“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” said William Shakespeare, and if anyone knew about the power of love it was him. Roses have been the flower of love pretty much as long as we’ve been falling in love, and on Sunday there’ll be more roses given than at any other time of the year.

There are some rules to follow with roses, for example, how many is too many?

• A single rose of any hue depicts utmost devotion
• Two roses knotted together mean ‘Marry me’
• Six roses indicate the need to be loved or valued
• Eleven roses promise the recipient they are truly and deeply in love and for that reason, make a great gift for a partner, husband or wife
• Thirteen roses are meant to give to love interest by a secret admirer

There are so many way to celebrate the most romantic day of the year, but this year, it’ll be a virtual affair for many. Most of us will be indoors this Valentine’s Day, and with time running out, you need to get everything together to celebrate the day.

If your loved one is with you, that will make life easier, if not, you should be booking that Zoom call, planning a virtual dinner, and making the night as romantic as it can be, in the current climate. Don’t for one minute think you’ll get away with sending a virtual gift or even a nice bunch of flowers, if you do, we suspect it’ll be virtually impossible to expect forgiveness.

It may be a little predictable, but we guarantee a bunch of red roses is still a Valentine’s Day classic, but unless the time is taken to shop around, romance here in South Wales could end up costing a small fortune. Some may end up paying prices up to 221% higher than the cheapest bouquet.

But the question is – does cheap always mean cheerful?

Research from leading savings site, VoucherCodes.co.uk, analysed the cost of a bunch of 12 red roses sold online to find the retailer that provides the most bang for your buck.  

Of the retailers studied, BloomPost.co.uk offers the cheapest dozen at only £14.95 or £1.25 per single rose. Funky Pigeon follows behind at £19.99 per dozen, equating to £1.67 per stem – but this is still 34% more expensive than the cheapest option. 

Next, eflorist, Marks & Spencer and Waitrose all provide bouquets for £25 and under, however this could cost up to 67% more than the cheapest available option.

“Sending a partner, crush or friend a dozen red roses is a Valentine’s Day classic”

Anita Naik – VoucherCodes.co.uk

At the higher end of the scale Interflora sells the most expensive bunch by a staggering distance. A dozen red roses from the retailer will set you back a whopping £48 – that’s 221% more than the cheapest bouquet of those analysed. Online florist Bunches is not far behind at £38 per dozen, costing 154% more than the cheapest bunch available.  

Anita Naik, Lifestyle Editor at VoucherCodes.co.uk, told us……

“Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to surprise loved ones and let them know how appreciated they are.”  

“Sending a partner, crush or friend a dozen red roses is a Valentine’s Day classic and is one of the few possible ways to mark the occasion this year with fancy dinner dates being off the cards. However, our research shows that not all bouquets are priced the same, therefore it’s always best to shop around to make sure you are getting the best deal. Planning ahead and ordering early will also ensure you are not paying more than you need to. Before you place your order, check our list to help you make the most of your money.” 

Whichever you choose, we think you need to get a wiggle on as time is running out. As useful as they are, a last minute bunch of forecourt flowers just won’t cut it this year.

For more ideas, take a look at our Valentine’s features below…….

• A PASSIONATE VALENTINE’S WITH ALL THE TOYS
• OUR VALENTINE’S SPECIAL
• TAKE OUR LOVE COMPATIBILITY QUIZ
• TIME TO RAISE IT & TALK ABOUT THE ‘HARD’ FACTS