How to Buy a Bouquet of Roses

A rose is a rose, right? Mais non: other than the classic lover's gift of a dozen long-stemmed roses, there are many varieties and a rainbow of colors guaranteed to put a bloom on anyone's cheek.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Look for closed buds on the brink of unfurling. Petal tops should show the first signs of opening, and the bud should be a little soft and springy, never hard. Then close your eyes and inhale their scent--some varieties are more fragrant than others.
2. FInd beautiful roses for cheap at Costco. Two dozen stems run for under $15 and come in a variety of colors.
3. Visit a wholesale flower market (see How to Buy Flowers Wholesale) either with a friend who has a badge or during public hours. You'll find an enormous selection of roses at a great price. Keep an eye peeled for fabulously fragrant garden roses.
4. Be on the lookout for sidewalk vendors hawking medium-quality but still beautiful roses. They may frequent the same spot near a restaurant, for example, and will wrap up two dozen roses in newspaper for as little as $5 to $10.
5. Buy lovely roses perfectly arranged from a local florist. You'll pay a premium but the flowers will be sensational--and delivered.
6. Shop online at FTD.com or 1800Flowers.com and send roses to a special someone far away. The flowers will be shipped with a vial of water on each stem to keep them fresh during transit. Pay with a credit card for guaranteed wilt-free delivery.

What to Look For:

• Closed buds
• Fragrance
• Sidewalk vendors

Tips & Warnings

• Put your roses in water as soon as you get them home. Submerge each stem in a bowl of lukewarm water, and snip the end off at an angle while still underwater before transferring to a vase.
• Mix in the packet of floral preservative and be sure to add more water as the roses drink it up.
• Stay away from firm, tightly closed rosebuds--they've been picked too soon, won't last long and may in fact never open.