To florists, Valentine's Day feels like a rollercoaster with insanely long hours, constant customer calls, and working hard to keep up with the demand.
Florists work until the wee hours of the morning, up to their ankles in flower stems and discarded petals, cutting roses and other flowers and fitting them into bouquets as fast as they can.
By the time Valentine’s Day arrives, they’re exhausted and running on fumes. Can you blame them? They go home only to sleep and haven’t seen their families for a week!
So this year, be kind to your florist – and to yourself. Here are 12 ways to make things easier for you on Valentine’s Day.
Jump to:
- Don’t Blame Florists for the Cost of Red Roses.
- Genius Level Pro Tip: Automatic Deliveries.
- Order Early.
- Choose Designer’s Choice.
- Positive Reviews for a Positive Experience.
- Share on Social Media.
- Choose Alternatives to Roses.
- Skip Online or Wire Florists.
- Put It Off for a Few Days.
- Tip Your Delivery Driver.
- Buy Flowers at a Nursery or Greenhouse.
- Buy a Blossoming Tree.
- A Final Tip for the Road: Don’t Be Difficult.
Don’t Blame Florists for the Cost of Red Roses.
First, because it’s winter, all roses must be shipped from Latin America, mainly from Columbia and Ecuador. Up until Valentine’s Day, cut roses are loaded onto passenger planes, cargo planes, and even cargo jets to Miami.
From there, they’re loaded onto refrigerated delivery trucks sent across the nation. The roses must be kept cold at every step of the journey so they don’t wilt. Adding to the costs, some roses are accidentally destroyed by DEA agents checking for drug shipments. And demand for these out-of-season flowers is sky-high.
So don’t blame your florist. They’re not cheap for the florist, either.
Genius Level Pro Tip: Automatic Deliveries.
Introduce yourself to your local florist. Set up automatic deliveries for your anniversary, your loved one’s birthday, and Valentine’s Day. Then, put your credit card on file or prepay! The florist will call or email you a couple of weeks before to verify the delivery. Your bouquet is done ahead of time, and everybody is happy.
Order Early.
Order your arrangements a week or two before Valentine’s Day. Your florist can make your order ahead of time. Bonus points if you know what your sweetheart’s favorite flower is – many people don’t.
Read more: How to Grow Miniature Roses Indoors and Keep Them Blooming
Choose Designer’s Choice.
Florists also like if you call a full week before and ask for a “Designer’s Choice.” This allows the floral designer to pick the most gorgeous blooms and gives them complete creative freedom. The result is a beautiful and more interesting arrangement, and the florist enjoys a creative moment.
If you have specific things you require in a Designer’s Choice arrangement, you can say, “These are my sweetheart’s favorite flowers. Pick what you think works best; here is my price range; bill me what you think is appropriate.” Florists are happy to do this as well.
Read more: 25 Flowers and Plants That Say “I Love You” (Easy to Grow)
Positive Reviews for a Positive Experience.
Leave a positive review for the business online. It only takes a minute, and it helps bring more people to their business.
Share on Social Media.
When the flowers arrive, take pictures and tag the florist on social media to spread the word about the work they do.
Choose Alternatives to Roses.
Getting a dozen roses is cheesy and overdone, especially when there are millions of more creative floral options. Hydrangeas, sunflowers, orchids, dahlias, and irises are beautiful ways to show your sweetheart that you love them. Alstroemeria will last for about three weeks in a vase. Choose a mixed bouquet with pinks, reds, and whites, and add some hearts to make it special.
Read more: 15 Amazing Red Perennials Beyond Roses
Skip Online or Wire Florists.
Don’t use FTD, 1800flowers, Amazon, or Teleflora. Don’t use wire services. These services take most of the money from the order, then call around to local florists to find one that will make the arrangement for cheap. They charge a fee to the florists who are fulfilling the orders, and you get fewer flowers for your money. Buying directly from the florist is cheaper, and you get more flowers.
Put It Off for a Few Days.
Do Valentine’s Day the weekend after V-Day. You’ll get a better pick of flowers and restaurants.
Tip Your Delivery Driver.
The delivery driver has been running frantically all over town since about 6 a.m., trying to fulfill everybody’s orders, getting lost, and hasn’t even had lunch yet. Tip them. They need it.
Buy Flowers at a Nursery or Greenhouse.
This time of year, you can find gorgeous houseplants at local greenhouses, many of which are blooming. They’re more sustainable than cut flowers, too.
Read more: 12 Rules for Giving Plants as Gifts (+Tips)
Buy a Blossoming Tree.
If your sweetheart loves the outdoors, buy them a flowering tree. That’s a long-term Valentine’s Day present that will last years. Then, once it matures, you’ll get a gigantic bouquet every spring.
A Final Tip for the Road: Don’t Be Difficult.
Valentine’s Day can bring out the best in people, but more often, it can bring out the worst. There are always people who rush in an hour before the florist closes and get mad because all that’s left are yellow roses.
It’s not the florist’s fault. Be understanding. A little kindness goes a long way, especially on a day dedicated to love!
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