Preston’s Flowers will sell 5,000 roses this Valentine’s Day season. If you ask, they’ll even sell you dead ones.
“Some people have these ideas,” said Gary Callgreen, manager of the store at 1726 Central St. “And we pull miracles.”
For men willing to pay for a spiteful message to ex-girlfriends, dead flowers fit the bill, Callgreen said. Callgreen will put a note in the rotting bouquet to let the unlucky gal know it’s not the store’s usual policy.
For Callgreen and about 25 other florists across Evanston, Valentine’s Day — the busiest day for florists nationwide — can be full of stories like these. Although the Valentine’s Day rush can be hectic for florists after a month in preparation, it’s all just part of the job.
“It’s a constant go-go-go from the minute we get in,” said Joanne Leiman, owner of FlowersFlowers, 524 Dempster St. “Some people dread it and think it’s terrible, but if you look at it the other way it can be an enjoyable experience.”
About 175 million roses were sold nationwide on Valentine’s Day last year, accounting for 9 percent of annual rose sales, said Jenny Stromann, manager of consumer marketing for the Society of American Florists. flower shops are eight to 10 times busier on Valentine’s Day than on other days, she said.
To cope with all the customers, Saville Flowers, 1712 Sherman Ave., needs to more than double the normal number of employees on duty on Valentine’s Day, said Kathy Leighton, a worker in the store.
But ensuring the store has enough employees on Feb. 14 is just the tip of the rose petal. Stores ordered vases, baskets and flowers in January. And the weeks leading up to the day were busy with delivery orders.
Saville will sell about 3,000 roses during the Valentine’s Day rush, Leighton said.
“It’s just constant movement, and it’ll go from when we open the doors until we get out of here on Valentine’s Day night,” she said. “Florists don’t go out for dinner.”
When Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday, Callgreen said he is less busy because people can replace roses with a nice dinner or a hotel room. Wednesday is the busiest, he said, because people are more likely to send flowers to their offices.
Mondays can also be problematic, Leiman said, since it’s right after a weekend.
“People may not order ahead as much as they would otherwise,” she said. “Monday means there are last-minute orders.”
Even with all the preparations and stress, the holiday has its perks — and not just in the extra cash.
With a constant deluge of customers, Leighton said the store sometimes runs out of flowers toward the end of the day. And at the end of one especially busy Valentine’s Day, Saville Flowers had 12 pre-ordered roses that had not yet been picked up — and two men outside trying to outbid each other for the final dozen.
“They wouldn’t take six and six,” Leighton said. “They needed a dozen and they needed to be red. And it was hilarious.”
Reach Mike Cherney at [email protected].
