Color chart helps make right choice for Valentine's Day
By Kenneth Fine
Published in News on February 13, 2006 1:53 PM
When it's love, go red.
Darrell Scott said he learned the hard way that when it comes to Valentine's Day flowers, color matters.
"I bought my girlfriend a bunch of yellow roses last year," he said. "The next day, I got a call from one of her friends and she said I needed to quit sending mixed messages."
Scott, 22, said he was told by the woman that his yellow flower purchase implied he was only interested in pursuing friendship. But he had no idea that particular colors had different meanings.
"I told her all I did was buy some roses," he said. "Then I called my girl and apologized. I still don't know what I did though."
Scott added he and his significant other finally resolved their fight -- a nice dinner and movie later.
"This year, I'm sticking with the traditional red," he said. "I don't want to go down that road again this year."
The ladies at Van Roekel Florist could have told him that, they said.
There are different meanings associated with a variety of colors -- so many that they have charts hanging up to keep customers aware of the messages they are about to send.
Lynette Worrell said that this week, most will be sending the message of love.
"Usually for Valentine's Day it's red and pink," she said.
Check the chart, and sure enough, red is linked with love, passion and respect.
Lavender would have been Romeo's choice because of the color's association with love at first sight.
But Juliet would have probably been OK with white, too. After all, the color's link to secrecy, purity and innocence seem fitting.
Yellow, of course, means joy and friendship. If you want grace and gladness pick light pink, while dark pink will get you thankfulness.
And if passion is what you are looking for and you want something different than the classic red, choose coral, which indicates desire.
So, before you buy your sweetheart that colorful bouquet for Valentine's Day, take a look at the chart -- you might be saying a whole lot more than you bargained for.