A Valentine's Day bouquet should be as thoughtful as the card you
select and unique as the sentiment your write in it. Commercial bouquets for Valentine’s Day
typically are the standard cellophane wrapped uniform dozen or two of fragrant less roses grouped with
baby’s breath and simple greens that make one resent buying such a lack luster
bouquet to celebrate the romance of the day. Did you know many of these commercial grab and
go super market bouquets or the arrangements offered on the 1-800 wire services
have been cut more than a week before, boxed out of water and shipped across
continents, then trucked to a local commercial venues to be purchased by some
love struck suitor who is simply trying to execute the traditional expected
romantic gesture of giving red roses to their beloved. While the gesture is
romantic, these standard holiday bouquets are definitely not, and are often lack luster, uniform, and even sometimes
a disappointment, when they fade only after a couple of days. A friend’s husband asked me simply, “What is
the difference between your bouquets and a Costco bouquet of roses besides quantity and price? “ The answer I gave him is that at Costco or the supermarket one generally purchases uniform roses as describe above and not a unique creative expression
conveyed through an artful aesthetic of sensory, unusual, fresh fragrant flowers that are locally grown. Commercial bouquets generally do not speak of
beauty, vitality, and most especially romance and love that beautiful fresh and locally
grown flowers convey in their variety.
A Valentine bouquet should be a sumptuous and sensory gesture
that conveys love and romance. A Valentine
bouquet should absolutely reflect the idea of romantic love--just as the lace
and papery Valentine cards do or velvety hear-shape boxes of candy do to
celebrate the sentiment. Giving locally grown seasonal flowers adorned in
rich, textures of bold sultry ribbons will be as unique and unforgettable
expression of your love. Valentine
flowers should be presented with an aesthetic of romance: fresh, fragrant, rich in color and texture
and artfully arranged with sumptuous satin ribbons and placed beautiful vessels
or wrapped in beautiful cellphones and papers. Most of my Valentine bouquets are inspire by
the vintage Valentine’s cards my parents presented to me as gifts over the years,
as the day of romance is also my
birthday. Inspired by these rich lacey and papery vintage cards, my Valentine’s bouquets try to emulate
these beautiful cards in their rich color and textures expressed in abundance and variety of seasonal flowers including:
tulips, anemones, ranunculus, lily of the valley, and even daffodils and
narcissus.
I often include some greenhouse
roses which are grown sustainably because
the rose will always be
the quintessential icon of love, event though
it is not abundant seasonal flower of
Northern California.
I do include
roses grown locally and sustainably in greenhouses and include bouquets
with flowers grown in my cottage garden and on organic local flower farms.
Bouquets and Arrangements with unusual and
seasonal flowers that are fragrant and colorful and adorned with sumptuous ribbons
will convey romance and speak volumes to your beloved.
