In order to help make this Valentine’s special for you and yours, we’ve provided a look at a few flowers perfectly suited for the holiday.

Roses

Roses are, by far, the most popular option for Valentine’s Day flower gift-giving. They represent a classic choice that acts as a clear symbol of love. Even though they’re the most traditional Valentine’s flower you can still make them unique. Try picking your rose bouquet from colours other than the common red tones and explore other beautiful options like yellow, lavender or peach.

Lilies

Although roses are one of the most popular choices, lilies come in a close second. Lilies possess a wonderful smell and are elegant in appearance. Just like roses, lilies are available in a wide variety of colours and styles. Whether you’re looking for fragrant Stargazers or beautiful Asiatics, lilies are always a smart choice for Valentine’s Day. Another great plus is that lilies, because they’re a slow blooming flower, last for a long time after they’re given as a gift.

Orchids

After roses and lilies, orchids are another great choice for a Valentine’s Day gift. Orchids can also be purchased in a number of different styles depending on taste and give off a pleasing fragrance regardless of style. Whether you’re interested in long stems or fuller arrangements, orchids represent a fantastic option.

Make your Valentine’s Day arrangement with roses, lilies or orchids to properly express love and romance this holiday season. Take the time to work with your florist to create a personalized arrangement for an extra touch and be sure to deliver the flowers along with a note to complete the gift.

Now we’ll see how a beloved holiday flower came to be associated with Valentine’s as the celebration grew to become the event we recognize today.

Valentine’s Day Symbols

As St. Valentine’s Day became an increasingly popular holiday throughout Europe and the New World, commercial opportunities began to arise. Starting in the late 18th century and hitting its stride in the 19th, Valentine’s cards, flowers and candy became common holiday gifts.

One of the largest markets was in greeting cards. The greeting card industry became one of the most profitable sectors of Valentine’s related business and, its use of roses as a central image involved with love became intimiately connected with common holiday symbols. The poetry that was often made a central aspect of these cards was largely responsible for how modern thoughts regarding the holiday came about and, in this, we can see how heavily involved roses have always been.

Roses and Love

As we described before, roses have always been associated with the emotion of love in many Western cultural traditions. This type of symbolism continued forward as Valentine’s became a profitable holiday that embedded itself in annual celebrations. As far back as Edmund Spenser’s epic poem The Faerie Queene (published in 1590), roses have been mentioned in connection with the burgeoning holiday.

A 1784 collection of nursery rhymes (Gammer Gurton’s Garland) contained the archetypal Valentine’s Day love poem (one that should sound familiar to many readers) and uses the rose as a central image:

The rose is red, the violet’s blue
The honey’s sweet, and so are you
Thou are my love and I am thine
I drew thee to my Valentine
The lot was cast and then I drew
And Fortune said it shou’d be you.

This poem encapsulates the intimate connection between roses, Valentine’s Day and love — a connection that continues to exist today.

The Birth of Valentine’s Day

To understand how the rose became so important it’s necessary to first look at the birth of Valentine’s Day.

Saint Valentine’s Day came about in remembrance of two Christian saints (Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni) and of religious martyrs in general (as they were commonly named Valentine). In the 14th century, romantic connotations started to become associated with the traditional February 14th celebration of Saint Valentine’s Day, the Catholic church removed the official recognition of Valentine’s Feast Day and the religious aspect of the holiday was lost entirely in favour of a focus on the universal emotion of love.

The Rose Reemerges as the Symbol of Love

As more time passed St. Valentine was romanticized and, in many ways, condensed into a single figure. The new legend that was attributed to him was that he was a saint, executed after refusing the Roman Emperor Claudius II’s decree that young men remain single (in order to become better soldiers). This version of St. Valentine would secretly marry lovers and, in an unverified (but popular) version of the tale, also wrote the first “Valentine card” to his sweetheart on the night before his death sentence.

This growing mythology would eventually create an entire industry centred on a version of a version of a version of various Christian martyrs, leading to what has now become a secular holiday focused on the celebration of love.

In our last look at the history of roses and Valentine’s Day we’ll trace the final part of the story, showing how the myth of St. Valentine grew into the modern holiday we celebrate today — and why roses are such an important part of it.

Now we’ll see how this culturally significant blossom began to take on the place of the holiday flower that most commonly represents love at Valentine’s Day.

Roses in Early Christianity

Early Christians saw a mirror of the five wounds of Christ suffered before his execution in the five petals of the rose but their leaders were afraid to take the rose as a symbol because it was of such importance to the Roman culture that persecuted them. Nonetheless, early Christian martyrs began to be symbolized by the rose — its red colour matching their blood. Throughout this period of time roses also began to be associated with the Virgin Mary and, ultimately, an unofficial symbol of the Christian faith for many worshippers.

