By Shweta Thakur and Radhika Bhirani, IANS
New Delhi : Rose may rule the roost on Valentine’s Day, but if you want to make a statement this time or drop a romantic hint, pick up something more exotic – may be heliconia or anthurium or even an oriental lily.
Cymbidium orchid, heliconia, hydrangea, anthurium, bird of paradise, oriental and Asiatic lilies are some of the choicest tropical varieties one can splurge on to pamper the beloved Feb 14.
“Valentine’s Day is a very special occasion for love birds. Those who want to make it more special prefer exotic flowers over clichéd roses,” Pawan Gadia, vice-president of the Ferns ‘N’ Petals Group and department head of e-commerce and retail, told IANS.
While the one-foot-long cymbidium stem that comes from Thailand costs Rs.1,500, hydrangea costs Rs.400, heliconia Rs.350 and oriental lily Rs.200, while Asiatic lilies, anthurium and bird of paradise are priced Rs.100 each.
“The urge among youngsters to be trendy, make a mark and even reflect their personality through the choice of flowers and gifts is also a reason that prompts youngsters to shell out extra bucks on these flowers for their love interests,” he added.
However, the choice of colour remains restricted to red that signifies love and romance.
“Other than roses there is a high demand for flowers coming from overseas but in the red colour only. Red carnations are a hot favourite among those doing some last-minute shopping,” said Sushma Arora, owner of Bunny Florists.
Shedding light on another facet, the president of Birju Phool Mandi, Birju Bhai Pradhan, quipped: “Actually those who love secretly and wish to express it indirectly give flowers other than roses to their love interest on this day.”
Agreeing, Sriti Mishra, a call centre employee, said: “I am planning to drop a romantic hint to the person I am interested in by presenting him with some exotic flower on Valentine’s Day. A rose would invariably be understood as a direct proposal.”
Gadia also said the country’s flower market estimates no less than Rs.4 billion. And exotic flowers account for about 25 percent of it.
“Compared to other special occasions like Mother’s Day, the sale of flowers on V-Day is just double,” he pointed out.
“Today’s youth is well-travelled and has much knowledge about tropical flowers. Also, with more disposable income at their end and increasing fashion consciousness, the trend of gifting exotic flowers has a great future ahead,” concluded Gadia.