(no subject)

[electricland]

I am reminded by a post of fairoriana that my workplace currently has ads up by the elevators -- "Pamper Her Twice This Valentine's Day!" -- apparently for the low, low price of $74.95 you can buy a dozen long-stem roses for your sweetie and donate $7.50 to our charitable foundation. I thought to myself when I saw this "If I am ever in a relationship and someone pays 75 bucks for a dozen long-stem roses when he could have got me $50 worth of books and chocolate, possibly a bouquet of tulips, AND made a $25 charitable donation, I will have to dump his ass." (Yeah, yeah, I should be so lucky. Hey, the hilarious horoscope says romance is coming my way. You never know.)

Long-stem roses don't even have much of a scent. I don't understand how they got to be such a Thing. Of course, my idea of a rose is one of the roses that grew in my grandmother's garden -- she had climbers and rosebushes, and they all had the most gorgeous scents, and she taught me how to cut them so they'd last longer when I lived with them. Not a long stem in the bunch, and plenty of thorns.

Comments

[theroom101.livejournal.com]

I always assumed there were historical/sociological reasons for the rose thing...

and the encyclopedia says the scent has been cultivated out since the twentieth century. I personally love the strong scent of roses and tend to burn incense that mimics that.

And yeah, that whole money thing would piss me off. I'd rather he donate to the Bill Hicks Foundation.

[electricland.livejournal.com]

Exactly! Donate to something! Of course, if you're going to be silly and buy long-stem roses, you might as well be giving to charity at the same time, but... sheesh.

That encyclopedia entry pretty much gibes with what I thought -- emphasis on size and colour. Foolish, foolish rose breeders. If I ever manage roses in my garden, they'll have scent, dammit.

[lietya.livejournal.com]

SEVENTY-FIVE dollars?!! Jeez. I'd be horrified that someone could waste that much money - a dozen long-stemmed roses cost $25 at the grocery store, and I think even THAT is expensive. Good grief.

Although my mother-in-law grows roses that are gorgeous, long-stemmed, and richly scented; I think it depends on whether they're mass-produced or lovingly tended, really.

[electricland.livejournal.com]

That was the other part of it. Even in Canadian dollars, that's outrageous.

I wonder if anyone will go for it...

[electricland.livejournal.com]

I would also totally buy the mass-produced vs. lovingly tended argument. I'm sure mass-produced roses are like mass-produced tomatoes -- designed for hardiness in shipping, and never mind the taste when they get there. (Or scent, depending.)

[(Anonymous)]

ONce upon a time, Dad spent too much money on roses for my Mom. she threw them out....

[jenlev.livejournal.com]

good points, and very well put. :)

[rolypolypony.livejournal.com]

Egads! That's crazy! If someone were going to spend $75 on me for v-day, they had better give me the $7.50 in Cadbury Cream Eggs, and give the $67.45 to charity. Grrrr.

And, yeah, apparently most commercial flowers are being bred for no scent these days :(

Tulips! :)

[electricland.livejournal.com]

Boo for no scent, and hurray for hyacinths bucking the trend!

and your priorities are definitely in the right place (although I prefer Mini Eggs, myself).

[kendokamel.livejournal.com]

Aaaaugh!

I would be sad if someone spent that much money on flowers for me and there wasn't a $70 gift card to Borders in there, somewhere. (;

[electricland.livejournal.com]

Exactly!

I never give girls those damn cliche flowers

[caellum.livejournal.com]

I bought Mailbox a bouquet of tulips about two weeks ago. They still look good. :) Plan for Valentine's Day? Gerber Daisies, in varied colours, a five course meal prepared by me, and a bottle or two of wine between us. All for under $100. Much better spent than on fucking roses, hate those damn things.

-caellum

Re: I never give girls those damn cliche flowers

[electricland.livejournal.com]

now that's what I'm talking about! That is an EXCELLENT Valentine's day plan. On behalf of womankind, thank you and congratulations.