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Ditch the roses and try these stunning alternatives for Valentine's Day
- BBC Gardeners' World Magazine
Published: Saturday, 14 February 2026 at 1:23 pm
Find inspiring ideas for Valentine's Day this year, with our top 10 alternatives to roses.
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Forget about the traditional bunch of roses this year – choose something unexpected and colourful instead. Roses are air freighted into the UK in February and don't last longer than 10 days in the vase, so it's far more sustainable to gift a plant that's either in season or that can become a permanent feature in the house or garden.
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Browse our list of 10 inspiring alternative ideas to woo your Valentine with this year.
Daffodils
Narcissus 'February Gold'. Jason Ingram
Unfailingly cheery, a bunch of daffodils is seasonal and scented. Whether you pick some early daffodils from the garden to celebrate Valentine's, order a bouquet of scented narcissi from a UK flower farm or buy a pot of daffodils ready to bloom that can be replanted in the garden, you're giving a gift that has a low environmental impact while still making a romantic statement.
- Buy scented narcissi from Scilly Flowers or a potted flower basket from Thompson & Morgan
Hellebore
Helleborus orientalis. Jason Ingram
There are hundreds of varieties of hellebores to choose from, many of them flowering from February through to April. Their flowers come in shades including pink, purple, white and green. Although not a traditional Valentine's flower, a pot of hellebores will look beautiful year after year, either in a container or planted beneath trees alongside spring flowering bulbs. Why not gift a new hellebore each year and plant them in the garden as a permanent reminder of your love?
- Buy hellebores from Crocus or Beth Chatto
Cyclamen coum
Cyclamen coum. Jason Ingram
Give a pot of bright cyclamen this Valentine's Day to help brighten up someone's garden until March. Cyclamen are perfect in containers alongside snowdrops and miniature daffodils, or planted beneath trees where they make colourful ground cover.
- Buy Cyclamen coum from Crocus or Thompson & Morgan
Iris reticulata
Iris reticulata. Jason Ingram
Miniature irises look pretty in containers, with their blue or purple flowers adding colour even on an overcast day. Popular varieties include 'George', which is a deep purple and 'Harmony', which has royal blue flowers. They'll come back next year, too.
- Buy Iris reticulata from Crocus or Thompson & Morgan
Sweet violet (Viola odorata)
Sweet violet flowers. Jason Ingram
This pretty perennial, which has small, strongly scented flowers, has been used in perfumes for centuries. This would make a thoughtful present for a gardener, ideal for a spot in light shade where it will light up dull areas and naturalise over time.
- Buy Viola odorata from Crocus or Waitrose Garden
String of hearts (Ceropegia woodii)
String of hearts. Sarah Cuttle
Known as string of hearts, because of its heart-shaped leaves, this house plant is a more subtle present than the traditional bunch of roses, and will last for several years.
- Buy string of hearts (Cerogpegia woodii) from Crocus or Houseplant
Anthurium (flamingo flower)
Potted Anthurium. Sarah Cuttle
These exotic flowers produce bright blooms throughout the year, giving far more value than a bunch of flowers. Each flower lasts for around four to six weeks, and they are usually pink or red, but can also include shades such as orange and purple.
- Buy Anthurium from Crocus or Beards & Daisies
Witch hazel
Hamamelis x intermedia 'Westerstede'. Jason Ingram
Whether as a shrub for the garden, or a bunch of stems for a vase, witch hazel makes a cheering, fragrant gift. This deciduous shrub is in bloom between December and February. Once it's established in the garden, it will provide fragrant stems to cut and bring indoors.
- Buy witch hazel from Crocus or Thompson & Morgan
Orchid
Pink moth orchid. Jason Ingram
Moth orchid (Phalaenopsis) is one of the easiest orchids to grow and makes a beautiful gift, with flowers that appear regularly throughout the year. Flower colours include pink, red, yellow, peach and purple, perfect for brightening rooms such as kitchens and bathrooms.
- Buy orchids from Crocus or Bloom & Wild
Hoya heart (Hoya kerrii)
Hoya heart, Hoya kerrii. Getty Images
House plant suppliers often have hoya hearts on sale, which are single leaves of Hoya kerrii planted in their own pot. Also known as the sweetheart plant this makes a small romantic gift for Valentine's Day. It's unlikely to ever grow into a full plant, however, so buy a whole Hoya kerrii plant if you want to make a lasting statement.
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- Buy hoya heart from Houseplant or Thompson & Morgan
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