By Petronella Sibeene WINDHOEK Selecting a gift for Valentine’s Day is not always easy. Some people choose to buy chocolates; others prefer perfumes and still others go so far as to choose a lingerie item. However, most people say roses are still the best gift ever – they are known for their exclusive beauty and fragrance. A rose is – and has probably always been – the most popular flower in the world. It has been the symbol of love, beauty, war and politics since the beginning of time. A single rose, or even a bouquet of roses, can make magic on a day like today. Joining the rest of the world in celebrating Valentine’s Day, Namibians by yesterday had already placed their orders with florist shops to have deliveries made to their partners today. Annalize Heynes, the owner of Flower Love, one of the oldest florist shops in Windhoek, told New Era that by yesterday both men and women of all races had placed their orders for flowers for their partners. “As we speak, my staff are busy going through the delivery list. It is hectic!” she said. Given the meaning attached to red roses, Heynes confessed that, unlike other flowers, a red rose is very expensive. Being one of the few days in the year when florists make a kill, she said: “One rose today is costing four times more compared to other days of the year.” A single red rose costs N$20. FACTS ABOUT ROSES (www.rosefarm.com) – The birthplace of the cultivated Rose is Northern Persia; – Historically, the oldest Rose fossils have been found in Colorado, dating back more than 35 million years; – Roses were considered the most sacred flowers in ancient Egypt and have also been found in Egyptian tombs; – The English were already cultivating and hybridizing Roses in the 15th century when the English War of Roses took place. The winner of the war, Tudor Henry VII, created the Rose of England (Tudor Rose) by cross-breeding other roses; – While no Black Rose yet exists, there are some of such a deep Red colour as to suggest Black; – The Netherlands is the world’s leading exporter of Roses.