Local Florists Get Ready for Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day and flowers are synonymous with one another, much to many local florists’ liking.

One, if not the biggest, times of the year for the flower industry, the period leading up to Feb. 14 is extremely busy for florists. According to the Society of American Florists, Valentine’s Day flower sales have increased 84 percent from 2010 to 2011, with the average price of one dozen arranged long-stemmed roses standing at approximately $75.

Treemendous Florist’s former owner Susan Williamson said that business is definitely on the upswing this year. To accommodate customers, she said that usually extra people are brought in to help or established employees “just work a lot more overtime.”

Lauren Talt, current owner of Treemendous Florist, said that it will be “super busy” Saturday through Tuesday, Feb. 14. Talt explained that she needs at least two drivers and 1,000 roses to meet her customers’ demands for Valentine’s Day. Besides the flower arrangements, they have to deal with special orders, chocolates and baskets, she added.

“It is really one of the busiest times of the year besides Christmas,” Talt continued. “Just non-stop, you have to prep a week in advance for it.”

In addition to the Valentine’s Day orders, Treemendous, as well as many other local florists, have to still provide clients’ arrangements for funerals and other events during this time period, “multiplying the work,” according to Talt.

“It is really intense actually, but it is amazing to see how much people care and that they want to give flowers,” she said. “It is really sweet.”

"We are already crazy," Dorothy, of Hengstenberg Florists, said. "We just got our shipment of roses and we are bananas."

Williamson said that most of their flowers come from Holland and South America, emphasizing that Treemendous receives shipments of flowers every single day and that Monday and Tuesday will yield the largest selection.

“Everything is really fresh. We get in a bigger variety to chose from,” she continued, adding that they “have a really excellent rose grower” that provides for the shop.

Some non-traditional flower suggestions for Valentine’s Day, according to Williamson, include orchids and tulips. “If they don’t want to spend the money on the rose they get a huge bouquet of tulips,” she said.

Williamson said that in order to make flowers last, putting the preservative in the water is “really important.” Never use a scissor to cut roses – it closes up the shaft of the roses by slicing it on an angle, even just once, she added.

As long as the preservative is put in the water and fresh water is added daily, the flowers should stay healthy, she said. Williamson added that water should be added to the vase – not dumped – as to keep the preservative.