Roses Across Europe

Even after the fall of the Roman Empire the importance of roses continued to resonant across Europe. England’s (and, later, the United States’) national flower is the rose, rose windows (made up of five segments to echo a rose) formed the basis of many Gothic Era building designs and the red rose came to be a symbol of socialism (and social democracy) throughout almost every nation in Europe following the Second World War. Echoing its roots in Christian tradition, the celebration of St. George’s Day in Catalonia sees people exchanging red roses as gifts that symbolize friendship or love.

Although they were always guaranteed a place in popular culture due to their importance to Christianity and Classical Greek and Roman traditions, roses really began to rise in popularity throughout the 1800s. The British Empire’s presence in China gave Western Europe access to perpetually blooming roses hybridized and enjoyed in the East.

Their growing commercial success in 19th century Europe will show how roses came to be so closely related to Valentine’s Day when we continue in the following part.

Read on to learn about the symbolism attached to roses and their early importance to the Western cultures that invented Valentine’s Day.

Roses and Symbolism

Throughout human history the rose has had a powerful meaning to different cultures and nationalities. Many languages (Greek, Spanish, Italian, Polish and others) even use the equivalent of the word “rose” to mean red or pink — typical rose colours. Ancient cultures like the Egyptians considered the rose to be a sacred flower to Isis and was given a high degree of reverence because of this.

In tracing their connection to Valentine’s Day, however, we have to go back to the Western cultures that gave birth to the holiday itself, seeing how roses eventually became such an important symbol of love.

Roses in Western Culture

In the ancient Western tradition roses have always been of immense importance, signifying love and beauty to so many cultures that the flower itself became an important part of religion and myth. Roses were considered sacred to the Greeks and early Romans. Aphrodite and Venus held the rose as a blessed flower and, as they was the Grecian goddesses of love, its connection to the most intimate human emotion can be seen as existing for quite a long time. The Romans also saw the rose as an emotionally resonant blossom. When secret or confidential issues were being discussed in a building a rose would be placed outside the door to show others that the matter at hand was serious and not to be disturbed.

As the West began to adopt Christianity, the rose continued to be an important object. Folk traditions and Classical interpretations of the rose would maintain relevance to the Romans and the lands that they touched as their empire expanded. Next time we’ll see how this happened.

By looking at the history of the rose, from the flower beloved by gardeners to the symbol of love and affection it holds today, we hope

What is a Rose?

The rose is a perennial plant that can be one of any 100-plus species that belong to the Rosa genus (and Rosaceae family). Roses grow in stiff shrubs with prickly stems that are often covered in sharp thorns. They can also be found in climbing or trailing plants that grow over manmade or natural objects.

The petals of a rose are usually large and can be found in a wide array of colours that include shades of red, yellow, white and more. They grow in many different shapes and sizes — some roses have compact flowers and a small size but others grow tall and large. Roses are well known for the pleasing shape of their flowers and the wonderful fragnance that they give off.

Where do Roses Grow?

The majority of rose species are native to Asia but roses can be found flowering in North America, areas of Europe and northwest Africa as well. Throughout human history, florists and gardeners have grown roses and used them as central aspects of their arrangements and designs. Adding to this, many rose species are easy to hybridize and, thus, a great choice for horticulturists that wish to alter the appearance of flowers for their uses.

All of these factors have added up to make the rose a plant that is frequently hybridized and imported throughout the world. Although roses are only indigenous to certain areas of the world, they can now be found in the gardens of growers in almost every nation or region on the planet.

Next time we’ll start to look at the symbolic value that roses have had for humans and how they came to be the symbol of love and Valentine’s Day.

Sunday is Valentine’s Day!

Planning to buy some Valentine’s Day roses for your special someone? If you are, pass these helpful tips on to your recipient so they can enjoy the beauty of their fragrant gift longer, when Valentine’s Day is but a distant memory.

Keep them as fresh as possible by following these tips:

1. As soon as you bring those blooms home, put them in the fridge or the chilliest part of your basement until you can properly tend to them. The cold will help maintain their freshness.

2. Thoroughly clean a vase that’s big enough for the roses. Fill it with water, preferably at room temperature, and add an appropriate amount of flower food (floral preservative), stirring well until completely dissolved.

3. Carefully unwrap the roses and remove any leaves and other foliage that are on the lower portion of the stem, so none are submerged in water. This will prevent rotting and keep bacteria to a minimum. Remove any damaged leaves anywhere on the stem as well.

4. Trim the stems with a sharp knife, getting rid of about 2.5cm off the bottom. If the stems are still too long for the vase, remove more until there’s no threat that they’ll flop over. Remove a bit by bit. To prevent air bubbles from forming on the trimmed ends, hindering the blooms from absorbing water, trim under water.

5. Once cut, arrange carefully in the vase and place in a cool location away from direct sunlight, drafts, heaters and air conditioners.

Your roses’ worst enemy is bacteria, so remember to change the water once a day and add flower preservative to fight it off.

