How to Choose Roses for Valentine's Day

On Valentine's Day, the fresh flower of choice is always roses, and red ones, at that.

So much so that growers are poised to deliver the bulk of their roses—with a heavy emphasis on red—on Monday and Tuesday.

We stopped by Alabasta flower shop in Los Altos and asked florist David Wales what he'd advise for these important decisions.

Here are a few simple things to keep in mind, he says: 

• Roses are likely to be quite fresh, as shops are bringing them in for the biggest rose—and red rose—sales of the year. 
• If you need the roses to last days beyond Valentine's Day, use a reputable florist for the freshest roses, and steer clear of the supermarket variety, which may have spent several days in cold storage.
• The freshest roses are tight and firm at their base. Older ones that have been in cold storage will feel spongy to the touch. Ask the florist if you can gently squeeze them—or ask him or her to choose them on that basis. Two roses can look the same, but be far apart in freshness. The older ones will open and fade quickly, or their heads will droop.
• If ordering a floral arrangement, remember that florists need flexibility to do good work. If you want a lovely arrangement, give color preferences or a flower preference, but don't dictate too much. If you ask florists to make an arrangement as if it were for themselves or their mothers, you're more likely to get the best effort, Wales said.