But if your partner isn’t a fan of roses, if you think they’re overrated, or you’re looking for something different this year to leave a unique impression, then the good news is there’s a plethora of beautiful flowers to choose from that aren’t roses. And even more compelling, many of them carry their own special meaning that you can use to represent your unique relationship in an even more meaningful bouquet.
To loosely quote Shakespeare, a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet – and these six alternatives would surely be as sweet as a flower bouquet gift, while being more memorable in its uniqueness.
Carnations
Heavily petaled blooms, a variety of colours and meanings, together with its ease to grow and buy, makes carnations one of the most popular alternatives to roses. They mainly symbolise devotion and love, which is why they’re a popular choice for weddings and intimate ceremonies in cultures around the world. Red carnations represent affection and admiration, while white carnations symbolise pure love.
These flowers are some of the oldest floral cultivars in history, and so they have a firm foundation in several historical events. But in the here and now, a bouquet of carnations in several colours would not only brighten up your date’s day, it would also convey every facet of your love too.
Tulips
This iconic flower is instantly recognisable and has become a compelling reason to travel (yes, we’re talking about the mass appeal of Amsterdam’s Keukenhof Gardens) in the past few years. But they’re more than just a pretty bloom, and red tulips in particular carry a very romantic meaning of true and perfect love.
Among the other common tulip colours like yellow, white, orange, and pink, these bulb-like flowers also signify happiness, hope, rebirth and healing, as their springtime bloom often marks the coming of the vibrant season. Graceful and beloved by all, tulips are a great flower to show how much your Valentine means to you.
Peonies
In our opinion, peonies are like roses but better. Perfectly round bulbs, lush blooms with layers and layers of soft petals, and an elegant scent to cap it off, peonies are a luxurious flower when presented as a gift. If you’re focusing fully on expressing your love, then pink and red peonies are the way to go as they symbolise romance, love, passion, respect, and happiness in marriage.
You can also mix in white peonies, which represent innocence and purity (perhaps if your relationship is in the early stages), or yellow ones that denote positivity and optimism to add a touch of good vibes for your future together.
Ranunculus
A flower that’s truly underrated here in Malaysia is the ranunculus blooms, which are native to the Mediterranean and widely cultivated in Europe. They’re commonly known as buttercups, while ranunculus is the latin name for the entire genus. However, the cultivated varietals of ranunculus flowers far differ from the common buttercups you’d imagine.
With much heavier and tighter petal layers, these blooms are mesmerising and beautiful, which are a fitting that one of their meanings is charm and beauty and this meaning is often matched with the purple flowers. Red ranunculus flowers symbolise love, passion, and romance, while the softer pink leans more on gentle feelings of love.
Lilies
Another beautiful bloom, lilies and all its varieties are bulb flowers, like tulips, that have made its mark in history. Easily recognised by the large six-petaled flowers and fragrant scent, lilies comes in a wide range of colours that each carry a unique meaning. As a gift, they are known to portray love, passion, and affection especially in red, while the more commonly seen white lilies carry the meaning of purity, commitment, and rebirth and can be a great way to commemorate a new stage, or big event in your relationship.
Pink lilies also symbolise femininity and love, while yellow and orange buds can bring joy, gratitude, energy, and confidence to your gift bouquet. They also make a great centrepiece for mixed flower bouquets, and pairs well with more delicate flowers like the classic rose.
Jasmines
Last but not least is the jasmine flower. Because they’re so commonly used in Malaysia, whether for cultural and spiritual rites or in tea and aromatherapy, the flowers themselves are a little underrated as a gift in its natural form. Characterised by small, white flowers that grow in clusters, your date will most likely recognise them by smell before they even set eyes on the bouquet – which is a fun way to add to the ambience of Valentine’s Day.
Jasmines are associated with divine love, purity, grace, and sensuality, and their pure white petals will pop against any flower arrangement you put them into. And if you plan to really wow your date, seek out the less common double-flowered variety which offers full and lush blooms that are unlike the jasmines we commonly encounter. A bonus is that their fragrance will stick around for a few days after, a gentle reminder of your special Valentine’s Day.
That being said, the best flowers to give your Valentine is the flowers they love, whether that’s roses or any other ones not on this list. The key is to pay attention to their preferences, while keeping in mind some of the meanings mentioned above so you can truly curate a bouquet that expresses love the way you want it to for a gift that’s unforgettable.
For more Valentine’s Day gift inspiration, click here.