Choosing Healthy Cut Roses

• Choosing the right cut roses results in a long-lasting flower arrangement instead of one that wilts quickly. The University of Illinois recommends picking mature roses, because immature roses with hard buds and no opened petals may never open. On the other hand, do not pick roses that have more than a couple petals open, because they will finish opening and die quickly. The idea roses for a gift bouquet are fresh-looking and have two or three buds open.
  
  

Preserving Cut Roses

• Proper care helps keep cut roses in good shape for as long as possible, making them a longer-lasting gift. The University of Illinois recommends cutting off the ends of the stems and putting store-bought roses into a vase with water as soon as possible. A commercial flower preserving solution, which often comes with cut flower bouquets but will also be available at a flower shop or gardening store, also helps preserve roses. The University of Illinois also recommends removing all of the leaves from the rose stems that would be submerged in the vase water. When cutting roses from a personal garden as a birthday gift, be sure to put them into water as soon as they are cut and also keep them out of direct sunlight as much as possible.
  
  

Significance

• Different types of roses are appropriate for different occasions. For example, a dozen red roses or a single red rose make a romantic gesture. Rainbow roses, which are injected with different colors of dye make great fun and nonromantic birthday gifts. Roses come in a huge variety of colors, including white, yellow, orange, pink and red, so a safe option is to find out the birthday person's favorite color and buy roses that color.
  
  

Donating Birthday Roses

• When a person receives multiple flower gifts on his or her birthday, there may not be a room at home to display several bouquets. Additionally, people sometimes get tired of a bouquet before it dies. Rather than throwing away flowers, the National Gardening Association recommends donating them to the FlowerPower Foundation, which regifts roses to hospitals, funeral homes, crisis centers and other places in need.
  
  

Types of Live Rose Plants

• Live rose gifts for gardeners are a longer-lasting birthday gift option than a rose bouquet. However, it is important to buy a type of rose that grows well in the local climate. Some gardening stores and even grocery stores sell potted varieties of mini-roses, which grow well indoors in a variety of climates. To choose roses that will thrive in an outdoor garden, the National Gardening Association recommends checking out All-America Rose Selections, which is a nonprofit organization that suggests types of roses for different regions.