So why red roses anyway?
Not many of those growing in your average British February. From Tudor until Victorian times at least the traditional Valentine’s gift from man to woman was a pair of gloves. Much more practical and long lasting.
For much of last century an anonymous card was as much excitement as anyone could expect. Lots of manoeuvring to get other people to address them so the writing on the envelope wasn’t a give-away…
Then we discovered air freight…
Now a million red roses a day are loaded onto conveyor belts in Kenya and flown across the world to the wholesale flower markets in Amsterdam, from where they are taken in refrigerated lorries all over Europe. After such a journey, no wonder so many wilt by nightfall.
Some of our red roses come from Colombia, where at least legal rose growing has replaced illegal cocaine production. Roses grown in hot houses in Amsterdam are more local but use more fuel for heat. So lose lose really.
And that’s just for the ones that sell. Even more wasteful for those that don’t when demand drops like a stone on February 15th
But now that’s only a part of the whole Valentine’s Day industry. Nothing to do with romance and shy secret protestations of love but all to do with how much money big business can make from the soft-hearted. Even Percy Pig is on the act. Money-grubber.
There’s even, God help us , a move for this love to spread through the family with parents buying Valentine’s presents for children. Isn’t that really a bit creepy?
Anyway, the whole thing’s become such a cliché as to become utterly meaningless.
So forget the red roses, think local and seasonal instead – huge bunches of snowdrops or daffodils.
Doesn’t cost the earth – in any sense – and shows you’ve put some thought into it.
What’s not to love?
Listen to: Secret Love by Doris Day
The Canny Time Traveller 