Roses in Delhi

Roses in Delhi: choosing the colour of the roses and the wrap

Roses in Delhi are usually chosen in two colours at once, the colour of the flower and the colour of the paper around it. Red, maroon, gold, yellow and green count as lucky wrapping shades in the city, while black and pure white are avoided. So the choice starts with the rose itself, moves on to what wraps it, and only then to how many stems to send.

Red, pink or raspberry, and white with a second colour

White flowers, and white garlands above all, carry a strong association with mourning in Delhi, so a plain white bouquet is not the safe choice for a general gift. Warmer shades read more easily as a present, among them red, pink and raspberry. Anyone who still wants white has a middle path. A bouquet that pairs white with a second colour, such as the eleven white and pink roses, keeps the pale petals without the single-colour statement a mourning garland makes. A bunch of eleven red French roses works the other way, all in one strong colour, for a straightforward romantic gift. Delhi also keeps its own flower-giving dates through the year, starting with Rose Day, set out with the rest of Delhi's seasons and festival dates.

Maroon or red paper, not black: what a rose wrap says in Delhi

The wrap is the second colour decision, and the same short list of lucky shades applies to it: red, maroon, gold, yellow and green. Black paper and plain white paper are both worth steering around, for the same reason a white-only bouquet is: they read as sombre rather than festive. Delhi's florists offer wrapping with more design to it, in a bouquet such as pink roses in designer wrapping, and a plainer finish, the kind seen on fifteen white roses with coffee wrapping. Neither description says exactly what shade the paper is, and a buyer who wants a particular one does not have to guess from a photo. You can write to the florist in chat and ask for a paper colour, such as maroon instead of a lighter red, or gold instead of yellow, before paying. Once the bouquet is ready, a photo comes back before the courier leaves, and anything that still looks wrong, colour included, can be changed on the spot.

Rose delivery in Delhi by stem count, height or a giant bouquet

Size is its own decision, separate from colour, and it runs along three lines: the number of stems, the height of the stems, and a category of its own for the largest bouquets. A ready-made pairing with another flower, rather than roses alone, sits under the mix bouquets instead. Every bouquet here is put together only after the order is placed, not pulled ready-made off a shelf, which is also why the photo sent before the courier sets out shows the actual flowers going to that address. A card is added free of charge, most bouquets go out the same day they're ordered, and delivery to central Delhi is free while other zones follow pricing at the zones and the free city centre page. Once it arrives, cutting the stems at an angle, stripping the leaves that would sit underwater and standing them in clean water keeps them going longest.

Start with roses by colour to shortlist a shade, then set the size by stem count or by height. For something larger, the giant rose bouquets and the mixed rose bouquets are worth a look.