The Meaning 

Behind Popular 
February 7th, 2020

Are your 
flowers saying 
the right 
Valentine's Day 
thing? 
Love giving 
Flowers  
flowers on  Do you know the symbolic 
Valentine's  difference between roses and 
Day? Read  orchids?   
below to find   

out what  We send flowers on Valentine's Day as a way to show our love and

flowers give 
appreciation for those special people in our lives. While flowers can
signify romantic interest, you can certainly give a beautiful bouquet to

the best  people that you care about as friends. But the flowers that you give
convey different meanings. You may not intend to send romantic flowers
message.  to your neighbor, and you'd certainly be remiss to tell your spouse that
you only enjoy their company in a platonic way. That's why it's important
  to understand the symbolism of flowers you send on Valentine's Day, and
what they represent before you choose a bouquet.

Red Roses send the message of true love and affection.

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Orchids send the message of love.

Why do we send flowers on Valentine's Day? The practice has been

around since the Victorian era when people would send bouquets as
messages to their love interests. Roses were most often the flowers of
choice, and that still holds true today. But, according to client experience
manager Nicky Douglas and senior event designer Alex Karabell of New
York City florist Ovando, roses are not the only option you have for your
Valentine's Day bouquets. You can convey the right message by choosing
flowers that say exactly what you mean. Start by choosing flowers based
on your recipient.
Do you want to send flowers to your longtime friends or a married couple
that you often double date with? Skip the roses altogether and try
orchids. "We absolutely love Vanda orchids. They are long lasting and
come in bright, bold colors!" suggests Douglas and Karabell. And, outside
of choosing a specific flower, you can also find a flower to give to your
friends based on the meaning behind its color. Yellow, coral, and orange
flowers are perfect for anyone on your list. The team at Ovando
recommend freesias or Clooney ranunculus for yellow bouquets and
free-spirit roses for coral. Need to apologize or just want to convey that
you want a fresh start? Then give a bouquet of white flowers like the
Japanese sweet pea.
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Japanese Sweet Pea sends a message of apology.

When it comes to choosing the right flowers for your romantic interest,
Douglas and Karabell say to have fun with it: "Be romantic and splurge.
This is a floral expression of your love." Red and pink are the go-to colors
for romantic flowers. You can, of course, choose traditional roses, but
Douglas and Karabell suggest double petal oriental lilies or double petal
anemones. "Double petal oriental lilies smell amazing and have the
appearance of a peony," they say. "[And the] double petal anemone are
also a key to my heart!" Red flowers signify love and passion, while pink
flowers represent fondness (ideal for a family member or close friend).
Your bouquet can feature both types of flowers if you'd like since
romantic love often has shades of both sentiments.
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