Florist reveals the bouquet that will make the biggest statement this Valentine's Day - and it's not red roses

Valentine's Day is upon us - but it's not too late to purchase a beautiful bouquet of flowers for that someone special. While a celebration of love and romance can take many guises, presenting a partner with a statement bouquet is a sure-fire way to put a smile on their face. But with so many options - from classic red roses to a more original arrangement - it can be difficult to know which way to go when it comes to Valentine's flowers.

Global event designer and florist Larry Walshe, the founder of Larry Walshe Studios, believes red roses will never go out of fashion - but he also suggests looking beyond 'the traditional'. 'Red roses are a classic,' Larry, who has studio teams based in London, New York City and Lake Como, Italy, said. 'They have an absolutely timeless quality, and always will have. There's such a wonderful romantic connotation about [red roses].'.

That said, the famous florist encourages customers to show they've 'taken time to think about their partner and what they love'. For Larry, a statement bouquet isn't necessarily one that combines a range of exotic flowers in complementary colours. 'I think we're starting to maybe move away a little bit from that kind of like mixed flower bouquet,' Larry added. 'What's always an everlasting choice is a really big bunch of just one single flower variety.'.

Valentine's Day is upon us - but it's not too late to purchase a beautiful bouquet of flowers (pictured) for that someone special. The floral equivalent of fashion's colour-blocking, he believes this kind of bouquet is a 'chic' choice. 'A giant bunch of tulips - how can you not smile the second, that somebody hands one of those over to you,' Larry, who initially trained as a dancer before moving into event design after suffering an injury, enthused.

'For occasions like Valentine's Day, I believe it feels a little bit more chic and personal, and more stylish. It just feels very understated and, I think, it's really playing into what we're kind of calling quiet luxury.'. An 'unusual' but 'equally fabulous' choice might be an enormous bunch of Anthuriums, the flower that Spanish brand Loewe has made popular in recent years. Larry explained: 'An enormous bunch of those, just like any other flower, has such a wonderful kind of substantive appeal. The impact is far greater than when they're mixed in with something else.'.

Bouquets like the ones Larry recommends can start at £30-£40 - but it's not unusual for him to see customers spending £150-£200. Larry Walshe (pictured) is the founder of Larry Walshe Studios, with teams in London, New York and Lake Como, Italy. Red roses will always be classic, according to Larry. In addition to working in three regions, Larry also runs Bloom, the UK's first 100 per cent plastic-free and sustainable online florist.

But, while his huge customer-base and global operation might suggest otherwise, he wasn't always destined to become a florist and event designer. Having trained as a dancer and worked in musical theatre, Larry was forced to 'come up with Plan B' when he sustained an injury which meant he could no longer dance. He worked in a catering company in London, remaining there years beyond the two weeks he had originally intended.

Yet, that experience proved formative, helping Larry to realise that he 'really cared about the visual transformation that could be achieved.'. While he had never planned to work with flowers specifically, floristry eventually became the creative outlet he had been looking for. Tasked with creating an 'intimate' dinner in a venue suitable for 650 people in a matter of just three days, Larry pulled out his pencil and paper, drew a design for the event and set about contacting different vendors.

However, he soon realised that rather than paying various suppliers to create his vision, he could do it all himself. While he started out as a dancer in musicals, Larry found a new outlet for his creativity in floristry after suffering an injury. For those eager to move away from the traditional roses, he recommends a bouquet featuring one single flower variety, for example hydrangeas (second from right).

Larry believes that choosing one flower variety makes more of an impact than a mixed bouquet. 'I took annual leave and I went and did a two-week floristry course. When I came back, I handed in my notice and said this is what I do now,' Larry explained. And, having learnt the fundamentals, he soon started experimenting. Larry added: 'If we think laterally about what somebody has just taught us, for example, something that can run on the middle of a table continuously - well, what if I take the same technique but flip it upside down and then put it into the ceiling?'.

Executing 'large scale productions,' Larry's job eventually became as much about engineering as about the creative vision. He elaborated: 'We've moved from doing what was solely flowers at the beginning to what we now more broadly consider as event design, where it's anything visual. 'So it could be then equally the furniture, the linens, the textures, the soft furnishings that come into a space - anything that doesn't have a plug.'.