Thursday, February 10. 2000
The University Daily Kansas
Section B • Page 7
Cris Aiken, Hy-Vee Food and Drug floral manager, arranges roses at Hy-Vee, 3504 Clinton Parkway. Aiken said that Valentine's Day is one of the busiest times of the year. Photo by Kate Levenson/KANSAN
Florists prepare to fill demand for flowers
By Jennifer Hall Kansan correspondent
They are the equivalent of eight CD's, one Dr. Martin shoe, 60 cheeseburgers, 12 movies or an insane amount of ramen noodles.
Many men find out that Valentine's Day roses can equal a lot of time spent at odd jobs or donating plasma, and many rush to flower shops to secure their orders of a dozen roses — an investment that averages about $50.
Although most flower shoppers grab their arrangements at the last minute, preparations for the Valentine's Day frenzy begins weeks in advance for many local florists.
"We are extremely busy," Cary Engle, owner of Englewood Florist, 1101 Massachusetts St., said. "We have already been working whole weeks."
Employees at Englewood Florist have been preparing since Christmas, and the store is now completely stocked, said Janis Figueira, designer at Englewood.
The shop employees anticipate February 14 to be the single busiest day of the year.
it's not all spread out. It's all in one day," she said. "This is because there are so many sweethearts at the University. We are expecting upwards of 800 deliveries on Valentine's Day."
In order to fill the demand, between 15 and 20 volunteers will join the store's four permanent delivery drivers. Figueira said that all employees would be putting in overtime. She expected to work about 15 hours on Monday.
Figueira said the most popular item is a dozen roses and that at least 80 percent of the orders fall into that category.
"We have 4,000 roses in every color," she said. "We just got 36 crates of flowers in today."
Carol Randel, co-owner of Owen's Flower Shop, 846 Indiana, said the days
LANGUAGE OF ROSES
■ red — love, respect and courage
**white** — reverence, humility, innocence,
writy, secrecy, and silence.
■ red and white or white roses with red edges
--- unity
- pink roses in general - grace and gentility
- yellow - invy and gladness
coral or orange — enthusiasm and desire
deep hungry — unconscious beauty
■ red and yellow blends — jovial and happy feelings
- feelings*
■ pale colors — sociability and friendship
rosebuds — beauty, youth and a heart innocent of love
red rosebuds — pure and lovely
■ white rosebuds — girlhood or "too young to love"
- a single rose — simplicity, in full bloom, it means "I love you"
- withered white roses have two meanings: fleeting beauty and "you made no impression"
- hybrid tea roses — "I'll remember you always"
- two roses taped or wired together to form a single stem signals an engagement or coming marriage.
A full blown rose placed over two buds form a combination that signifies secrecy.
Forms a combination that signifies success.
A crown made of roses signifies reward or virtue.
Source: http://www.wic.net/schevene/language.htm
before Valentine's Day run together as employees put in long hours preparing deliveries.
"We work late nights and come in early in the mornings days before," she said. "We will be open from 10 to 4 on Sunday, even though we are rarely open on Sundays."
Randel said the store already was starting Valentine's deliveries, and encouraged customers to place their orders soon.
"I urge people to order early," she said. "No one wants to get their Valentine's Day flowers on Tuesday."
721 Wakarusa • Located in Wakarusa Plaza
a touch of Irish in downtown Lawrence
Red Lyon Tavern
944 Mass. 832-8228
Protect A Sweetheart Week February 7-11 Learn About Sexual Health
Coupon
Coupon
Confidential or Anonymous
$10 off
Watkins Health Center
HIV TESTING
Watkins Health Center
Questions/Consultations/Appointments
--watkins health center
Questions/Conscerns/Appointments Call 864-9570 or 864-9507 Expires March 1,2000 Present coupon at testing
Visit the information tables at the Kansas Union on the 10th and 11th from 10-2. And at Strong Hall on the 11th from 10-2.