Looking ahead to Valentine’s Day 2006, what can we expect? Based on sales in 2005, flowers will still hold the number one place for Valentine's Day gifts. Both jewelry and chocolate rank below bouquets. For 2006, you should expect to pay slightly higher prices than you did in 2005 for flowers. The rise in energy costs will be reflected in the cost of cut stems.

Despite all the other kinds of flowers that are available, roses continue to be the most popular. Red roses remain a best seller.

In 2005, Americans bought about 175 million roses for Valentine’s Day. Of all the different holidays, this one accounts for about 24% of all flower sales, just slightly less than Mother’s Day and Christmas.

Though it is true that most flowers are purchased for spouses or significant others, nearly one-fourth of the total for Valentine’s Day are purchased by women for either friends or family, particularly for their mothers. On average, most people will spend well over a hundred dollars on gifts.

When it comes time to choose gifts, consider other kinds of flowers besides roses. Tulips would be a wonderful choice. These appealing flowers are chic and fun. What’s even more important is that they have a longer vase life than roses. Tulips come in a marvelous array of colors and shapes. There are ones to suit each loved one’s individual personality.

When it comes to color, tulips have a lot to offer. There are scarlet ones, rose-red ones, and crimson along with a myriad of different pinks, whites, and creams.

You’ll find many kind of red colored tulips are available. Rococo Parrot Tulip features feathery, ruffled petals with delightful splashes of green. Other suitable reds include Amor Double Late Tulips. This peony-like bloom features glistening, multiple-tiered red petals. Estella Ridjveld Parrot Tulip has curled blooms with streaks of red on a green and white background. Barbados Fringed Tulip has a spiky appearance. In waxy-red tones, this features delicately feathered edges.

For this holiday, you can’t beat the classic egg-shaped tulips, such as that seen in the Ile de France Triumph Tulip. This gorgeous, cardinal-red blossoms appears on slender, sturdy stems.

For Valentine’s Day, choose exotic looking Rembrandt type tulips. They come in a wide range of colors. These would be especially suitable for 2006 marks the 400th year of the artist’s birth.

Cut tulips cost much less than roses. So you can buy two or three bunches for the same amount of money. Cut tulips will be available at all the usual retail outlets.