10 Flower Buying Tips From an Expert

I come from a family of sweet, traditional men. My father gave my mother red roses for Valentine’s. My husband also gravitates toward bouquets of packaged red roses. I would never question that gesture. In fact, I try to encourage that sort of behavior. But a girl can dream, and sometimes when I do, I dream about flowers my husband has curated a little bit. A bouquet of hydrangeas; fat, glorious peonies tied up with twine. A fashion-y bouquet of ombre pink roses maybe. Sunflowers, daisies, anemones, there are so many beautiful options in the flora kingdom and it makes me sad that what many of us experience as a romantic bouquet involves roses flown in from distant lands, a dab of fern and a filigree of baby’s breath wrapped up in green floral paper. With flower-giving, it's often fruitful to think outside the box.

In hopes of bridging the divide between the sexes about flower expectations and reality and the many options in Valentine’s flowers beyond the standards, I consulted a man heavy into flowers, Bill Prescott, who has very strong opinions about all things posy.

Of course, as Chief Flower Lover (that’s actually the title he gives me) at Stargazer Barn, Bill wants you to buy Stargazer Barn flowers, because they pay for his electricity and pork pie hats.

But his guy-in-the-know Valentine’s Day tips for flower-buying are a brilliant set of standards, truth-telling and ideas for everyone. Bill’s tips for guys (or ladies) in the dark about the best way to give flowers this Valentine’s Day are invaluable, and opened my eyes to the many ways that tortuous and convention-laden gesture of giving flowers for Valentine’s Day can become truly romantic and lovely: “They do make your life richer,” says Bill of the gift of flowers. He’s heavy into lilies “very seductive flowers” he says, so we know what Mrs. Prescott is getting this year. How concerned is Bill that you get it right this V-Day? He encourages those with questions to contact him directly: bill@stargazerbarn.com

Don’t assume that “red roses are the end all, be all flowers,” says Bill. In fact, studies have shown that most women are not big fans of red flowers. They like yellow, white, pink, all sorts of different things. Another Valentine's Day flower resource, Flower Muse is even offering up "black" tulips for the ultimate thumbed-nose to tradition.

Flowers are romantic, and the history of some flowers is amazing. "Red tulips in ancient Persia were given to declare your love unconditionally and the black center of the tulip was said to represent the lover’s heart, burned to a coal by love’s passion,” says Bill. For guys to have a story behind the flowers rather than just run into the supermarket and grab the first thing they see can be a powerful thing, says Bill. So include a little lore about your flowers in the card that accompanies them, and impress your guy or lady friend with some intel on the flowers you’re gifting them.