Roses for Valentine's Day

It's almost Valentine's Day and time to think about where you can buy the most romantic gift for your loved one. Neill explains why his Roses, hand-tied bouquets and floral arrangements are the most perfect gift you can find for this annual tradition and learn how 2017 Valentine's Day is going to be so special at Neill Strain Floral Couture.

Every Saint Valentine's Day has been special at our Belgravia boutique since we opened nine years ago. The moment we erect our floral heart, lovers flock to take their photo between the Roses creating an atmosphere of love and laughter on West Halkin Street. But this year, 2017, is going to be even more special for us because we are launching for the very first time our on-line boutique with our Valentine's Collection of stunning bouquets and arrangements with deliveries throughout central London.

One of today's best known traditions is offering red Roses, or a gorgeous bouquet of flowers, to one's loved one on Valentine's Day. This age-old, now international tradition believed to be of British origin, is the second busiest day of the year in the floral industry, following International Women's Day. That's why, when you order your flowers, you need to be careful where they come from.

Due to the enormous demand for red Roses for Valentine's Day, many of the blooms at the gowers' glasshouses during the weeks prior to February 14th are picked and refrigerated in cold rooms. When these are later sold at the auctions, it is hard to tell which Roses are freshly picked from those that were picked weeks earlier. That's why we order our Red Naomi Roses from our specialised grower in advance; our blooms are picked and sent to us the same day arriving within 24 hours at our Belgravia boutique. We also request the longest stems, 80 cms, which means the Roses have been grown longer on the plant to reach this size and the heads are bigger and stronger too. Our clients want unrivalled quality and we know our Roses provide this.

To launch our new on-line ordering service for central and greater London, we have designed a special Valentine's Collection of bouquets and arrangements all oozing in romance and elegance. The above hand-tied bouquet is available with 6 or 12 Roses, while for 18, 24 or 48 Roses we arrange the stunning blooms in a glass vase.

For those looking to be more adventurous, we have created an exquisitely feminine design with blooms in tints of tones of pink surrounding one single red Rose, to represent pure love. All these flowers together weave a tapestry of texture and colour I absolutely adore.

Given the exceptional quality of our Avalanche Roses, we have produced a pastel-coloured bouquet of sublime elegance comprising a mix of stunning 80 cm Sweet, Peach and white Avalanche Roses with a blend of seasonal foliage. Also available with white Phalaenopsis Orchids for an extra touch of opulence.

Of course we also have our Petite Couture arrangments for Valentine's Day. Available in small, medium and large, these gorgeous arrangements offer one single red Rose encircled by other seasonal beauties.

Last but not least, our best Valentine's Day gift is of course "Flowers for the Year." A bouquet from this Valentine's Collection followed by another bouquet every year of the month with our most exquisite seasonal flowers is delivered to your loved one, styled by us or to your personal taste.

If these Valentine's bouquets and arrangements have inspired you, take a look at the on-line ordering service on our website. In the meantime, if you're in the neighbourhood, don't forget to come and take your photo with your loved one in our floral heart! Happy Valentine's Day to all!

Florally yours,

Neill xx