As Valentine’s Day approaches, what to get those you care about is an important question. One option is getting someone a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Not only is it a meaningful gift, but it requires some thought beforehand. The act requires you to spend time finding the right bouquet with the right colors and types of flowers as compared to getting them a card or candy.

     “I just think it’s more meaningful than getting candy or something because most of the time, people — when they’re throwing together a gift for you —will just get you candy and like a gift card, but I like getting flowers more because it seems more sentimental,” sophomore Delaney Grider said.

     Deciding to get someone flowers is just the first step; the next one is selecting an arrangement. A common choice is roses.

     “Dozen roses are the most popular, or mixed flowers with red, white and pink,” said Billie Jo Hittle from Hittle Floral Design. Hittle also said that roses, in general, are the most popular orders they get all year long.

     When choosing flowers, another thing to consider is how long they are going to last. While the thoughtfulness of the gift is felt immediately, the ability to display and smell them for the days to come can add to the value of the gift. 

     “I actually have flowers sitting in a vase on my dresser right now,” Grider said. “I don’t just throw them away. I keep them in a vase and add water to them and flower food to them, just so they can stay alive as long as possible, because I think they make my room look pretty.”

     Choosing the right flowers is just as important as taking proper care of them. Different types of flowers might not live as long as others after being cut. In fact, most flowers only last about a week before they begin to lose their freshness.

     In order to ensure that your gift stays fresh and beautiful, you need to choose the right flowers. Hittle recommends daisies, cremones or any flower in the mum family since those flowers tend to stay alive longer than others.

     Another thing you might think about adding to your gift is a vase or flower food. These things will not only give your gift recipient a place to put the flowers, but will also help keep them alive. If you do not choose a vase arrangement, putting the flowers in flower foam can increase their lifespan.

     “For vase arrangements, check water levels every day,” Hittle said. “Carefully re-cut the bottom of the stems every other day. With foam arrangements, make sure to keep foam saturated with water.”