Even though Valentine’s Day is only 2 days away, it’s not too late to order your roses for delivery in the Greater Toronto Area and beyond. Visit our catalogue online, or call us at 416-FLORIST!

Have a great Valentine’s Day!

February 14 is only 4 days away. Are you trying to prepare for Valentine’s Day but scrambling for ideas? You want to make this year a memorable one, something they won’t forget.

As your local Toronto Valentine’s Day florist for over a decade, we’ve experienced enough February 14ths to know that one of the most romantic ways to spice up any date is  to go that extra step by decorating the venue of your date with fresh rose petals. We have three colours available: cream rose petals, red rose petals and light pink rose petals. Use one colour for one area, or mix two or more shades together to create a more dramatic effect!

Here are 7 of the most romantic ways to use fresh rose petals:

1. Sprinkle them along the path going toward the table, sofa or bed – or wherever the most important part of your date is scheduled to take place. Doing this sets the mood, putting them into the right mindset.

2. Toss a handful into the box, bag or package of the gift you’re going to give them. Or better, yet, forget the tissue paper altogether and use rose petals  instead.

3. Strew fresh rose petals all over the bed, and cover yourself with them (preferably while not wearing anything else!)

4. A few sprinkled into a shallow glass bowl filled with water makes a beautiful decorative piece. Add a floating candle to complete the effect.

5. A pure white tablecloth scattered with lush red rose petals makes a gorgeous setting for an intimate dinner for two. You may even want to bring them to the restaurant, but  make sure they’ll match the tablecloth (as a courtesy, you may also want to inform the staff beforehand).

6. Surprise your loved one by preparing a hot bath, sprinkled with rose petals. The hot water will release some of the essential oils trapped in the petals, making it delicately fragrant.

7.  If you’re decorations include balloons, put a handful of petals into each balloon before blowing them up. Use clear balloons and red rose petals to achieve the best effect.

Rose Petals
Rose petals are used around the world for culinary purposes, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. They are processed to produce such consumables as rose water, rose extract and rose syrup. But for a florist, rose petals are offered in their original form to consumers who demand them.

That’s right. For the diehard romantic, a sprinkle of fresh velveteen rose petals on a candlelit table, to mark the path on the floor or across the bed is a must for the most romantic days of the year, Valentine’s Day. Add a few to garnish floating candles in a bowl of water, toss some in the bathtub for absolute luxury, or include some with the gift you intend to give to your loved one – rose petals are versatile! Even when they dry, they remain beautiful.

Not Just for Valentine’s Day
Don’t think rose petals are just for Valentine’s Day. Any romantic occasion may be enhanced, including weddings, anniversaries and proposals.

If you plan on surprising your partner with a romantic night and wish to sweeten the venue with rose petals, 416-Florist.com can help. Call 416-356-7478 or toll-free at 1-866-356-7673 or search our online store for Rose Petals.

Rose petals are available in lush red, delicate pink and elegant cream. Two quantities are available: Package A, which is about 12 cups or 700 rose petals (enough to cover 12 square feet) and Package B, which is about 22 cups or 1300 rose petals (enough to cover 22 square feet). Package A is $29.99 and B is $49.99.

Valentine’s Day is in a couple of weeks, which means that roses will soon become any Toronto florist’s top seller. Despite the variety of flowers available, roses remain the most popular Valentine’s Day gift every year. Why?

Well, the most important reason is that roses symbolize love. They express love and adoration in tangible form, making the bloom a perfect gift on Valentine’s Day and other romantic occasions. Choose a vibrant and luscious shade of red to truly express your fiery emotions! 416-Florist.com delivers more roses in red than any other colour on this day, which is why we offer such a huge selection of arrangements featuring it.

If you want to send roses to someone but want to express a different emotion, try choosing another colour. Here is a short list of colours easily found at any florist and their respective meanings. Our clients tend to select one or two shades for their arrangements:

Coral/Orange: Burning with desire? Send coral/orange Valentine’s Day roses. They’ll express your need to be with them, romantically or platonically.

Yellow: Send a friend Valentine’s Day roses in cheery yellow to express your happiness with their friendship, without overstepping any boundaries.

Pink: Appreciation and thankfulness can be expressed with pink Valentine’s Day roses. Send a bouquet of these to a friend, lover or even family member however avoid lighter shades as they symbolize sympathy (unless the situation is appropriate).

White: Reverence and humility are symbolized with white Valentine’s Day roses. White can also represent purity and innocence.

A Little History
Cultivation of this flower is believed to have began in China about 5000 years ago. Other countries, such as Italy and England (which boasts the rose as its national flower), also have a long history of cultivation, growing roses for medicinal, cosmetic and recreational purposes.

At one point, roses were so popular that they were used as a form of currency!

Although thousands of varieties exist, only a few are cultivated for florists. These varieties tend to be hardier and best adapted for tropical or greenhouse environments. They are bred in a range of colours and have longer stems, prettier heads and better scents.