The Society of American Florists (SAF) asked some of the country's top florists and floral designers to describe what's in style for flowers this Valentine's Day, from popular flowers and color combinations to trendy flower design styles and flower delivery advice. Here is a compilation of their Valentine's Day flower trends and ordering tips. Click the images to see a larger picture.

Surprise Your Sweetheart at Work

• There is nothing like the "wow" factor when flowers come through the office door.
• Make her Monday and start her Valentine's week with flower power. She'll be the first to get flowers, and you'll be the hero.
• Send flowers on Feb. 12 or 13 with a note: "I couldn't wait to say I Love You." She'll be the first to receive Valentine's Day flowers. Imagine the water cooler talk on that one!

Order Flowers Early

• Place your order early for Feb. 14 delivery. The earlier you order, the more options you have.
• Placing your Valentine's Day floral order early can pay off. Some florists offer specials for ordering early.
• If you place your order on Valentine's Day for same-day delivery, call your florist first thing in the morning to see if they still have delivery options available to help ensure your sweetheart gets flowers at work before her office closes. Or consider having them delivered a day or two before Valentine's Day so she doesn't have to wait.

Popular Valentine's Day Flowers

Red roses symbolize passionate love and are a favorite for Valentine's Day. Other beautiful Valentine's Day flowers to send this year:

• Lilies
• Tulips
• Gerbera Daisies
• Hydrangea
• Orchids
• Fragrant flowers such as gardenias, freesia and hyacinths
• Callas
• Succulents
• Roses in a variety of colors. Ask your florist for some unusual varieties that can really make an impression; there are so many fabulous choices that will impress your Valentine with your creativity: orange roses are hotter than hot; peach roses; lavender roses; and pastel roses.

Popular Valentine's Day Colors

While red is a traditional Valentine's Day color, other combinations also will wow your sweetheart. Here are popular colors and color combinations for this Valentine's Day:

• Purples
• Oranges
• Hot Pinks
• Apple greens
• Purple-pink combos
• Purple-red combos
• Reds mixed with burgundies
• Pastels
• Vintage whites and ivory with gray foliage accents
• Your sweetheart’s favorite color

Valentine's Day Floral Design Styles

• Low centerpieces in square containers embellished with beaded wire
• Fresh flowers casually designed in simple glass vessel
• Compact designs
• Pavé rose arrangements (short stems tightly grouped to form a flat, uniform surface of beautiful rose buds)
• Natural and organic looks
• Floral arrangements displayed in geometric glass containers, such as cubes and cylinders.
• Containers in exciting, funky color palettes, such as fuchsia, bright orange, Nile green, or peach
• Small vases connected together to display single blossoms
• Bud-vases that look like small milk bottles
• Arrangements with braided foliages accents or lacey bear grass accents
• Flower stems designed inside the clear glass vase
• Handled baskets for plants

Want to do send something different?

• Succulents
• Orchids
• Tropical flowers, such as birds of paradise
• Red mini callas accented with red and black ostrich feathers
• Spring blooming plants
• Proteas
• Sunflowers
• Send your sweetheart's pet some Valentine's Day flowers

On a tight budget? There are lots of wonderful Valentine's Day flower options for consumers on a budget:

• Order early and ask about specials.
• Bundles such as adding chocolates or plush toys to your floral gift will give you more for your money.
• Go to the florist shop to select your floral gift, and deliver it to your sweetheart in person.
• Send one long-stem rose. It really is an all-time romantic gesture.
• A beautiful stem of cymbidium orchid accented with lily grass, gift wrapped
• A perfect bloom (rose, orchid, gerbera, etc.) floating in a lovely glass vase accented with crystals.
• A tight gathering of tulips designed in a julep cup or small glass vase - perfect for her desktop.
• Send a bulb plant in a twiggy basket with fresh blossoms accented with curly willow and wired ribbon. Later, your sweetheart can plant the bulb outside in the spring.

Send Flowers to Your Man

Men love flowers and plants, and more than a third of women buy their husbands floral gifts for Valentine's Day.

• Bold colors
• Succulents
• Terrariums
• Proteas
• Birds of Paradise paired with orange carnations and purple statice
• Tropical flowers such as birds of paradise with orange roses and a single red rose. Ask your florist to arrange the flowers in a clean contemporary vase with some bold foliage
• Plants, such as anthuriums, bromeliads or cacti
• Sunflowers
• Rainbow Roses
• Orchids
• Beautiful preserved mosses in natural grays and lime green add great texture to any floral arrangement or dish garden

Send Flowers to Your Mom

One-fifth of American adults give their mothers flowers or plants for Valentine's Day.

• Flowers in her favorite color
• Soft or vibrant colors depending on her personality
• A lovely mix of blooms, such as lilies, spray roses, alstroemeria and gerberas with beautiful foliages for texture and contrast.
• A sweet, pastel colored bouquet of freesia and spray roses.
• For a "hip" mom, send something bright and spirited, such as orange or hot pink roses and tulips.
• Roses
• Fragrant stargazers or Casablanca lilies
• Carnations
• Anthuriums
• Hydrangeas
• Orchids
• Freesias
• Plants such as azaleas or kalanchoes

Order Flowers from a Local Florist

Make sure you know where the flowers are coming from. There is a common assumption that flowers ordered online will arrive arranged in a vase. While many Internet companies put their orders though a local professional florist, some offer product "direct from the grower" and the flowers are boxed and must be processed (cut stems) and designed by the recipient.

