Unique Ideas for Valentine's Day

 Traditionally, a dozen red roses has been the yardstick of love for Valentine's Day. As a gardener, I disagree. The last thing I want from my sweetie is a vase of overpriced roses that don't have much scent and will die in a few days. Ho hum.

What makes my heart beat faster is a rose bush. It's not an attractive item at this time of the year—it's not potted, there are bare roots, and it's just sticks and thorns. But it's packed with potential. Unlike cut roses, I can plant a rose bush and enjoy blooms for years to come. And this is an excellent time of year to order them.

Websites and catalogs usually have the most extensive selection of roses to choose from. Jackson & Perkins, Wayside Gardens, and Arena Roses have excellent varieties. You can also find rare and antique varieties from Heritage Roses (www.heritageroses.com) and Antique Rose Emporium (www.antiqueroseemporium.com).

Many local nurseries also offer more than the usual hybrid tea offerings, including some of the varieties the catalogs offer. The David Austin brand of roses looks like those sumptuous English cabbage roses reminiscent of The Secret Garden. Whether you garden in the nippy North or the sultry South, you can find roses that will bloom for you.

 Sweet Aroma

If you want a rose that smells like the voluptuous beauties from your grandmother's past, order an antique variety. Or look for one that's been crossbred with antique roses to deliver multi-petaled, dense flowers and an aromatic scent. One of my favorites is a David Austin's variety named Abraham Darby. It's a gorgeous apricot/pink colored rose packed with petals and boasting a heady scent.

Some hybrid teas, like Fragrant Cloud, Perfume Delight, and Scentimental are bred specifically for terrific scent as well. Dolly Parton has a rose named after her, and it's as you would expect—big, beautiful, and bursting with scent.

If you're wary of straying from traditional cut roses, here's a nice twist for an unconventional dozen. If you're willing to spend more money, you can buy the most sumptuous, gorgeous cut roses in the world—South American or "jungle" roses.

Ironically, these are also the same type of roses sometimes sold by discounters in bundles of 25. Either way, they are superior cut flowers. These massive hybrid tea blooms (usually from Ecuador) come in a multitude of colors. They are unique because they grow in volcanic soil. I still recall the delight I felt the first time I gazed at the soft pinky peach of Osiana, the variety that made me fall in love with this type of rose. Florists can usually order them if you call early enough, but you can also order them by color or by name at www.romanticflowers.com.

Other ways to show your love

You can show your affection in ways other than roses or flowers. Silly or romantic cards, jewelry, candy, or favors also make great gifts. A favor can be anything—a homemade coupon that says, "Good for two weekends doing whatever you want." Serving your sweetie (as opposed to just ticking off the obligation box) is the theme of this gift.

I look forward to Valentine's Day as a chance to show my love to friends and family in creative ways. Sometimes I send cards. Sometimes I send an exotic, masculine bouquet to my mate. Bird of Paradise, twisted branches like corkscrew willow, red ginger, and Australian waratah work well for a manly arrangement. You can bless people with the simplest of gestures.

A change of focus

I didn't always look forward to Valentine's Day. In fact, for years, I dreaded it because I didn't get armloads of flowers or Valentine's cards from admirers as my girlfriends did. I began to look forward to this holiday when I changed my focus from what I wasn't getting to what I could give to others.

My husband's parents demonstrated this attitude of giving with their lives. They pastored a small country church for more than 60 years. Their approach to ministry and loving others is something anybody can do. They simply prayed, "Lord, send me to someone who needs me." Over the years, God amply provided opportunities. Every Christmas, their mailbox was crammed with hundreds of cards and letters from around the world. All because their goal was giving, not getting.

This Valentine's Day, try something different. Don't just send cards; send God's love and acceptance to a hurting world. That's a Valentine for eternity.