Flowers and Valentine’s Day go hand in hand. Business is blooming at the florist stores in town with orders flying in from far and near. The flower shops all paint a pretty picture with flowers in rainbow colours heaped in every nook and corner. And on the eve of Valentine’s Day, most florists are busy attending to customers and delivering bouquets all around the city.
Despite blossoms such as carnations, gerberas, asters and liliums all vying for space at the flower shops, one variety of flower seems to be hogging the spotlight – roses.
An eternal favourite, be it at weddings, celebrations and the like, roses seem to lead the way on V-Day too. From baby pink to blood red to rust orange and even roses dyed in colours of blue and green, it is the war of the roses.
And among the various shades of roses, red is the clear winner. “Red roses are popular as they are said to symbolise love,” says Ramu M.K. of Southern Flora. Pink roses and yellow roses move fast too.
The popularity of gifting flowers to mark Valentine’s Day has gradually caught on in the city, say the florists. “Very few celebrated Valentine’s Day a decade ago. The number has grown and so do the number of people presenting flowers, especially roses on the day,” says Madhu Shanker of Lalith Flora, who is a local supplier of bouquets for orders of various online sites. He has hired extra hands to deliver the orders on February 14.
Students, say the florists, tend to pick up single blooms, while the rest pick up bouquets or flower baskets. Most prefer bouquets and baskets that carry just roses, while others order an assortment of flowers. “Apart from roses, carnations and chrysanthemums are popular during the season too,” says Satya Paul of Sonam Florists.
Sourced from Bangalore, the roses for Valentine’s Day have to be ordered much ahead in bulk. Earlier there was a shortage of roses in the market. “However, with more and more people growing varieties of roses under controlled temperature, there is a regular delivery of these blooms. The availability does however go haywire during Valentine’s Day as supply does not, at times, meet demand,” says Vimala of Narmada Flower Shop.
As the demand for roses increases, so do the prices.
What costs Rs. 15 ‘off-season’ can go up to Rs. 20 to Rs. 25 per rose.
Dyed roses cost Rs. 25 per flower. Prices will be back to normal after V-day. But till then the florists ensure that there are only bouquets and no brickbats for their fussy customers.
Colour coded
Whether you plan to gift them or hope to receive them this Valentine’s Day, brushing up on the meaning behind the blooms will help you choose the right flowers or heighten the appreciation of your sweet-smelling gift. And no, a rose is not just a rose. A red rose is a symbol of love, while yellow roses stand for friendship. Pink represents love and appreciation while orange varieties symbolise romance. White roses can stand for new beginnings. A single rose of any colour is a way to say “thank you”, while two roses entwined together have you popping the question indirectly. Eleven roses is an indication to the recipient that they are loved. Want to gift a secret admirer? Get them 13 roses.
Secret message
(Source: The Internet)
The history of giving loved ones flowers is said to have come from an old custom of sending bouquets to pass on nonverbal messages in the West. This tradition is said to have been introduced by Charles II of Sweden with each flower having a specific meaning associated with it. And while people continue to send flowers such as Carnations, Gerberas, Asters and Liliums to mark special events and occasions or to express love and admiration, on Valentine’s Day, its roses that comes out on top.
