The back room of Fresh Flowers & Gifts is overwhelmingly full of pre-ordered arrangements ahead of Valentine's Day, with employees hard at work to add even more.--NEWS PHOTO ANNA SMITH
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
One of the peak dates for florists throughout the Gas City is just about to bloom, and along with it comes the annual dash to make sure romantics across Medicine Hat have what they need.
An employee at Awesome Blossom was literally too busy to be able to make an official comment on how the week has been at the florist’s storefront. However, she was able to share that a majority of the flowers in the store are already spoken for leading up to Valentine’s Day, with only a select few remaining available for purchase.
The sentiment was echoed by Tilted Tulip Floral & Design, which while having a larger inventory of flowers still available, also declined to comment Wednesday citing a lack of time to keep up with all the arrangements already ordered.
Sarah Cahill, one of the owners of Beryl’s Bloomers, says that while they are already incredibly busy, Wednesday is on some level the calm before the storm as Hatters tend to skew toward the last minute.
“A lot of people have pre-ordered and are still pre-ordering, which we always encourage, but we do expect the very last minute rush to come in,” said Cahill. “With Valentine’s falling on a weekend this year, most people will probably be picking up on their way home from work on Friday and doing something more romantic in person.”
Because of this, she expects to see significant foot traffic on Friday evening and Saturday. In anticipation of this, Cahill feels fortunate to have secured a last-minute shipment of supplies, for both the Valentine’s Day classics and something a bit more unique, as some Hatters seek to step outside the box.
While something more custom is on the upswing, says Cahill, red roses do remain the flower of love and the most popular purchase.
Fresh Flowers & Gifts however, sees a more even spread of requests, as it is known for its tropical and mixed arrangements, says owner Brenda Ruckaber.
She says pre-orders have also been high at her shop with the back already full of arrangements, but she expects they will see a large amount of last minute foot traffic.
“If it’s sort of midweek, people send flowers to their loved ones at work. This one being a Saturday, going into a long weekend, you don’t know where you sit,” said Ruckaber. “Valentine’s Day is a man’s holiday as well, and not all men are well organized.”
Ruckaber is optimistic they will have inventory of various flowers for those who make their purchases last minute, but does add they also offer other romantic gifts such as chocolates, glass ornaments and bath products for those either in need of alternative options or looking to give their loved ones a more complete package.
