Best of 2003: Best Deals On Long-Stemmed Everything

Franco's Flowers
842 Leucadia Boulevard, Leucadia
760-632-1624

A remnant of Leucadia's once-flourishing flower-growing industry, Jose Franco grows roses and carnations in five greenhouses and uses a sixth as a walk-in refrigerated room where customers roam through two aisles of buckets filled with fresh-cut flowers. You can buy 25 long-stemmed roses for $12 to $15, 25 short-stemmed roses for $8, and white orchids or bunches of lilies for $10. Franco carries 50 varieties of flowers, grown locally or shipped in from Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, and Northern California. The best selection can be found on Fridays when new shipments arrive.