--- title: Valentine's Day: How to Buy Flowers for Valentines Day description: Find out why long-stemmed red roses are so expensive for Valentine's Day canonical: https://time.com/3704899/valentines-day-flowers/ author: Olivia B. Waxman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-02-12T21:19:55.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:43:29.287Z og:title: 5 Things To Know About Buying Flowers on Valentine's Day og:description: Skip the red roses and opt for something different for your sweetheart og:url: https://time.com/3704899/valentines-day-flowers/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta5c664f274d52e59/69877ea2524fc06907dec6b8/175872806.jpg?branch=production&width=507&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 507 og:image:height: 285 og:image:alt: 175872806 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 5 Things To Know About Buying Flowers on Valentine's Day twitter:description: Skip the red roses and opt for something different for your sweetheart twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta5c664f274d52e59/69877ea2524fc06907dec6b8/175872806.jpg?branch=production&width=507&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 5 Things to Know About Buying Flowers on Valentine's Day > Sponsored content. 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It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters. #### How do I sign up for The Brief? The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ## Video: First Grade Valentines [Watch (HLS stream): First Grade Valentines](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/dxn3NutC.m3u8) (2:35)  _Published 2010-02-10. Out of the mouths of babes, love is explained. Brooklyn first graders write and read their valentines and describe the meaning of Valentines Day_  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer Feb 12, 2015 9:19 PM UTC  Sorry! Sorry! Getty Images  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer Feb 12, 2015 9:19 PM UTC If you were putting off shopping for Valentine’s Day, then it’s time to wake up and smell the roses. Almost 40% of American consumers will buy flowers for the holiday, spending a total of $2.1 billion, according to a National Retail Federation [survey](https://nrf.com/media/press-releases/cupid-shower-americans-jewelry-candy-this-valentines-day). More than 60% of those purchases will be roses, the Society of American Florists says. Here are five things to know if you are buying flowers. **Red roses are more expensive now.** Red roses—especially the long-stemmed kind—are considered [“overpriced”](http://www.cbsnews.com/news/7-ways-to-save-money-on-valentines-day-flowers/) around Valentine’s Day thanks to high demand and consumers’ willingness to pay. As TIME [reported](http://time.com/money/3699604/valentines-day-spending-history-truth/) earlier this week: --- > “” --- **Think pink (or white).** Florist Bridget Carlson of Ashland Addison Florist Company in Chicago says, “white roses are absolutely stunning, and often the pink roses come a little bit more fragrant.” **Tropical and spring flowers are popular alternatives to roses.** If you’re looking to branch out from the typical red roses, there are plenty of options. Carlson also suggests calla lilies, tulips to get people looking forward to spring. The Society of American Florists recommends hydrangeas, gardenias, freesia, hyacinths, and succulents, as well, while alstroemerias and daisies are some of the most popular purchases for Valentine’s Day on the website 1-800 Flowers. **Put the flowers in a Mason jar.** Channel your dream Pinterest board by putting flowers in a Mason jar, giant apple juice bottle, funky glass container, or adapting whatever you might have around the house since professional arrangements can drive up the cost. **Men like flowers, too.** Orchids are great plants to send to men so they can put them in their offices, Carlson says. **LIST:** [6 Totally Unromantic Truths about Valentine’s Day Spending](http://time.com/money/3699604/valentines-day-spending-history-truth/) ### Tiny Beauties: Life's Smallest Wonders As Seen Through a Microscope  Honorable Mention: Proboscis of a blowfly. Michael Gibson—Olympus Bioscapes  Honorable Mention: Adult mouse cerebral cortex. Dr. Claudia Barros—Olympus Bioscapes  Honorable Mention: Black beetle. Pekka Honkakoski—Olympus Bioscapes  Honorable mention: Tracheae of a silkworm. Michael Gibson—Olympus Bioscapes  Honorable mention (Video Still): Axons in a mouse brainstem. Dr. Ali Ertürk—Olympus Bioscapes  Honorable Mention: Anemone flower. Masoumeh "Sahar" Khodaverdi—Olympus Bioscapes  Honorable Mention: Chick embryonic kidney. Dr. Poulomi Ray—Olympus Bioscapes  Honorable Mention: Tip of the proboscis of a Viceroy butterfly. Dr. Matthew S. Lehnert and Catherine P. Mulvane—Olympus Bioscapes  Honorable mention (Video Still): Cell division, movements and cytoplasmic streaming of the desmid Euastrum oblongum. Dr. Jens Hallfeldt—Olympus Bioscapes  Honorable Mention: Placental vasculature of a transgenic mouse embryo. Amanda Phillips-Yzaguirre—Olympus Bioscapes  10th Place (Video Still): Paramecium, showing contactile vacuole and ciliary motion. Ralph Grimm—Olympus Bioscapes  9th Place: Head and legs of a caddisfly larva. Fabrice Parais—Olympus Bioscapes  8th Place: Mouse tail stained for the K15 (green) hair follicle stem cell marker as well as Ki67 (red), which marks proliferating cells. Dr. Yaron Fuchs—Olympus Bioscapes  7th Place: Phantom midge larva (Chaoborus). Charles Krebs—Olympus Bioscapes  6th Place: Gonocerus acuteangulatus, two hours old. Kurt Wirz—Olympus Bioscapes  5th Place: Mouse embryonic fibroblasts showing the actin filaments (red) and DNA (blue). Dr. Dylan Burnette—Olympus Bioscapes  4th Place: Stained transverse section of a lily flower bud. Spike Walker—Olympus Bioscapes  3rd Place: A composite image showing a collection of single-cell fresh water algae, desmids. Dr. Igor Siwanowicz—Olympus Bioscapes  2nd Place: A lateral view of a black mastiff bat embryo (Molossus rufus). Dorit Hockman—Olympus Bioscapes  1st Place: Open trap of aquatic carnivorous plant, humped bladderwort (Utricularia gibba). Dr. Igor Siwanowicz—Olympus Bioscapes ## Transcript >> People give kisses and it's all wet. >> When like someone kiss you, you [ unk ]. >> Today, we're gonna be talking about Valentine's Day. It's a day where we get to celebrate all the important people in our lives and how much we care about them and love them and all the great things they do for us. You're gonna get to write a special Valentine for that special someone. Valentine's letters. Who are you gonna write to [ unk ]. I'm seeing lots of " I love you's" and " You're special to me ". All really nice things to write to a valentines. >> Told you. >> Dear Mom. >> Dear Mom. >> Dear Mom. >> Dear Michael Jackson, I know that you are a pop star. -[ unk ] >> Valentine's Day is a holiday about love. >> Mean you love someone? >> That means when they [ unk ] someone [ unk ]. >> Well, I've done it first. >> Nice, loud, clear voice. >> You keep me safe. You buy me anything I want. I am [ unk ] hug you. -[ unk ] you kiss me [ unk ] you will always love me in the heart. You are my best mother. >> Do I need to [ unk ]. >> Dad, you are special to me. From [ unk ]. >> Happy Valentine's Day! >> Good job everyone. [ unk ] a Valentine? >> Me. >> We all did. >> Better is with a computer. >> Computer. >> Computer. >> I'll send email. >> Paper is not digital. It's just paper. You can just do it on the computer. It doesn't make it sloppy. >> You can love whoever's in your family even your Auntie. 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