Live rose in a lovely container

Gag gifts won't cut it at this time of year, guys. Nor should you give your significant other something pragmatic like a power drill.

Fortunately, delivering romance is easy: Head for the nearest nursery with a wide selection of pots.

Choose a smallish pot with something sweetly sentimental about it, like this charmer we found at Roger's Gardens ($9.99; 800/647-2356) in Corona del Mar, California. The combination of rough stone, cream glaze, and black filigree gives it an Old World air, like something you'd stumble across in a European villa.

Pop in a miniature red rose and you're all set; for bonus points, add a ribbon of wide black lace.