Last week my cousin Tim asked me for gift advice before his first date. Instead of overthinking, I grabbed one red rose from my garden, wrapped it in newspaper, and told him to just give that. He looked at me like I was nuts.
But guess what? That date went stupid well. She loved it, posted it on Instagram, and now they’re planning a third date. Made me realize single roses work way better than fancy bouquets. Here’s why:
My backyard rose test drive
I spent a whole month gifting single roses to different people:
- Took one cream rose to my neighbor after her cat died. She cried happy tears saying “this feels personal.”
- Gave my niece a pink one when she graduated kindergarten. She carried it around like a trophy all day.
- Even tried leaving a yellow rose anonymously for grumpy Mr. Chen downstairs. Dude actually smiled for once.
Discovered 4 killer reasons:
- No overthinking stress: Walked into flower shop, pointed, paid in 90 seconds flat. Bouquets make me sweat choosing colors.
- Zero wallet pain: Costs less than Starbucks. My $8 rose got more reaction than my $50 orchid gift last year.
- Speaks louder than words: Gave one to my wife when I forgot our anniversary. She laughed saying “one rose means try harder next time” – saved my butt!
- People actually keep them: Saw dried roses on three friends’ windowsills later. Dead bouquets always hit the trash by Tuesday.
Cheapskate bonus round
Tried supermarket roses vs florist roses. Big surprise: the $4 grocery store rose lasted longer than the $12 fancy one. Who knew?
My verdict? Stop overcomplicating gifts. Unless it’s Valentine’s Day or a wedding, grab a single damn rose and watch magic happen. Tim owes me a beer now.
