A rose, perhaps a dozen. Or maybe a basket of carnations. Orchids, tulips, lilies — the are options aplenty. Love can come in all different hues and petals.
Flowers and Valentine’s Day are practically synonymous. The holiday is the No. 1 annual occasion for florists and floral purchases, second only to Christmas and Hanukkah in dollars spent, according to the Society of American Florists. But what really goes into ensuring the time-honored tradition comes up roses?
The Naperville Sun spoke with two area florists to learn all the ins, outs — and roots — of what it takes to prepare for their part in making loved ones feel special come holiday.
Baxter Phillip
Phillip is executive vice president of Phillip’s Flowers and Gifts, a family-owned florist that delivers to Chicago, 150 suburbs and across the country. The business, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2023, has six suburban flower shops, including one at 1007 E. Ogden Ave. in Naperville, where they’ve had a location for more than 30 years.
How many orders do you expect to fill for Valentine’s Day?
We’ll probably have, among our locations, between 1,000 and 2,000 deliveries spread between Thursday and Friday.
How does that compare to a regular day of deliveries?
Valentine’s Day is five to six times the volume. So a typical day for us between all locations might be 200 to 250 orders during the same period.
When do you start preparing for Valentine’s Day?
We book a lot of the fresh flowers that we buy from around the world about two to three months in advance. And certainly complete most of the ordering more than a month in advance.
You buy from around the world?
Most of the roses come from South America. But we also buy from Holland, the Philippines, the United States. All over the place.
It’s a process, as we’re waiting to hear back from different growers and suppliers. And the big challenge at Valentine’s is that there are only so many professionally cultivated rose stems or bushes in the world. It takes about a month to a month-and-a-half to grow a single long stem rose. So all the growers worldwide have to kind of anticipate the increase in volume during Valentine’s week.
It’s actually kind of a remarkable process, and a single rose is a remarkable item.
How do you know how much to stock?
Well, a good florist relies on their records from the previous year and their projections of whether their sales are inching upward or downward. I know that for us, it’s probably 50,000 to 100,000-plus roses. And then 100,000-plus other flowers.
When do you start to receive orders for Valentine’s Day?
Usually not until early January.
When do you start to put arrangements together?
Earlier this week, we started making arrangements. Of course, we have numerous huge coolers to store them in to keep them fresh.
If someone came in Friday morning not having ordered something in advance, would you be able to help them out?
Oh yeah, there will be plenty of things ready. There are plenty of people who just swing by and know that there will be beautiful flowers and arrangements all ready for pickup. And floral gifts at Valentine’s range from as little at $35 to as much as $200. It’s really up to the individual person.
What’s the most expensive arrangement you’ve sold?
Oh, for a single gift? I seem to recall someone who sent 10 or 12 dozen roses to his wife at one time. That sure made an impression when she spread them throughout the house.
Since you order flowers so far in advance for Valentine’s Day, do you ever run out?
No, we generally don’t run out of flowers. We do a pretty good job with 100 years of experience knowing how to order in advance.
Do you ever send arrangements on behalf of a “secret admirer”?
Yes, we still get customers who think it’s cute and clever to send floral gifts anonymously. But we discourage it because a surprising number of people are uncomfortable receiving that gift and some will even reject it. We would always encourage people to identify the senders as a courtesy.
Do you give flowers on Valentine’s Day?
Yes, I give flowers. As a giver, I know that my wife likes the softer, more feminine pastel colors. She likes the lavenders and pinks and hot pinks, things like that. So I happen to veer away from red roses.
Do you get flowers on Valentine’s Day?
Oh no. My wife makes me cookies.
Jenny Latham
Latham is the owner of Celidan Creations at 152 W. Gartner Road. The business has been serving the Naperville area for 32 years. Latham was in college when she founded her shop with her mother, who died about five years ago.
How many and what kind of flowers did you order specifically for Valentine’s Day?
Mostly red roses. I think we start with like 500 (of those). Red gerbera daisies are another popular flower. And pink and white snapdragons. But mostly red roses.
When do you start getting requests for Valentine’s arrangements?
Even as early as two weeks ahead. We have our regulars too. Where if they come in for something else, they’ll say, don’t forget my yellow roses on the 14th.
But a lot of it is Thursday and Friday walk-ins, which is nice.
You do walk-ins?
It’s pretty crazy. I don’t know that I know a number. A lot. I would think it’s even half of what we sell. We know they’re coming, so we try and keep that cooler stocked.
But it also sounds like you also have regular Valentine’s Day orders?
Yeah, we know that one gentleman likes yellow and another likes a little more tropical (arrangement). So I would say we do. It’s not like we make it. We wait until we get the call. But I usually know (what they like) so we’ll make sure we have that for them.
For Valentine’s Day prep, is it all hands on deck leading up to the holiday? Do you need extra staff?
(Our staff) all kind of know don’t take your vacations and don’t plan your doctor’s appointments. Even my son will come to drive. One gentleman that worked for us 30 years ago has always come back. Every Valentine’s Day, he tells his work he has to be somewhere. He’ll come and drive all day.
Any particularly unusual or interesting orders you’ve gotten this year for the holiday?
One young man wants to recreate his wife’s bridal bouquet as a surprise.
What kind of flowers do you like to receive?
That’s funny, I don’t know that I receive a lot. I like the pink roses because there’s a point where you shouldn’t sell them. But they stay so pretty for so many days after. I like watching them open to full openness. I think they’re beautiful.
Are flowers something that you and your family do around Valentine’s Day?
Probably not flowers, no. I’ll bring some home, you know. They know chocolate is nice to have after a long day.
Are there any flowers or arrangements outside of roses that you’d recommend to someone who’s maybe looking to send something a little more unique?
Right! We always have stargazer lilies. There’s gerbera daisies and a really pretty flower called liatris that’s like a bright purple. Those flowers are long-lasting, and they’re usually not as expensive.
While Valentine’s Day week can be quite a bit of work, but what is it like knowing you’re playing a part in making someone’s day special?
Oh yeah, I even took some deliveries last week and a woman even said (to me) this must be so much fun to make people smile. And I’m like, it is fun!
It’s nice to get to know people and have repeat customers. It is really nice. We’ve even done a wedding and then now done their child’s wedding. Or someone will come in for homecoming and say you did my parents’ wedding. As we’re here longer, it’s fun to hear stories like that, too.
Conversations were edited for length and clarity.
