Forever Roses or Fresh Roses? How Long Each Lasts, What Each Costs, and Which to Send from Miami

Preserved roses are real roses that last one to three years without water. Fresh roses last about a week and are the only ones that smell like a rose. Silk flowers last for years but are fabric. Which one you send depends on the gesture, not on the price. Below is the side by side we use in our Doral studio when a client asks us, plus the two things Miami changes.

The side by side, fresh, preserved and silk

Here is what fresh and preserved look like next to each other in the studio.

What “preserved” actually means, and where forever roses come from

Our preserved roses are grown and preserved in Ecuador, at altitude, where the largest rose heads come from. They are cut at peak bloom, the sap is replaced with a plant based glycerin solution and the color is set, and they arrive in our Doral studio already preserved. What happens here is the part that decides how the piece ages. We check every head for even color down to the base of the petal and a supple, suede like feel, we discard the brittle ones, and we set them edge to edge in the box or dome so no foam shows. They are not dried and not silk. Forever roses, eternal roses, eternity roses and infinity roses are the same product under different brand names.

How long each one really lasts, in Miami

Preserved, one to three years indoors, away from direct sun, water and humidity. In Miami the humidity is the variable that matters. A dome or box kept in a bathroom or on a covered terrace softens years earlier than one on a console inside. Fresh, seven to ten days with water changes and stems recut, less in a hot car or by a window. Silk, indefinite, but it fades in direct sun and the fabric shows in photographs and to the touch.

What each one costs at My Divine Decors, and what that is per day

Preserved from $40 (Le Petit Velvet), glass domes from $85 to $139, boxes from $80 for four roses and $99 for seven, medium boxes around $250, and up to $2,000 for 150 roses. Fresh from $69, and our most ordered piece, the ramo buchon, from $80 to $650 depending on how many roses. Silk arrangements from $100 to $1,999. An $85 dome kept two years costs 12 cents a day. A $170 fresh bouquet enjoyed for a week costs about $24 a day. Neither number is the point, the point is that a keepsake and a moment are priced differently. See the full range of preserved roses and glass domes.

What colors do preserved roses come in?

Pink, white and red are the ones we are asked for most. We also carry blue, yellow and gradients of every tone, and they mix in the same box or dome. Every piece is made to order, you choose color and format, and a few ready made pieces wait in the Doral store for same day pickup.

Do preserved roses smell like roses?

No. The preservation removes the natural scent. We add a light rose fragrance that lasts for months, and we leave it out if you tell us at checkout that the recipient is sensitive to fragrance. Fresh roses are the only option with a natural scent.

Which one fits your gift

• It is tonight and you will be there. Fresh roses, wrapped bouquet, order by 5:00 PM.
• It is a milestone, the 5th, the 10th, the 25th. Preserved roses in a dome or box, or the combination below. Our anniversary flowers by year guide has the flower for each one.
• The recipient lives in another state. Preserved roses ship in 3 to 5 business days, a wrapped fresh bouquet ships overnight.
• The recipient is in a hospital or at an office desk. Preserved, no water, no pollen, no vase to knock over.
• You want it to be the first thing they see every morning for a year. Preserved, glass dome.
• It is for a lobby, a showroom or a set and nobody will touch it. Silk.

Can you send both?

Yes, and it is the combination we recommend most for anniversaries, a preserved rose in a dome as the keepsake and a wrapped bouquet of fresh roses for the table. Same delivery, one card. Tell us when you order and we build it as one piece.

Ordering in Miami, or shipping it anywhere in the US

Same day in Miami and Doral for orders placed by 5:00 PM Monday to Friday and 1:00 PM Saturday, with Sunday delivery from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM and a zone surcharge. Preserved roses, silk arrangements, teddy bears and gift boxes ship nationwide by FedEx or UPS in 3 to 5 business days for $40. Wrapped fresh bouquets ship FedEx Priority Overnight Tuesday to Friday, order by 12:00 PM, $40. Every order gets a photo of the finished piece before it leaves the studio and a photo at the door, and nothing leaves until you approve the first one.

Frequently asked questions

Are preserved roses real roses?

Yes. They are real roses cut at peak bloom and treated with a plant based glycerin solution that replaces the sap, which is why the petals stay soft. They are not dried and not silk.

How long do preserved roses last compared with fresh roses?

Preserved roses last one to three years indoors. Fresh roses last about seven to ten days. In Miami, humidity is what shortens a preserved rose, so keep it inside and out of the bathroom.

Do preserved roses smell like roses?

No. The natural scent is lost in preservation. We add a light rose fragrance that lasts for months, and we can leave it out if the recipient is sensitive.

Are preserved roses worth it?

For a keepsake, yes. An $85 glass dome kept for two years costs about 12 cents a day. For tonight’s dinner, fresh roses are the better gift, and the two can go together.

What is the difference between forever roses, eternal roses, infinity roses and preserved roses?

None. They are the same product under different brand names.

Can you ship preserved roses to another state?

Yes. They need no water, so they ship by FedEx or UPS in 3 to 5 business days for $40. Fresh wrapped bouquets ship overnight Tuesday to Friday.

Should I choose silk flowers instead?

Only for decor that never gets replaced, like a lobby. Silk lasts, but it is fabric, it has no scent, and it reads as artificial up close. For a gift, choose fresh or preserved.

Will I see the arrangement before it is delivered?

Yes. We photograph every finished piece before it leaves the studio, you approve it, and the driver sends a second photo at the door.

Keep reading, all our delivery and care questions, and how we ship preserved roses across the US.