Ditch the card on a stick, you can stamp your Valentine's Day message on rose petals
'Stamping flowers and keeping them alive? That just seems unnatural ... but it's great'
There's no more need to ram a card on a stick into the middle of a beautiful bouquet of roses in Windsor, Ont., this Valentine's Day.
Speaking Roses can now stamp thoughtful, heartfelt messages right on the petals of the flowers.
"Most guys, sometimes have sloppy writing, so I think it would be better if they just put what they want to say on the flower directly instead," said Speaking Roses owner Omar Nizam.
He owns the Canadian franchise rights of Speaking Roses, which is based in Utah.
Something as simple as "Be Mine" works well Nizam, said. But the process isn't limited to short, lovely messages on Valentine's Day.
He can stamp almost anything onto a petal, in different languages for all kinds of occasions.
"Mother's Day, Easter - you name it, it can be used because we can put whatever you want right on the flower," he said. "So there's endless possibilities when it comes to what it can be used for."
Here's how it works.
- The message or picture to be used is entered into a computer.
- A template is printed using a laser engraver.
- The template is added to the flower transfer machine.
- The flower is stamped.
A special ink, which comes in any colour, is used and it doesn't harm the flower.
It costs an additional $10 to get the stamping done on a bouquet.
Taylor Beal, who does the stamping at Nizam's business was skeptical of the idea at first.
"Stamping flowers and keeping them alive? That just seems unnatural, but looking into it and getting to know a lot about it, it's great," she said.
Christine Jones has been a florist for the past decade and says the idea can make some gestures more meaningful.
She uses funerals as an example. A single rose can be stamped with a name, photo or message and laid on the casket.