If your expectation is give a gift of flowers that are professional designed and delivered to your sweetheart's door or office, make sure you are ordering from a company that puts the orders through a professional florist.

To find a local florist, visit www.nationalfloristdirectory.com.

Create a Romantic Destination with Flowers

Florists can play an important role in helping romantics be creative. If you can't actually go to a desired destination, why not create it at home? Flowers can take you places and help you relive fond, romantic memories ... whether it be reminiscing about a Caribbean honeymoon, creating a relaxing spa retreat feel, or reliving a wine country getaway - flowers can set the stage for a romantic evening.

Romantic Evening at Home

• Enjoy a romantic dinner for two at home. Make it special with a floral centerpiece or sprinkled rose petals on the table, orchid blossoms tied to the neck of a bottle of champagne or wine and a flower petal path leading the way to the table.
• Make a flower trail throughout your house leading to a bubble bath sprinkled with rose petals.
• Lay a few fragrant flowers near the bedside or on her pillow.

Beach Honeymoon

• Recreate a Hawaiian honeymoon complete with long-lasting tropical flowers and a lei to wear. Picture your Valentine wearing a gorgeous orchid lei when it's sub-zero outside.
• Ask your florist to add colored sand and seashells in bouquets or vases to really create the mood!
• Tropical flowers, such as Birds of Paradise, anthurium, ginger, or orchids with an accent of fresh fruit and foliages
• A simple collection of orchids in a vase
• Bells of Ireland and delphinium. The cool greens and blues will conjure up the memories of the beautiful Caribbean.

European Vacation

• Relax in an English "Bed & Breakfast" with a low traditional bowl of garden roses, ivy and waxflowers. Serve the flowers on a small tray with teacups filled with gourmet teas and crumpets.
• Take in the French countryside with an arrangement of fresh herbs and wild flowers such as heather, daisies, delphinium and miniature roses.
• Stroll through a French Garden with brightly hued blooming plants arranged in a classic wicker basket.
• Flowers in rich purples, reds and blues
• A lovely European dish garden embraces a mixture of fresh flowers with blooming or green plants.
• For another European look, send a loose arrangement of garden-style flowers such as tulips, hydrangeas, ranunculus and roses in a clear glass vase or decorative container.
• Hand-tied bouquets are popular in Europe:
  • A hand-tied bouquet with all accent flowers and a couple of roses
  • A textural hand-tied bouquet embellished with decorative beads and wires with colorful wraps

Spa Weekend

• Create a spa-like atmosphere with aromatic flowers like freesia, stock and sweet peas to sooth the senses.
• Pair select bath products with a floral arrangement featuring flowers in relaxing blues, lavenders and greens with fresh eucalyptus and soft foliage
• Place several small blue and green arrangements in the bathroom or bedroom.
• Embrace your sweetheart with a sense of calm with the soft scent of purple freesia in a clear cylinder with pale pink petals floating in the vase.
• An all white floral arrangement in a sea glass vase or frosted with aquamarine accents
• Monobotanic bouquet of blue iris in a clear glass vase with sea glass or shells clustered together in the bottom of the vase
• A simple glass vase filled with callas or white Casablanca lilies and cool blue glass gems inside the vase.

Wine Country Getaway

Use purples, reds and green in various textures to evoke the feeling of a stroll in the vineyard. Try these ideas:

• A few beautiful roses or lilies arranged in an empty wine bottle shared on a past date. She'll love the sentimentality.
• Deep reds (roses, carnations and soft greens). Add accents of vines, mosses and a bottle of wine.
• Grapes, sunflowers, grasses-outdoorsy and lots of yellow/peach/olive greens
• Burgundy flowers with fresh grapes and Brie cheese in a large basket
• Include a bottle of wine or fresh fruit and grapes with deep wine colored roses
• Bold collection of vibrant purple anemones or alstroemeria, green hydrangea, hypericum and red roses.
• Rich royal-colored floral bouquet consisting of a mixture of textural materials such as purple tulips, magenta stock, green hydrangea and lavender roses tied with natural raffia. The design may include clusters of grapes.

Other Exciting Destinations

• Cuddle up in a snowed in ski lodge with a roaring fire and beautiful white roses.
• Conjure up the charm of the South Pacific with a beautifully designed arrangement with an Asian flair.
• Orchids and other fragile blooms can remind couples of rainforest getaways.
• An assortment of flowers from the garden in a bouquet conjures the feeling of a stroll through a country garden.
• Experience a trip to Japan with an Ikebana floral design of several stems of orchids or Fuji Chrysanthemums. Add a Japanese flower arranging kit and book along with some wonderful teas.

Special Moments

• Recreate the love you shared on your wedding day with blooms from her bridal bouquet.
• Recreate the magic of the proposal or first date with flowers.
• Send a Spring or Summer Sunshine bouquet to say you're looking forward to spending time in warmer weather together.
• Instead of recreating a memory, send a bouquet that evokes the charm of a place you dream of going to some day with your loved one.
• Start a new day to remember, by placing flowers throughout the house or apartment to surprise her.

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