Dear Ones

Those who pass up tulips and carnations in favor of long-stemmed red roses may not be the most creative Valentine sweethearts, but they are definitely not cheapskates.

And local florists say there will be plenty of roses on hand this year, including for those who don’t realize until the last minute that there is a Valentine toll to be paid if they want to continue their romance past Monday.

But if you want to be sure to get the traditional dozen roses, you should make that call to your florist today, and the earlier the better. Because even though most florists are braced for hundreds of customers ordering thousands of roses, you just never know.

It seems that the roses with the longest stems and biggest heads travel the farthest to get here. Some came all the way from Ecuador just to make the less-expensive California roses look small in comparison.

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At Wood Ranch Florist in Simi Valley, those imported roses arranged with greenery in a vase cost $85 a dozen.

“The size of the heads of imported roses are the size of a small orange compared to the domestic rose heads that are the size of a walnut,” designer Jean Gilbert said. “When you order long-stemmed roses, that could mean 15 inches. The imported rose stems are about 36 to 40 inches.”

That extra stem length allows her to create a 4-foot masterpiece in an urn-shaped vase using expensive greens such as plumosus, Italian roscus or bear grass with some curly willow sticks for style.

Developing a relationship with a florist is necessary if such details are important to the customer, Gilbert said.

“People need to find a florist they can trust and not just call an 800-number,” she suggested.

The recipient should do her or his part to make sure the flowers stay beautiful by immediately checking the water level, florist’s helper Vicki Manzer said.

At Floral Expressions in Camarillo, a care tag goes out with every rose arrangement telling recipients what to do to keep their roses alive for as long as possible, Manzer said.

Most florists send such a tag, and some also have a packet of preservative to put in the water. Read these tags and follow the instructions, Manzer advised.

One dozen long-stemmed imported red roses cost $85 at Floral Expressions and come in a lead crystal vase, along with delicate greenery and tiny filler flowers.

“We’ve been preparing for Valentine’s Day for two weeks and are ready for the crowds,” Manzer said.

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In Oxnard, A Miracle Florist sells a vase or basket containing a dozen long-stemmed imported or domestic roses for $65.

“We pre-treat our roses as soon as we get them into the shop by cutting and cleaning them to make them last longer,” said floral designer Maria Hermosillo. “So they are more likely to bloom, and our customers get their money’s worth.”

Conroy’s in Oxnard, Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley are selling one-dozen imported rose arrangements in a cobalt-blue vase with greenery, wax flowers and a bow for $69.99, said Tabatha Puga.

Puga, a floral assistant in the Oxnard Conroy’s, said her store expects to sell at least 500 rose arrangements. She hopes everyone heeds the care tags, so the roses can reach their full potential.

“The roses should get a fresh cut every day,” Puga said. “Just pick up the whole arrangement, take it out of the vase and cut a little off each stem. Then put it back in the water. You don’t need to take each one out and then rearrange them.”

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Fresh water every day and keeping roses out of the heat or cold will also help, she said.

“Don’t put the roses on the TV,” said flower salesman Spencer Smith.

Smith, usually involved in shipping and selling flowers for C&F; Flowers in Ventura, will be helping out at Fernando’s Flowers of Ventura during the Valentine’s holiday rush.

Fernando’s sells a dozen long-stemmed roses in a vase with heather greenery, baby’s breath flowers and a bow for $49.99.

“It’s a roadside stand, so they can sell the flowers fresher and cheaper,” Smith said. “They don’t have the overhead.”

Fernando’s is expecting a big rush this weekend, Smith said.

“Half the people stop to buy flowers and the other half stop to see what all the commotion is about,” he said.

And if the price of roses turns out to be too steep, there will be less-expensive flower arrangements at every shop. Mixed bouquets or decorated plants are not traditional, but they might just work to keep love on track for another year. And you will get points for creativity.

Nancy Needham can be reached at nancy.needham@reporters.net.