Valentine's bouquets from Prestige Flowers

What girl doesn't like flowers? They smell gorgeous, make you feel special, brighten up your surroundings and are altogether beautiful to look at. So when Prestige Flowers asked me if I'd like to sample one of their Valentine's Day bouquets, I jumped at the chance.

Every week I try to buy myself flowers for my bedroom (usually during the supermarket shop). I adore tulips, daffodils, lilies and hydrangeas, but my all-time favourite has to be the classic rose - the trusty Valentine staple.

While choosing a bouquet to sample, I started thinking about the act of buying flowers. For hundreds of years, sending flowers on Valentine's Day has been the trademark way for a man to woo a woman. But why shouldn't we turn this tradition on its head and buy flowers for the men in our lives as well? After all, most of the men I know appreciate the beauty of flowers as much as any woman.

A few years ago I remember trying to turn this tradition on its head by sending flowers to my boyfriend at the time. I went online and found the most 'masculine' bunch I could find - lots of blues and deep purples. I understand that you won't get exactly what it says on the tin when ordering flowers online, as it largely depends on what the florist has in stock, but when it arrived, he was greeted with dusky pinks and lilacs. He liked them, but I wasn't happy. Since then I've avoided online flower retailers, opting instead to visit florists directly when buying flowers as gifts.

I have to say though that Prestige Flowers have converted me. I opted for 'The Romantic', which described itself as 'a dazzling display of pink and red blooms featuring lush roses, gerberas and carnations'. When the box arrived and I peeked inside, they were even better than I expected, with gorgeous spiky thistles and berries added into the mix. My housemate's cat, Bella, also took a shine to the blooms, and I had to tuck them out of sight from her attempts at nibbling the petals. There was even a mini box of chocolates which I polished off with my house mate. Yum!

So, just a thought, but why not give Valentine's Day a twist by getting flowers for your beau this year? I bet it would make him feel a million pounds :)