This isn't so much a product review as it is an endorsement of the plant. Let face it, yes, you could buy carnations, daffodils, narcissi, etc... but then you just look like a cheapskate because you didn't buy roses. (The only exception to this rule is when you go to a funeral in which case you should always get white lilies or whatever colour of lilies the deceased person liked best if you know what their favourite colour is.)
Carnations is what you buy a FRIEND on their birthday.
Or you might get a different flower (eg. daffodils or narcissi) if you knew that the person had a particular favourite, but if you don't know then frankly you're better off sticking with roses because nothing else comes close.
I think its because roses are basically a brand name. Its like buying Coca-Cola or Nike or IBM. You know you are buying the BEST.
However within roses I find there is still room for variety. Depending on the flower shop you can still get something other than red roses... You can also get:
White Roses (Purity / Faithfulness)
Yellow Roses (Friendship)
Orange Roses (Love)
Red Roses (Lust / Passion, Courage)
Peach Roses (Gratefulness / Sincerity)
Pink Roses (Playfulness / Joyfulness)
Lavender Roses (Adoration / Majesty)
Black Roses (Death / Rebirth)
Blue Roses (Attaining the Impossible)
Blue roses don't exist in nature, they're actually white roses that are dyed blue.
As a gift what I like to do is get 1 orange rose and 1 blue rose. Together the blue and orange compliment each other and makes for a truly unique gift on that special day. I would probably still go for red roses on Valentines, but any other time of the year I recommend 1 blue and 1 orange.
Of course not all flower shops (and by extension delivery services) offer blue and orange roses, so it can be difficult to find. I recommend phoning various places to find out what kind of roses they actually have.
eg. Etobicoke flower delivery doesn't have blue roses listed on their website, but they might be able to arrange them if you made a special order. Their website really only offers different flower arrangements. But in theory if you phoned them (416-244-9355 or 800-622-6419) then you might be able to make a special. I have no idea what their delivery rate is.
When it comes to flower delivery its all pretty expensive anyway. You're paying for the frivolity of it. Its a bit like eating out in a super fancy restaurant. You're not eating there because the food is good (in my experience its the dives which have the best tasting food), you're eating there because its a special occasion and you want to be surrounded by beautiful decor (and impress whomever you are with).
Speaking for myself I have NEVER ordered flowers for delivery. Seems like a complete waste to me. I have always gone to the flower shop in person, picked out exactly what I wanted, had it specially prepared for the occasion and then delivered it myself.
If I had my own house and a back yard I would probably be growing nothing but roses, ivy and wisteria now because my taste in plants has matured. (Wisteria is a vine that produces purple flowers.)
Regardless of where you choose to buy roses (or other flowers) my recommendation is that you put some thought into it.
That and don't buy something they are allergic to. Potential allergy disasters should be avoided.
