During February, local florists are too busy to stop, but they sure get to smell the roses.
For flower shops, Valentine’s Day is one the biggest holidays for orders, ahead of Mother’s Day and Christmas. Valentine’s Day prep starts early for florists like Billy Heroman’s, which orders blooms as soon as November to ensure all three locations are ready.
Despite offering a variety of flowers, Billy Heroman’s says roses, especially red ones, are always the best sellers. This year, the shop submitted an order for about 60,000 flowers for the holiday week.
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“To put it into perspective, we usually do about 2,000 deliveries on Feb. 14. I would say that roses or some version of roses make up a little over half,” Treasurer Ben Heroman says. “On an everyday basis, roses make up about 5-10% of our deliveries.”
How to keep blooms beautiful
Fresh N Fancy’s tips:
• Trim stems and replace the vase’s water every other day.
• Check out the care cards that come with the arrangements.
Red roses are the main Valentine’s Day request for Fresh N Fancy florist Dominique Rogers, though her clients have also been wanting elaborate carnations. Her clients are increasingly interested in the unexpected. Think: long-stemmed roses or unordinary colors like black and bright blue. And, Rogers is rarely delivering the standard dozen.
“In the past year, I’ve noticed that trend with the 100 roses requests,” she says. “Nowadays, the ladies or whoever’s getting roses, do not want a dozen roses, they want 100 roses or 50 roses.”
Rogers’ clients love to take photos and show off their bouquets. Some who are planning at-home Valentine’s Days have even requested large home interior displays for romantic dinners.
Though aisles will shortly be flooded with frantic lovers picking through plushy teddy bears and cheesy greeting cards, local florists say you can’t go wrong with a flower or two—or 100.
“Research within the flower industry has shown that flowers are the most remembered gift,” Heroman says. “Everybody can remember the last time they received flowers.”
How to order
Don’t procrastinate. Though a big flower shop like Billy Heroman’s might have a few premade arrangements, it’s best to order early. Fresh N Fancy orders will close a week before the holiday, but leftover flowers may be available.
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Billy Heroman’s: By phone, in person or billyheromans.com.
For Fresh N Fancy: Order at freshnfancydesigns.com. Make special requests by phone or email.
This article originally appeared in the February 2024 issue of 225 magazine.