Local florists prepare for Valentine’s Day rush
BY HOLLY GASKILL
It takes a village to make the perfect Valentine’s Day possible.
At least, that’s what Posy Pot Florist owner Donna Anderson has found to be true.
“It’s not just a day, it’s not just a week, and it’s definitely not just a person — it really does take a village,” she said. “We make the same amount of arrangements we would in a month, in that single day.”
Anderson, alongside several other Bluffton-area florists, has spent the last week nonstop preparing for one of her biggest business days of the year. However, planning often stems long before February.
Rhonda Lepper, the owner of Country Squire Florists Inc., said she begins organizing her product orders in December, first looking at the previous year’s sales to anticipate their needs for flowers, vases, ribbons, cards and candy.
Among the four florists in Bluffton, there have been over 4,000 roses purchased and hundreds of pre-orders placed.
However, preparation can be difficult for a holiday notoriously plagued by day-of purchases and last-minute scrambling.
“It’s so true,” laughed Melinda Gilgen, owner of A Perfect Blend. “They’ll be running in here at 10 til 5 p.m., and it’s likely they didn’t even realize it was Valentine’s Day … so we’re definitely here to help them along.”
The stress and bustle of the day are equally matched by the kindness and grace of the florists staying open late and helping customers find something beautiful within their budget.
They’re keenly aware that picking out flowers and other gifts is not as easy as it seems. Jamie Prough, a Posy Pot florist, recommends customers come in with an open mind and ask for help.
“Roses are what men know, but when they give us the opportunity to work with maybe a favorite color and budget, they can be amazed at what they end up with,” Prough said.
Additionally, Lepper noted that floral arrangements should be kept from too-cold or too-hot temperatures and watered daily to maintain their blooms.
And, most importantly, it’s the thought that counts.
For Bobbi Shane, owner of Fields of Grace Floral Boutique, Valentine’s Day comes with memories of flowers from her parents during the school day. It was an annual tradition, but it never lost its novelty. Now, she’s helping make those same memories possible for others.
“I looked forward to that (tradition) almost more than Christmas morning,” Shane said. “It’s really special to see parents come in for that reason and sometimes see the kids’ reactions on social media later.”
Similarly, as business slows in the evening, Gilgen said delivery drivers and in-store employees swap stories of their favorite reactions of the day.
“Because sometimes it’s just so amazing, they’ll say, ‘I’ve had such a bad day, you don’t know what this means to me,’” Gilgan said. “It’s a full day for us, it’s a stressful day for us, but it did something good for somebody else — and that’s the best part of the day.”
holly@news-banner.com
