panic-bought. Not attractive. Ask for a hand-tied bouquet instead. These go straight in a vase without any fuss, and as they are a (carefully-arranged) selection you can make a note of which flowers your girlfriend admires in the bunch. (See plan A.) Don't be embarrassed buying or carrying flowers. Flowers & Plants Association research shows that women are impressed by guys with flowers – these men are seen as caring, sensitive and generous. (These are good traits by the way.) If you want to know what's really fashionable in flowers right now, or where to buy the perfect bouquet, check out our flower trends and 'where to buy' pages. Figures and research quoted in the release must be credited to the Flowers & Plants Association: www.flowers.org.uk The Flowers & Plants Association has images of all flowers mentioned that are free to use in return for a credit – contact the press-office: press-office@flowers.org.uk, 020 7738 8044
Why are roses so expensive?	return to top
Sales of all fresh flowers double on Valentine’s day, with red roses being the hot sales ticket. Over 55 million red roses are given in the UK; while worldwide billions of roses – mostly red - are traded on this one day alone. This demand causes logistical problems for growers worldwide. It’s rather like Santa trying to deliver all his presents on Christmas Eve, but more complicated. Firstly, roses are a natural product. You can’t grow a field full in advance, and then store it in a warehouse for six months, like you can with a tin of baked beans. They also need expert growing techniques so that they are at the perfect stage of flowering for February 14th. Too tight or green a bud and they won’t open in time; too full a flower and they’ll die on their way to the shops. Secondly, sometimes nature takes over, and countries experience unseasonal frosts, hail, snow, drought, fog or other climate conditions that affect the flowers’ ability to grow. Most roses sold in the UK are flown in from Kenya, Colombia, Ecuador, Holland, and India, to satisfy the huge demand. Because they are coming in from all around the world, occasionally political unrest or air traffic strikes prevent flowers getting to market too. Thirdly everyone wants red roses on this day – but they don’t want as many of them through the rest of the year. However, roses take at least 6 months from planting to flowering, so the grower has to be brave and sure that he can sell all his flowers at Valentine’s Day or he will be left with a lot of stock on his hands, and in his fields. This means a huge global demand for one product, in a very short timeframe. Demand simply outstrips supply – and people will bid high prices to get their hands on red roses. Everyone wants their bouquets delivered on 14th February. So florists work through the night and all the next day preparing orders; usually taking on extra staff and drivers to cope with the increase in work. Check out our list of Valentine's Day myths to get clued up on what's really going on when you buy your flowers on Febraury 14th. The Flowers & Plants Association’s advice? Don’t wait until February 14th to say “I love you”! Give your partner a bouquet of flowers on the day you met, or to celebrate your first date. Or on a dull, wet Tuesday, just because. Figures and research quoted in the release must be credited to the Flowers & Plants Association: www.flowers.org.uk The Flowers & Plants Association has images of all flowers mentioned that are free to use in return for a credit – contact the press-office: press-office@flowers.org.uk; 020 7738 8044
Green Issue	return to top
Some people are concerned that flying in flowers from around the world is bad for the environment, and we should buy locally grown flowers. The UK cannot grow enough flowers in the land available, to satisfy demand. According to recent news reports, we also don’t like seeing polytunnels and glasshouses across our landscape and in our villages. Flowers that come from the world auctions in Holland are brought to the UK on trucks and ferries, not planes - and many get there from European growers in the same way too. Research proves that growing flowers overseas, where the light is brighter and the air is warmer, uses less fuels – including the air freight – than growing them in Europe, where they would need heat and light all year round. It gives employment, plus education and medical services, to often impoverished rural regions who would otherwise rely on charity handouts to survive. Fairtrade roses are also available, to ensure that your gesture of loves helps others. Figures and research quoted in the release must be credited to the Flowers & Plants Association: www.flowers.org.uk The Flowers & Plants Association has images of all flowers mentioned that are free to use in return for a credit – contact the press-office: press-office@flowers.org.uk; 020 7738 8044
My love is like a red red Rose or Tulip, Amaryllis, Anthurium, Carnation…?	return to top
Everybody Loves Roses – don’t they? Sales of all fresh flowers double on Valentine’s day, with red roses being the hot sales ticket. Over 55 million red roses are given in the UK; while worldwide billions of roses – mostly red - are traded on this one day alone. So maybe you’re looking for something a little less traditional – a little more unusual? Something that says – I’ve really thought about this token of my love… Red = Passion Red flowers of any kind say passion, so look out for seasonal flowers such as the huge trumpets of amaryllis, totally glamorous; classic tulips – everyone loves these; delicate anemones; and carnations – the large-flowered ones are exotic and longlasting (which might send the right message!) Or be saucy with an anthurium - shaped like a giant heart in glossy red it sends a clear signal of desire. Pink = Romance Pink is romantic, and maybe less “full-on” for a young love than red. Pink roses are a classic choice; look out for exotic and longlasting orchids too which regularly come top in Flowers & Plants Association popularity polls. Pink ranunculus are a beautifully pretty spring flower, with fat, tissue-paper flowers bursting with petals. Scent = Seduction Rather than expensive perfume, why not give what many women desire - a posy of fresh seasonal scented flowers, Freesia, hyacinths, and tazetta narcissi all have wonderful fragrances and are widely available at this time of year. Or track down the tiny fragrant bells of lily-of-the-valley – only available for a very short while, in a few places, it shows you’ve gone to a lot of effort to please her! F&PA research shows that flowers are seen as a personal and intimate gift, chosen with care. So even if you are running up and down the high street in a panic, or frantically surfing the net at the eleventh hour, having these suggestions with you would be a good move for any would-be Valentine! Figures and research quoted in the release must be credited to the Flowers & Plants Association, *www.flowers.org.uk* The Flowers & Plants Association has images of all flowers mentioned that are free to use in return for a credit – contact the press-office: press-office@flowers.org.uk; 020 7738 8044
Now for some fun...	return to top
Too shy to tell them how you feel? Send a message in flowers! Check out the Language of Flowers page. Need some help finding out what they'll like? If you know your loved one's star sign, you can match flowers to their personality type and star sign. For something a little more saucy, check out these flowers and plants that help increase libido. Can't see what you like? Contact the Press Office for hundreds of high-resolution images and factsheets, articles and releases on every aspect of Valentine's Day: press-office@flowers.org.uk; 0207 738 8044

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