Having spent part of my life running a flower shop I quickly realized that not all roses are created equal. They come in many sizes, shapes and colors. Some last for weeks others only a few days. You can pay up to a $100 or more for a dozen roses in a vase at your local floral shop or as low as $10 dollars for wrapped roses at a grocery store. So how do you know if the roses you are buying are worth the money you are asked to pay for them? You first need to know what to look for and the questions to ask.
I’ll start out by talking about the difference in roses. The basic and more popular roses come in four distinct colors. These are red, white, pink and yellow. Roses are measured and sold to the retailer by the length of their stem. The 3 most common lengths are 40, 50 & 60 centimeters long. Sixty cm or longer roses are best known as “long stem roses”. The longer the stem the bigger the bud thus you pay more for the rose. If you are paying $10.00 for a dozen roses chances are you are buying the 40 cm roses with smaller buds. In many flower shops the 40 centimeter roses are used in mixed bouquets along with other flowers, while the 50 and 60 centimeters are used in the typical dozen rose bouquet you send to a loved one.
The other choice you have is premium roses. The tag premium can mean many things. This can be a large long lasting rose or a rose with multi or variegated colors. One of my favorite premium rose is the red or pink Intuition rose. This rose has a solid red or pink color with a softer color running through out the petals. It is a hearty rose and I have had them last 6 weeks at our shop. All blue roses are dyed and touching the stem can cause your fingers to be stained blue. Orange variegated are absolutely gorgeous as they tend to have a reddish tint ringing the edge of each petal. (The color of these roses resemble a sunset) There are many types and names of multi-colored roses but one of the most unique is called the rainbow rose. (see picture below)
- Rainbow rose
These special roses are made by inserting dye into the stem of the roses while they are growing, which results in the color being absorbed by the petals of the flower. They are not easy to make, as they take a bit of careful engineering thus they can be hard to find and very expensive.
So back to my original question, how do you know you are getting what you pay for. First of all if you are buying your roses at a local grocery store or big box outlet and paying under $20.00 you are more than likely getting a short stem rose with smaller blooms. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing if they look nice and you don’t want to pay a lot of money. However, if they only last a couple of days then you probably purchased roses that were past their prime and on their way down hill. How do you know if the roses are bad? There is a sure fire way consumers can tell.
First take a look at the roses and see if you can find any yellowing or white blotches on the petals. This is caused by a common fungus and your roses will not last. Also notice if there are dark, dried edges to the petals as this can show that the rose is not well hydrated and it’s life span will be fairly short. Finally the most important and easiest way to tell if you are getting a rose that will last more than a couple of days is to squeeze it. The bloom should be tight and the center hard. When you squeeze the bloom it should not feel mushy as this is a sign that the rose is fully bloomed and on it’s way out. If the rose is solid then it hasn’t yet fully bloomed and you can reasonably expect it to last a week or better before you need to discard it. (I use a week as the very minimum, most roses will last quite longer but most florists only promise that they will stay fresh for 7 days.) Also keep in mind that roses should stand tall and if their heads are bent over from the stems then don’t purchase them. They have not been well preserved and lack hydration.
If you are ordering your roses from a floral shop via phone there is a few questions you can ask the florist to help you get good roses. Ask when the roses were received from their wholesaler. Most flowers shops receive a shipment each week from the grower. Ask what size they are. If you are paying $50.00 or more for a dozen roses then request that the floral shop use 60 centimeter roses in your arrangement. Ask the florist if the petals are in full bloom or tight. Full bloomed roses are beautiful to receive but won’t last. You want tight blooms delivered so they can fully bloom at the home or office of the person you are sending them to.
Request the flower shop use a nutritional supplement in the water of the vase the roses will be delivered in. Most all florists use a commercial nutritional supplement in the vase water that feeds and preserves the roses. This greatly extends the life of the rose and depending on the rose can make allow them to survive for weeks. Ask to have a pouch of powdered nutrient sent along with the arrangement. (If you need to change the water in the vase, you can add this powdered nutrient to the water so your roses will last longer)
Lastly, when your loved ones receive a bouquet of roses in a vase, these roses should last for a minimum of one week if not longer. If in the first few days the roses start to wilt, call the florist from which you ordered the bouquet and ask for a replacement.
Roses are a beautiful and special gift to give and receive. With a little knowledge you can make sure that this is money well spent and you will give a gift that lasts.
Come back again to view my next post on how to preserve, prolong, transport and care for fresh cut flowers & roses.
-Dewey-
