Business blooms for florists on Valentine’s Day

By Chris Fortune

Last-minute shoppers kept local florists busy on Valentine’s Day as they searched for the right arrangements.

It’s one of the busiest days of the year at flower shops, with phones constantly ringing on the day before Valentine’s Day. But the holiday can be exciting for florists, especially when they work on designer’s choice arrangements.

Darla’s Flowers and Gifts at 2015 N. 36th St. Has been open since 1986, and every year, they take calls from last-minute shoppers.

“The phone’s been ringing off the wall last night and yesterday,” Co-Owner Darla Saunders said. “It’s like, ‘Oh, I better get something.’”

As orders for flowers come in, it allows Saunders to get more creative with her arrangements and incorporate different colors for Valentine’s Day.

“It’s nice to decorate and do the different arrangements and stuff, like reds and pinks and lavenders,” she said.

Lander’s Flowers at 3702 Frederick Ave. has been open for three years. Owner Jill Knorr said they never know what kind of demand to expect on Valentine’s Day.

“It’s kind of crazy,” she said. “So we just have to take a good guess and take really good notes from the year before and hope that we ordered the flowers that people will want, and then we kind of wait for them to come.”

Many customers have come back to tell stories of how Lander’s Flowers prepared arrangements for their weddings and celebrations.

“We really get to be a part of people’s lives through flowers,” she said.

The staff helped Gary Power find the right flowers for his wife of 55 years.

“I’m a last-minute guy, so I walk in, and this is a great shop, I mean, they make some beautiful arrangements,” Power said.

He took the time to share a message to his wife after he received his flowers.

“My message is I love you, and I guess I do after 55 years (of marriage), so happy Valentine’s Day,” he said.