On February 14, people in the UK will spend £22m on flowers to show our true feelings to our loved ones - and a large proportion of that is spent on roses. For centuries the rose has symbolised love and passion, but the rose fascinated us long before we came up with its Valentine's meaning.

In ancient Egypt, Cleopatra covered the floors of her palace with a thick layer of rose petals every day. The mattresses and pillows of her bed were stuffed with rose petals. Roses were luxurious and decadent flowers, symbolising beauty and wealth.

The rose has since been imbued with magical, medicinal and therapeutic properties. In fact, there is a special rose language invented as a secret means of communication between lovers who were not allowed to express their love for one another openly in the harems of the Middle East. In the mid-18th century, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, the wife of the British ambassador in Constantinople, described this in her letters, which were published after her death. These letters inspired many books on the language of flowers, each describing the secret message hidden in each flower.

This was massively fashionable in Victorian Britain, where it was not appropriate to discuss one's feelings openly. This language is no longer used but for that associated with the rose.

A red rosebud still stands for budding desire, an open white rose asks "Will you love me?", an open red rose means "I am full of love and desire", while an open yellow rose asks "Don't you love me any more?"

So just where does the allure of roses come from? The secret is in the petals. The texture of rose petals is sensuous and silken to the touch.

Not only are the senses of sight and touch stimulated by the rose, but its fragrance hides a scientific secret that aids falling in love'.

PEA, phenylethylamine, is a substance found in fresh roses, which helps give them their distinctive scent.

PEA contains an amino acid known to slow the breakdown of beta-endorphins. These are "happy hormones", which give us a high and the euphoria of being in love. The effect of PEA has been described as a mood-altering chemical that is able to prolong feelings of sensuality.

Roses are certainly mysterious, being one of the UK's top flower choices year-round and still steeped in symbolism while other flower meanings have been lost.

It is no wonder they are a favourite for the most romantic day of the year.

Alternatives to the rose Roses are not the only flower available at this time of year and it is often much nicer to buy your loved one's favourite blooms, like the tulips and gerbera rather than the most popular choice of red roses.

Red flowers of any kind symbolise passion, so look out for seasonal flowers such as the huge trumpets of amaryllis, totally glamorous; classic tulips - everyone loves these; delicate anemones; and carnations - the large-flowered ones are exotic and long-lasting (which might send the right message!) Or be saucy with an anthurium - shaped like a giant heart in glossy red it sends a clear signal of desire. Look out for exotic and long-lasting orchids too, which regularly come top in Flowers & Plants Association popularity polls.

Pink ranunculus are a beautifully pretty spring flower, with fat, tissue-paper flowers bursting with petals. Or what about a cheerful red gerbera - very appropriate for a message of friendship rather then passion.