Valentine's Day Tips from a Local Florist

Valentine's Day is next week, so now is the time to plan that romantic gesture. Flowers are big on this holiday, so I checked in with Julie Upchurch, owner of the Little House of Flowers in Gambrills, to get some tips. Here's our full email conversation.

We all know roses are the obvious thing to buy for Valentine's Day. What do you have to offer in that realm?

We will offer a full range of long stem roses in red, white, pink, yellow, lavender, hot pink.

Where do you get your roses from?

We use only Premium roses from Ecuador at Little House of Flowers, it’s where the best roses in the world are grown and we buy only from sustainable farms and wholesalers that offer a complete cold supply chain.

If you buy some roses for Valentine's Day, what are some tips for making sure they're not dead by Feb. 15?

The trick to keeping your roses thriving after Valentine’s day begins long before you even receive your roses, it all starts when they are cut from their plants at the farms. Again, because we use the best farms with the best practices along with a cold supply chain we are able to achieve a pretty product before they even get to the flower shop.

As professionals, understanding how to properly care for the roses once they come into our shop is the second half of that equation. Each stem is treated to a luxury bath of flower food in a bucket that has been thoroughly sanitized.  Once they are given all the proper handling and cutting, we then gently tuck them into the cooler to be kept at the correct temp. 

There are also several things that you can do once you have received your Valentine flowers. First, keep them out of direct sunlight and away from any heat vent; blowing air on a live flower causes the moisture to dry out of the petals, causing wilting and early demise. Secondly, bacteria is the biggest offender when it comes to your flowers at home, so it’s important to change the water every day in your vase. If you notice the water is cloudy, that is bacteria growing in the water and your flowers are drinking it, shortening their lifespan. Third, cut the stems every other day, just a bit off the bottom with a very sharp, clean pair of scissors. A good way to see if your stems have closed  up, look at the bottom of the stems if there is any browning on them, they have begun the natural process of sealing, you’ll notice once you cut the bottoms they will be white and drinking again! Please note that flowers will drink more the first few days, making it so important that they are given a water change every day!

What other flowers do you have for sale that still say romance?

The last few years we’ve seen an abundance of orders that are a full mix of flowers, beautiful lilies, paired with roses always make a stunning display! Tulips are another that are in season right now and are at their best. What I love about tulips is their ability to stand on their own in a vase and make a  lovely display for any home or office space. Another popular flower for Valentine’s Day is the gerbera daisy, they are pretty, fun and always a winner!

Remember Valentine’s Day says lots of things that are not always about deep passion love, but maybe you want to acknowledge a dear friend, or co-worker or perhaps there is someone you secretly admire, pinks, whites and purples are the perfect color choice!

Do you have any special promotions going for Valentine's Day?

We are promoting a package: one dozen long stem premium roses in a vase, 8oz box of assorted chocolates and a Happy Valentine’s Day Mylar for $109.95 ($10.00 off), delivery is extra. Quantities of the best premium roses are very limited this year so I highly recommend ordering early. 

Not really a promotion but a great idea this year, is have your flowers delivered Monday, Feb. 13.  Then take the rest of the week to show your Valentine how much you care about them, doing little extras, writing love notes, leaving chocolates on their pillow, if anyone would like we will be glad to add in a bag of rose petals with their dozen rose order. Just fun ways to be creative and tell someone how much they mean to you. Check out the last few post on FB at www.facebook.com/littlehouseofflowers for ideas I’ve come up with to make a whole week of romance!

Little House of Flowers is located at 377B Gambrills Rd., Gambrills. Call the shop at 410-923-3170.