At Norway Gardens our Floral Department is gearing up for Valentine's Day. As this holiday approaches we think about red roses to express our love. You can find roses at a florist or at a discount store. Why is it a wise choice to order your roses from a reputable florist? Do you know what grade and variety of roses you are getting? What difference does that make? What should you expect out of your bouquet? How can you get the best value (fair price combined with excellent quality)? Consider these facts before you order your Valentine's Day Roses: 1. Florists place their Valentine's rose orders two or three months ahead of time to be sure they get the quantity and quality of roses their customers expect. Since the demand for roses is so high at this time, those who wait until the last minute to order will lose out. Roses may be sold out and the ones that remain will be seconds or thirds -- not the quality discerning customers expect. 2. Reputable florists order varieties that are known to perform well. At Norway Gardens we order Freedom roses. Freedoms are vibrant deep-red roses with large heads and lovely rolling petals that open into beautiful blooms of over 2 1/2" in diameter. The blooms, which contain 40 to 50 petals, will stay beautiful for one to two weeks. 3. Proper hydration is important. When a commercial rose is cut from the field, it is not hydrated but is immediately boxed and sent overnight to a wholesale florist who immediately sends it on to its retail customers. When our florist gets our rose order, she cuts each rose under water and then uses a hydrating solution which rushes water into the rose stems. This very important process results in roses that open properly and last a long time. (If you have ever had roses that wilt before they are fully open, you can be sure they have not been properly hydrated.) Proper hydration is one of many reasons you should order your roses from a reputable florist. 4. Roses are graded according to stem length, size of flower head, and overall stem quality. True long-stemmed roses should have stems of at least 14" in length. Florists know this and give their customers true long-stemmed roses when that is what the customer wants. 5. We at Norway Gardens wire our long-stemmed roses to make sure they stay strong and upright for their entire bloom time. This extra step makes a big difference in the long-lasting beauty of the bouquet. As you can see, a rose is not just a rose. There are many differences in quality and longevity of bloom. Here are a few other pointers for you to consider: **Order your Valentine flowers early to assure that you get exactly what you want. At Norway Gardens we will have extra staff available to help you with your Valentine orders. **Consider allowing us to deliver your Valentine bouquet a day or two early. If it is being delivered to work, your loved one can enjoy it and show it off to co-workers. Even if it is delivered to a residence, by an early delivery you will be sure it arrives in time to be enjoyed for the entire holiday and well beyond. **Long-stemmed roses are more expensive around Valentine's Day for many reasons -- great demand, higher freight costs, higher labor costs to make sure the extra demand is met, etc. You can lower the cost of your bouquet without sacrificing quality by ordering a mixed bouquet of roses and other beautiful but less expensive flowers. If you are looking for bargains on roses for Valentine's Day, be prepared to get inferior quality. A mixed bouquet is a much better alternative if you want an exquisite bouquet for less money. Source: PRWEB