WINTER PARK, Fla. (WESH) — It is perhaps the most iconic gift you can give your loved one on Valentine’s Day: a dozen red roses.
Flower could be harder to come by this year. Supply chain issues have backlogged flower shipments to florists everywhere.
So, florists have a request: “Don’t wait until the last minute. Please, please don’t wait,” said Elizabeth Johnson Etienne, who runs Apple Blossom Florist & Gifts, in Winter Park.
“I got a phone call today, we’re not sure you can get a truck so there goes all my cooler space so I’ll find out on Friday if I need to have a nervous breakdown or not,” Johnson Etienne said.
That would mean her staff works around the clock all weekend.
Flowers they ordered months ago aren’t guaranteed to arrive at their shops.
“So even though it’s ordered we don’t know if we can get it,” Johnson Etienne said.
Johnson Etienne said she like many other florists don’t even know what types of flowers they’ll have right before Feb. 14, so their best advice is to ask for the designer’s choice.
“If we don’t have white or red left, we can offer other colors like hot pink. We always do something for them,” said Aryham Abreu who works at Winter Park Florist.
If you ask for designer’s choice, florists can use what they have and get creative. It can be cheaper too.
Winter Park Florist said vases are even hard to come by right now.
The shop owner suggests keeping an open mind to mixes of flowers and talking to the florists about their best value and freshest flowers.
“If we don’t have something we just try to tell them what we can offer,” Abreu said.
Apple Blossom Florist told us if your heart is stuck on red roses, do not worry. Roses will be available. But prices are expected to rise some this year.
Some insider advice from our Johnson Etienne for those buying roses.
Long stem roses are usually your priciest yet known as the prettiest.
Short stem roses are cheaper but they can last longer.
The day all about love may certainly be about trust and patience too.
“Try to leave it up to your florist. That’s your safest bet and that’s where the prettiest stuff comes from, is by trusting us to do our jobs,” Johnson Etienne said.
