If you think you are being ripped off by the price of red roses this Valentine's, spare a thought for the growers.
Clive-based Flowerland sends thousands of stems throughout the North Island every year.
What you don't hear about is that in the weeks before February 14 they actually lose business.
While Valentine's is one of the most lucrative days of the year they must also cover a loss made when they cut all their red roses back before Christmas to have them blooming in time for the big event.
"We have sacrificed seven weeks of growth to get them to flush on the same day, we keep a few plants for everyday use but all the others we cut back and there's nothing for seven weeks," a spokesman said.
"We get another lot in seven weeks' time and who wants red roses then?
"People say it's a marketing ploy.
"Actually we lose production."
The flowers picked in nearly two months were likely to be offered at a special rate or incorporated in other arrangements to make use of them.
Romantics could expect prices per stem to vary among florists but one thing was for sure - you get what you pay for.
Local florists and suppliers are backing a national movement to buy New Zealand-sourced flowers over cheaper options imported from India that not only posed a risk to the country's economy, but also our biosecurity.
NZ Flower Growers' Association president David Blewden said relaxed inspections offshore were "a disaster just waiting to happen".
Kiwis bought about 600,000 roses on Valentine's Day, about 50 per cent of which were brought in from India, so it paid to ask where flowers were from before forking out.
"We don't consider them competition because those roses aren't of the same quality. If you choose local you're supporting everybody," Zinnia Floral Design co-owner Jenn Wright said.
"They are better quality, last longer - they come from the grower to the market to the florist, not from the grower to the market, on a plane, through Customs on courier and then to the supplier - they have lost half their life by the time they reach New Zealand."
Keeping flowers alive at this time of year could be difficult because of the heat, but treated well they could last up to three weeks.
Red roses were still the hottest romantic gesture but more affordable options were available. "We often suggest a mixed bouquet with just a few red roses."