Valentine’s brings love, roses and chaos

• Hard at work

Rosemount Floral owner Michelle Scheuerlein and flower designer Sue Carlson work on bouquets Tuesday afternoon. Scheuerlein anticipates a busy week with the coming holiday.

Talk about it

It’s the time of year again when red and pink are everywhere. The decision between flowers or chocolates lingers on the brains of lovers everywhere and as the days quickly pass Feb. 14 gets closer.

For Michelle Scheuerlein, owner of Rosemount Floral, Valentine’s Day means lots of business and long hours. She doesn’t mind, though. She thinks the mayhem that accompanies the biggest floral holiday of the year is kind of fun.

“It’s crazy but it’s fun,” said Scheuerlein.

Scheuerlein said up until Valentine’s Day she and her staff of three designers will work 12- to 13-hour days to keep up with the demand. She said the shop has already received quite a few orders and anticipates a lot more as the holiday approaches.

“It’s a guys holiday so we’ll get a lot of orders the day of,” quipped Scheuerlein.

Scheuerlein said traditionally Valentine’s Day landing on a Sunday has meant slower business but she doesn’t anticipate that for this year. The closure of several other flower shops in the area has resulted in increased business for Rosemount Floral.

Roses

No one knows the answer to the age-old question of whether a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but paying for the lovers’ flower of choice can stink. Especially this time of year.

Scheuerlein explained that just like any other commodity supply and demand affect the price of roses and Valentine’s Day increases the demand significantly.

Additionally she said other factors play into it. This year, for instance, weather and disasters in California and Florida have affected the number of flowers available.

Another factor, Scheuerlein said, is the Rose Bowl Parade. More than 50,000 roses were used just for the parade and that cuts into the supply close to Valentine’s Day.

While some will go with other flowers, Scheuerlein said roses are the flower of choice for Valentine’s Day. She said tradition plays a big role in the gift.

“It’s one of those things people have done for a long time,” said Scheuerlein.

Shopping tips

When shopping for flowers, Scheuerlein said it is important to know what to look for. The price of a dozen roses will vary based on variety, design style and level of service. For example, long stem roses arranged in a vase and delivered to the doorstep will cost more than an unarranged bunch of medium-length stems picked up at the shop.

Scheuerlein said a mixed bouquet can cut down on costs and will last longer as well. She said a bouquet of roses will likely all die at the same time, whereas, a mixed group of flowers will wilt at different times.

To keep the bouquet looking fresh she recommended taking out the wilted flowers and leaving the fresh ones.

Scheuerlein also recommend calling a local florist over using a telephone service or online company. She said often those companies will charge large service fees. Additionally, she said those companies will deliver the flowers through FedEx or UPS which will leave the flowers on the doorstep if someone doesn’t answer. Especially here in the upper Midwest where temperatures are frigid that will likely result in dead flowers.

“Call your local florist because you’ll know the cost up front and know what you are getting,” said Scheuerlein.

Rosemount Floral

Rosemount Floral has served the community for 16 years. Scheuerlein said the shop serves people from cradle to grave. The business is located in downtown Rosemount at the corner of 145th Street and Robert Trail.

The shop is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. While the shop is normally closed on Sundays, Scheuerlein said they will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Valentine’s Day.

Call 651-423-6300 for more information.

Tags: business news, local news, business, community, rosemount