There is a rumour going around that a rich Romeo has bought $10,000 worth of red roses for his love today.

None of the florists would say if it was their store that had the huge order, but all were doing a roaring trade in their busiest season.

Lesser mortals with smaller wallets could find cheaper rates than the $10 a stem for a red rose in the flower shops.

The average price of a dozen red roses bought on Valentines Day in Bermuda is just over $90.

This year the florists are facing steep competition from the supermarkets.

MarketPlace is leading the race for cheaper flowers at $29.99, and were flying off the shelves yesterday.

Even the up-scale Miles Market were selling a dozen roses at $45, $75 for the long stems.

The chocolate counter was yesterday in danger of selling out of its Godiva chocolates -- top of the range hand-made Belgian chocolates.

Aberfeldy Nursery was also raking it in, with slightly more practical romantic men buying rose bushes.

Cyclamen ($16.50) were flying off the shelves, as were rose bushes ($20), Bermuda rose trees (27.50) and patio roses ($35).

"We have queues of men in here right now,'' said a shop assistant yesterday.

Run on roses for Valentine's Day "They are all coming in and buying flowering plants. Right now the roses are really pumping.'' Buds, Beans & Books, a relative newcomer to the Valentine trade is selling a dozen boxed roses for $59.95.

Owner John Casling said yesterday as he unpacked a new delivery of red roses: "We will be working all night to get the orders together.'' The shop has brought in 6,000 roses and has sold 1,000 a day in the last two days and has 500 orders to fill for today.

"All the flowers are being picked up. At that price we could not deliver,'' he said.

Bermuda Florist on South Shore was selling a dozen red roses for $108 -- a fairly standard price across the Island. The shop normally brings in about 2,000 roses at this time of year.

"We have plenty of roses in stock,'' said Teresa Medeiros, shop manager.

"But we are not taking any more deliveries. We are asking our customers to come in now, and I think we would still have some in stock, but it would depend on how late you come in.'' This year sales are as good as always with requests for roses top of the list.

But carnations and stuffed animals are also up there.

Demco Floral Services have no more roses left after a large order came in yesterday, and all the hundreds in the store are now accounted for. But they still have in stock coloured roses.

Designer Flowers still have plenty in stock, as do East End Florist. But the Flower Shop Ltd were so busy still checking to see if they had any leftovers from their orders and asked customers to check again at 9am, while House of Flowers had plenty left.

Just Roses must have been inundated with calls, because The Royal Gazette failed to get through despite trying all of yesterday.

Cost of a dozen red roses in Bermuda MarketPlace $29.99 Buds, Beans & Books $59.95 Miles Market $75 Gardine's Flowers $99 Designer Flowers $100 Flower Shop Ltd $100 East End Florist box $105 Bermuda Florist $108 House of Flowers $124