A customised V-Day bouquet that went for Rs 3,000. Picture by Pabitra Das

A rose by any other name would be as sought after - unless it's a V-Day rose.

The demand for roses being sold on - and for - February 14 rose by a fragrant 50 per cent and prices doubled in delight as the latest love fad gripped the city.

At Ferns and Petals, in City Centre, a rose selling for Rs 12 till last week climbed to Rs 25 on Wednesday, and customised bouquets bore Rs 3,000-plus price tags. Amidst heart-shaped bouquets with wrought-iron bases, gifts and chocolates galore, the red rose stood out tall as the symbol of love. 'Our footfall has doubled over the past three days and the red rose is the most wanted,' said co-proprietor Ranjana Saraf on Thursday afternoon.

It was no different at New Market. 'About 90 per cent of the sale for Valentine's Day consists of red roses. Bouquets, baskets and single flowers - everything to do with red roses sell on this day,' said T. K. Chakraborty of P.P. Chakraborty & Nephew in New Market.

Flower power in the name of love pushed up the price bar. 'The price of the long-stemmed Bangalore rose has doubled to Rs 20 per piece; the local variety has gone up to Rs 8-10, four times the normal price,' added Chakraborty.

Prices peaked at Purple Rain, on Loudon Street. A bouquet complete with a V-Day message bottle, Valentine cushion, red roses and red carnations sold for Rs 10,000. 'Valentine's Day is not just about a rose. Today, people are looking for concepts; the roses must be custom-made,' observed Indira Agarwal, the proprietor of the flower shop where a solitary rose sold for Rs 30 on V-Day.

The custom-made cry for roses extended to delivery demands cute and crazy - a rose to reach the Valentine every hour from midnight to midnight; midnight delivery of a bouquet, a car full of red roses and balloons...

'It's all about making it memorable. We have been married for three years, and on each V-Day, we try and do something special. This year, he sent me a heart-shaped bouquet at my office and I sent him a rose every hour,' smiled Priyanka Gupta, a 26-year-old techie.