Run for the Roses

By ELISE FRANCO

Vindicator staff writer

Valentine`s Day Flowers

Video

Order your Valentine's Day flowers early says Gary Doles, owner of Bloomin' Crazy Florist in Boardman, OH.

BOARDMAN — Even a last-minute bouquet of flowers will touch a loved one’s heart on Valentine’s Day.

“Last minute” is just what Gary Doles, co-owner of Bloomin’ Crazy Florist on Market Street, has come to expect in his 35 years as a florist.

Doles said Valentine’s Day is one of the craziest holidays of the year. With Valentine’s Day just one day away, he said his staff is working double time to fill hundreds of orders.

“It’s definitely the most last-minute holiday,” he said.

Doles said because Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday this year, the orders are spread out over several days instead of just one.

They’re also delivering Sunday, which is something Doles said they usually don’t do.

“We have some orders going out Friday, Saturday and Sunday, all for Valentine’s Day,” he said. “On a true one-day holiday, they all go out on that day.”

Doles said he can’t be sure how many Valentine’s Day orders the shop has taken so far, but he knows the number will be in the hundreds. On a regular day, they fill between 35 and 40 orders, he said.

“Mother’s Day is truthfully busier, but we have all those orders in ahead of time,” he said. “Valentine’s Day is one of the most pressured and stressful holidays.”

Each year, without fail, customers will call on Valentine’s Day to order an arrangement, Doles said. The shop does its best to fill the order to the customers’ content, he added.

He said on average an individual spends between $55 and $65 on an arrangement.

“We tell people to order early and don’t wait until the last minute,” he said. “If you want something very specific, the longer you wait the less chance you have to get it.”

Greg Roush of Boardman stopped by Bloomin’ Crazy on Friday afternoon to order an arrangement for his wife.

“I love buying flowers,” he said. “I like doing special things for her. It’s a cliché, but she loves it.”

Roush said he chose red roses for his wife because “It’s the classic, red rose.”

Friday afternoon, Doles had three employees, each working on dozens of arrangements, and four others helping walk-in customers and taking phone orders in the front of the store.

“It’s nonstop. We start early in the morning to finish all the orders that came in late the day before,” he said. “Then they start working ahead so that it’s a constant flow.”

Chris Hoffman, who has been with Bloomin’ Crazy since its opening 35 years ago, said she predicts the shop will fill at least 250 orders Friday alone.

Hoffman said though the pace is hectic, she loves making Valentine’s Day arrangements because of the flowers she is able to use.

“The roses, the colors they come in nowadays are just fabulous,” she said. “And the red are still very special.”

For shop employees, Valentine’s Day preparations begin long before customers are even thinking about buying flowers, Hoffman said.

“We start working on a holiday two months in advance,” she said. “All the designers get together to toss around ideas about what’s on the market and what they’re seeing out there.”

Hoffman said roses are the most popular, classic Valentine’s Day flower, but others such as sarbanes lilies are becoming more popular.

“They came in just gorgeous this year,” she said. “Something like that would last about 10 days, too.”

Janet Dunn, who has worked at the shop for 33 years, said she enjoys working with orchids, hydrangeas and lilies.

Doles said he had to stick with the classics. “You can’t beat a rose,” Doles said. “Still, after all these years, we still like them.”

efranco@vindy.com