Cut flowers and flowering pot plants are the most appropriate gifts for Valentine's Day.

Choosing Valentine’s plants and flowers


Roses are one of the most popular Valentine’s Day flowers. However, there are many other suitable choices. Start with seasonal forced ones, such as tulips, bleeding heart, anemones, ranunculus, columbine, and lily of the valley. In terms of popularity other cut flowers that are used for Valentine’s gifts include alstroemeria, carnations, lilies, and gerbera daisies as well as regular daisies. Other suitable cut flowers include pink baby’s breath, mixed bouquets, penstemon, lisianthus, and wax flower.

In addition to cut flowers various kinds of flowering pot plants are good choices for this holiday. These include florist azaleas, mums, kalanchoes, orchids, gloxinia, miniature rose bushes, anthuriums, African violets, and begonias.

So far as the flower color is concerned, both the red and the pink continue to be the most popular colors for this holiday.

Topiaries of all kinds, especially wreath topiaries and those trained in the shape of hearts, make great holiday gifts. There are herbal, ivy, and flowering plant topiaries available. Wreaths, especially heart shaped ones, are popular gift items. Topiaries can be made with fresh or dried flowers as well as foliage plants. Wreath topiaries are good choices since wreaths symbolize everlasting. Herb plants, especially rosemary for remembrance, are wonderful Valentine’s gifts. The best gift is a gift basket with either fresh flowers or plants along with other items, such as Valentine’s treats, such as chocolate.

Chocolate has long standing ties with Valentine’s Day ever since Cadbury released its first boxes of Valentine’s chocolates. This has been associated with romance for many years, and this means home-made chocolate treats very ideal for Valentine’s gifts for including in holiday gift baskets along with flowers and potted plants.

Taunton Press has released the ultimate guide to cooking with chocolate. “Absolutely Chocolate-Irresistible Excuses to Indulge” is by the editors of Fine Cooking magaine. This belongs in every chocolate lover’s kitchen. It reveals all the secrets the cook needs to know when choosing and cooking with these special ingredients. It explains in great detail what each type of cooking chocolate is used for. A chapter is devoted to each type of dish, such as bread. One chapter deals with chocolate sauces and drinks.

This title has equivalency charts giving metric measurements and oven temperatures. It has both a recipe index as well as a general index. Throughout the book there are boxes with additional tips and information. It also explains how to evaluate a chocolate in order to choose the best quality ingredients for your recipes. The recipes are so yummy that I find it hard to choose a favorite. The truffles and the chocolate dipped strawberries would make ideal Valentine’s Day gifts. This has color illustrated, step by step instructions for each recipe. Many of the recipes can be made ahead and frozen.