![<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/orchid[1]_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/orchid[1]_medium.jpg" alt="EXOTIC: An orchid at International Garden on Sixth Avenue in Chelsea's Garden District. (Phoebe Zheng/ The Epoch Times)" title="EXOTIC: An orchid at International Garden on Sixth Avenue in Chelsea's Garden District. (Phoebe Zheng/ The Epoch Times)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-120381"/></a>](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F07%2Forchid%5B1%5D_medium.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
NEW YORK—One of the mainstays of Valentine’s Day, red roses will always be in high demand on Feb. 14—but some opt for more exotic expressions of their love.
“Right now it’s more exotic flowers, like bird of paradise, ginger, some lilies, some orchids,” explained Chanida Kum of International Garden on Sixth Avenue in the garden district, Chelsea. Part of the reason, she says, is the rise in rose prices for Valentine’s Day.
Usually sold at $3 a stem, they go for $5 a stem on Valentine’s Day, while the other flowers stay the same price. Kum says people are also simply adding other flowers to their roses to fill out the bouquet in a cost-efficient, and perhaps more interesting way.
Sees Kumar of Paradise Plants on 28th Street, also in the garden district, gives another reason for the exotic choice:
“Orchids last more time than roses. Roses last a week, [but orchids] last a couple of months!”A Floral Tradition
“Right now it’s more exotic flowers, like bird of paradise, ginger, some lilies, some orchids,” explained Chanida Kum of International Garden on Sixth Avenue in the garden district, Chelsea. Part of the reason, she says, is the rise in rose prices for Valentine’s Day.
Usually sold at $3 a stem, they go for $5 a stem on Valentine’s Day, while the other flowers stay the same price. Kum says people are also simply adding other flowers to their roses to fill out the bouquet in a cost-efficient, and perhaps more interesting way.
Sees Kumar of Paradise Plants on 28th Street, also in the garden district, gives another reason for the exotic choice:
“Orchids last more time than roses. Roses last a week, [but orchids] last a couple of months!”
A Floral Tradition
![<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/Roses[1]_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/Roses[1]_medium.jpg" alt="HIGH DEMAND: Red roses will always be a favorite on Valentine's Day. (Phoebe Zheng/ The Epoch Times)" title="HIGH DEMAND: Red roses will always be a favorite on Valentine's Day. (Phoebe Zheng/ The Epoch Times)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-120382"/></a>](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F07%2FRoses%5B1%5D_medium.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
The classic red rose will always be a favorite among sweethearts, even if the tropical flora work their way into the holiday.
Paradise Plants doesn’t usually carry roses, but they do specially order them for one day of the year: Feb. 14. They distribute bulk orders to restaurants and hotels. Kumar says he is happy to have the holiday, which breaks up the slow season between Christmas and Easter.
Chanida Kum at International Garden says they order about 1,500 to 2,000 roses. At $5 a stem, that is a nice haul for a single day. Kum and Kumar both report, however, that flower sales are dramatically affected by the day Valentine’s falls on.
“A couple of years already we don’t sell so many, because [Valentine’s Day] has been on weekends,” said Kum. “I think people like to send the flowers to the office [rather] than bring them home, because I think on the weekend, they like more to go out for dinner.”
Kumar says sometimes people are just busier during the week, and flowers could be a nice gesture on a tight schedule.
With Valentine’s falling on a Monday this year, the flower business is likely to boom, and bloom.
Paradise Plants doesn’t usually carry roses, but they do specially order them for one day of the year: Feb. 14. They distribute bulk orders to restaurants and hotels. Kumar says he is happy to have the holiday, which breaks up the slow season between Christmas and Easter.
Chanida Kum at International Garden says they order about 1,500 to 2,000 roses. At $5 a stem, that is a nice haul for a single day. Kum and Kumar both report, however, that flower sales are dramatically affected by the day Valentine’s falls on.
“A couple of years already we don’t sell so many, because [Valentine’s Day] has been on weekends,” said Kum. “I think people like to send the flowers to the office [rather] than bring them home, because I think on the weekend, they like more to go out for dinner.”
Kumar says sometimes people are just busier during the week, and flowers could be a nice gesture on a tight schedule.
With Valentine’s falling on a Monday this year, the flower business is likely to boom, and bloom.
