When it comes to Valentine’s Day flowers, roses generally get a lot of hype (particularly the red, long-stemmed variety!). This isn’t a recent phenomenon. Roses have been associated with romance and love since ancient times. In fact, the rose is one of the symbols of Aphrodite and Venus – the goddesses of love in ancient Greece and Rome.
But when it comes to modern-day love, there’s no reason we need to be limited to roses on Valentine’s Day. The world is really your oyster! But if you’re looking for suggestions, here are our favourite ‘different’ Valentines’ Day flowers.
Top 3 Different Valentine’s Day Flowers
1. Carnations
Carnations are sometimes overlooked in the flower world. But that’s certainly a shame. With their delicate ruffled appearance, they are both charming and romantic. Clustered together, in reds, pinks and purples, they make stunning single flower arrangements. And they also work well supporting other blooms in mixed arrangements.
Carnations are also associated with love, beauty and captivation. Red carnations further symbolise deep love, affection and passion. This makes them absolutely perfect Valentine’s Day flowers.
Carnations are one of The Flower Farm’s signature flowers. Grown right here in Birkdale, they are picked daily, meaning that your Valentine’s Day flowers will be the freshest and most beautiful blooms available.
We recommend: Our Special Seasonal Carnation Mix Bunch
2. Sunflowers
Sunflowers are certainly not the first flowers you might think of for Valentine’s Day. But they have long been associated with love. In fact, sunflowers symbolise loyalty and adoration thanks to the myth of Clytie and Apollo.
In this ancient story, Apollo, the sun god, was a splendid and glorious creature who drove his chariot through the sky. He was so wonderful that the nymph, Clytie, fell in love with him. Apollo didn’t notice or care for Apollo, so Clytie’s love was unrequited.
In her longing, she stood all night, gazing into the night sky and waiting for him to appear. When he did, at dawn, she’d follow him all day with her eyes. Finally, the gods took pity on her and turned her into a tall sunflower which turns its face towards the sun all day as it moves throughout the day.
While this story doesn’t have a happy ending, sunflowers are a great way to show your love and affection without being over the top or cliched. And the yellow is sure to bring happiness to any recipient of Valentine’s Day flowers.
We recommend: Our Yellow Arrangement
3. Irises
The iris is one of our favourite blooms, both on its own and in arrangements. Ranging from bright purple to pale pink it offers so much variety. And the shape and structure of this unique bloom lends interest and delight to Valentine’s Day flower arrangements.
We love the mythology of the iris, which dates back to ancient Greece. In this story, the goddess Iris was actually believed to be the link between heaven and earth – a beautiful story for sharing with someone you love! Interestingly, there is also one varietal of the iris that is named ‘Valentine’s Day’. Could there be a more perfect flower for the day?
We recommend: Bright Seasonal Bunch
But we still love roses!
Of course roses will always have a special place on the Valentine’s Day flowers line up – and they should. They are beautiful, romantic and send a wonderful message of love. But we think the other flowers – those we mention here, and your favourite blooms – have a lot to offer as well. So this Valentine’s Day take a look around and see what’s on offer. (But buy the roses too!)
Valentine’s Day flowers are our specialty! Get in touch with our expert team. We’d love to help you choose a fresh bouquet or arrangement for your loved one this Valentine’s Day.