You can’t beat a classic. Flowers are still the go-to gesture to express your undying love and affection — or at least to prove that you didn’t forget…
You can’t beat a classic.
Flowers are still the go-to gesture to express your undying love and affection — or at least to prove that you didn’t forget about Valentine’s Day.
Bouquets, or some kind of trendy floral equivalent, “never go out of style,” says Christine Strzalka, co-owner of It’s By U, a subscription service that sends DIY flower-arranging kits by mail. But some bouquets are cooler than others.
A dozen red roses, for example? “Those are a little old school,” Strzalka says, though they can be spiced up with some interesting accompaniments, like eucalyptus.
She’d rather receive a few striking proteas — bright, spindly blossoms native to South Africa. “You put three of those in a vase with nothing else and people just can’t stop staring.”
When buying flowers on your own, Strzalka recommends looking for thick, hardy stems topped with robust buds that haven’t opened up all the way yet. (They’ll ultimately last longer than already-bloomed flowers.) Once home, cut the stems on a diagonal line to help them absorb more water.
If it’s the morning of the 14th and your fleurs haven’t opened up yet, don’t panic. Placing them in slightly warm water will help them open up more quickly. For roses, you can gently blow across the tops of the blooms to help them to unfurl. For carnations, use your ring finger to lightly massage the petals open.
If all of that sounds like a bit of pressure, just call in the pros. There are plenty of fashionable flower-delivery services at your disposal.
It’s By U
If you’d like to flex your creative muscles — but not too hard — consider It’s By U’s mail-order flower kits. Valentine’s Day options include their petite “Tiny Love” assemble-it-yourself arrangement of miniroses, or their quirky “Blissed Out Babe” kit, which features low-maintenance succulents.
Bloom That
Dubbed “Uber for flowers,” this delivery service offers a clutch 90-minute delivery for last-minute orders. Some extra time is necessary for those interested in their “The Most Extra” bouquet, a $500 option that comes with just over 100 stems and might require a small wagon for a vase.
Farmgirl Flowers
Flowers are nice and all, but a little extra something-something can make a difference. With Farmgirl Flowers, you can add all manner of goodies to the package: candy, jewelry, candles and more. The brand’s Valentine’s Day offerings include the “K-I-S-S-I-N-G” package: 30 stems of tulips, a kiss-marked ceramic vase and a package of sour candy lips from Sugarfina.
UrbanStems
These fashionable floral arrangements, complete with sprigs of succulents, deliver anywhere in the continental US and include path-less-traveled options such as an air plant in a trendy dinosaur-shaped vase.
Sprout Home
This Brooklyn-based flower delivery company caters to a range of aesthetics, from a sophisticated white-and-green assemblage to a more playful orange-and-pink burst. The company delivers to Brooklyn and Manhattan, but walk-ins are also welcome at their storefront at 59 Grand St., Brooklyn.
Petal by Pedal
There’s something terribly romantic about getting flowers delivered by bicycle. This local flower-delivery company on wheels sources all their stems from New York state and arranges them in rustic-chic Mason jars. There’s even the option to add a typewritten love letter.
