Flowerlink Owner and President, Natalia Diaz shares her favorite Valentine’s Day Varieties for 2020!
Queenberry
This is my personal favorite hot pink rose variety, it has a truly vibrant shade with perfect shape. The petals are clean and will always open. As it opens, it seems to have a few different shades of hot pink but it never loses its vibrancy.
Country Blues
This garden rose is a medium pink blended with lavender hues adding to its unique antique look. Every single flower has a perfect double heart shape that brings texture to any arrangement. The shape is so perfect that you would almost think it’s fake. This very sturdy garden rose will easily last two weeks!
Queen’s Crown
Beautiful garden rose in lavender with some pink hues in it. The outside petals on this lovely variety are darker than the center which becomes even lighter as the blooms open. Queens Crown is a long-lasting garden rose variety with a great vase life.
Dream in Peach
One of the new varieties on our radar for Valentine’s Day this year is Dream in Peach. It’s an absolutely gorgeous peach variety with beautiful petal shapes that will open and hold for a very long time. At first, the color is more intense and as the days pass it becomes much paler but without ever looking dull. In my opinion, it’s beautiful when you get to see the change and transformation of a flower from color to shape. I love seeing this beautiful transition even over a rose that lasts just as long but seems pretty stiff and doesn’t change. Dream in peach is a variety that keeps on giving.
Martina
A classic medium pink rose that opens fairly fast but unlike what people usually think of varieties that open fast, this one holds its shape and color for a long time. This variety will open and look superb 99% of the time with every single rose looking uniformly perfect with equal size petals and similar opening size. It might not look like anything special when it’s closed but once you put it in water it’s always a favorite!
Cafe Del Mar
Brand new variety, Cafe Del Mar is a rich brownish, red color that tends to be exclusive for the fall season. I find this one so unique and beautiful that it could be used and combined with other colors all year round. This is another variety that keeps on giving. Along with Dream in Peach, this variety lasted the longest in my test. It kept opening and looking more beautiful every day. Once open and looking perfect it will hold for awhile. Browns are not usually my favorite shades for Valentine’s Day but this one stole my heart.
Breathless
Most people would call this variety a hot pink but it’s really more of a deep lavender-pink. Even though it’s not bright in color it’s stunning and rich. Every single one of these roses will open and have perfect shape. Its petals have soft ruffles that become more and more obvious as the rose opens. It holds forever and will definitely add texture when mixed with any other rose variety.
Breezer
Breezer is a hot pink rose with a small head. Unlike some varieties, I think breezer looks really pretty when it is closed and continues to impress as it opens. It has a very long sepal (leaves around the head of the rose) which makes it very elegant and the perfect addition to any mixed arrangement. It will also be stunning on it’s own. If you are looking for the perfect small head rose, look no further!!
The Explorer Family
Most of us can agree that Explorer is one of the current TOP red varieties. Perfect shape, beautiful color, opens at the perfect pace and holds forever!!!! What’s not to love about it. I was really excited to also try Royal Explorer and Hot Explorer when they came out…and they do not disappoint. They have the same amazing qualities except in new colors which when combined make the most beautiful and durable combination for Valentine’s Day. Royal Explorer is a vibrant beautiful bright red and Hot Explorer is the perfect hot pink. These three varieties are definitely stunning and a must for Valentine’s Day in my opinion.
Ashley
An absolutely stunning garden rose. If you haven’t seen this variety in person, do yourself a favor and order a bunch or two so you can see these amazing blooms first hand. Ashley has a beautiful medium pink color but it’s the shape and the way it opens that put this variety over the edge. This garden rose will FULLY open with large blooms that hold and last for a long time, something uncommon in garden rose varieties.
Enjoy
Similar to Sweet Unique, this rose is a classic medium pink with a nice head size and beautiful classic shape. I would call this pink the “bread-and-butter” for Valentine’s Day.
Magic Times
This is a fun rose to have in your repertoire. It definitely makes a statement and will catch people’s attention. Magic times is a variegated white/cream and hot pink variety that looks like a hand-painted rose. In addition to its fun colors, this variety has a nice head size and is durable.
