An Alternative Dozen Roses for Valentine's Day

Roses are red, violets are blue, I don't want over-priced blooms for Valentine's day, and neither should you!

Here are dozen alternatives to the usual bunch of flowers - all using the traditional rose as their pattern. These clothes and homewares are not only all beautiful, they'll all also last you more than a week. And, if you have no one on hand to gift you one/them all, they also make perfect presents to self.

Roses are red AND blue on this Oasis Rose print dress. Wonderfully girlie, it's exclusive to ASOS. Currently reduced to £33.50, there's no wonder it seems to be selling quickly.

This rose clock is one of the stunning designs Nathalie Lété has produced for Domestic. Never has timekeeping looked so pretty. It's reasonably priced too - £21.79 from Bouf.

For more of a statement, check out ixxi's patchwork floral mural - synthetic paper that's clipped together to make up the larger image of the overblown flowers. Very clever indeed. It's £168.

Keep it simple with Zara's floral photo frame for £15.99. Adding a picture of yourself/you with your loved one/you with your cat is an optional extra.

Roses don't always have to look ridiculously girlie, as these Dr Martens, wild rose 3-eye shoes prove delightfully. They're £79.99 from Shoes International.

And for more from the darker side of roses, this Cooperative floral blouse features colourful blooms and stems against black. The white trim and the peter pan collar stop it looking too prickly. It's £45 from Urban Outfitters.

Sophie Richardson offers a stylish alternative to the usual rose-patterned ceramics. These retro-styled grid rose teacups are £20 each, but you can also buy the pattern on milk jugs and teapots, and even a lampshade.

Michael Angrove's pink rose coasters are another contemporary take on the rose and are unapologetically romantic (yep, the most romantic kind of coaster you can buy). They're £4.50 each from SCP.

Cath Kidston, meanwhile, continues to work her take on vintage style. This rolling pin is from her charming new 'painterly rose' range and is £20. Being Cath, there's a full range of matching kitchenware available, from mixing bowls to a cake stand.

And, if you are a fan of a Kidston kitchen, you may also appreciate the 1950s-styling of this Ruby Tuesday circle dress, reduced to £98 from 20th Century Foxy.

The easiest way to send roses this Valentine's day? Probably these pink roses note cards from
Liberty. Post them far and wide and spread the love. They're £19.95 for the set.

Finally, as Valentine's day is meant to be a time for romance, I feel duty bound to show you some fancy pants. I spotted this gorgeous Anastasia floral bra (£45) and pants (£30) on Gemma's Pinterest. Given how hot you'd look in this set, you're probably more at risk of being a narcissus than a rose ... Pick the set from Hepburn and Leigh.

And there you go, an alternative dozen of roses. Want to make it a baker's dozen? Don't forget our magnificent bacon roses. Romance loves bacon, almost as much as it loves roses.