Stolen hearts and stealing kisses, Cupid’s long time partner in crime has always been a red rose or maybe even a hundred. There is just something completely and decadently enchanting about someone taking the time to choose a perfect blossom, thick, red plush petals spiraling out in beauty, and giving it to you. Pure romance.

It is estimated that more than 250 million roses are given on Valentine’s Day. That’s a lot of love. But, some would say that not every rose is created equal. Particularly so of Louis and Olivier, founders of Ode A La Rose. These two French gentlemen (of course they’re French ) had completely fallen out of love with the New York City floral scene after a couple of years across the pond. They just couldn’t find a florist shop that took the care and consideration that their counterparts in France always had. To choose a bouquet in Paris is no small act. There is choice, tone, and a silent voice that is communicated by the flowers. A single stem? Five hundred buds? A daring scarlet or a demure shade of peach? Dripping in orchids or delicately fragrant freesias? In France you don’t buy a bouquet, you send a message.

Setting out to bring this loving ritual to the streets of New York, Louis and Olivier opened their first atelier. Searching the world over they have chosen flowers from the best eco-friendly farms in Ecuador, Columbia and the Netherlands. Some of the roses are grown in greenhouses at elevations of 8,000 feet up to help the roses benefit from the extended time under the sun’s light.